OUDINE EXCAVATION PROJECT
Coordinator: Jwana Chahoud
Partners: Lebanese University, Directorate General of Antiquities, Municipality of Andaket
Archaeological project of the Lebanese University, Department of Arts and Archaeology.
Funded by the Municipality of Andaket (Represented by Mr. O. Massoud).
The project: is commissioned by the Lebanese University, funded by the municipality of Andaket, and under the supervision of the Directorate General of Antiquities, started in 2018. Students from UL 3 Tripoli & UL 4 Bekaa were involved in the training with archaeologists and specialits as George EL Haibe, May Haider, Grace Homsy, Paul Mahboub, Souraya Jabaa and others…
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Aims:
Assessing the archaeological potential of the region.
Survey of the Oudine region
Understand the history of settlement in the region.
Reconstruct the interaction between the mountain of Akkar the coast, the Hermel region and the hinterland.
Preserve and promote the Cutural Heritage.
Results: The archaeological work in Andaket, Akkar has revealed the importance of this region betzeen the 5th and the 6th century AD. The survey results, along with the recording of the Mar Saba’s site, uncovered an important Byzantine settlements in the valley. Residences, workshops, monastery churches, and tombs along with an important production of oil, were identified in the Oudine valley.
Objectives: The study of Mar Saba and Oudine Valley has just started. The study of artefacts are ongoing. Master students are doing their research on the ceramics, surveys (GIS, geophysics..) and archetecture. Experts of ancient texts are deciphering inscriptions from the Mar Saba Site. Several questions remain unanswered and need further investigations ; such as the extent of these occupation, the importance of the population and the role of this Byzantine agglomeration in the North of Akkar. Its relation and connection with other important areas, such as Akroum, Homs as well as the coast, is not clear yet.
Site managment is ongoing and future projects of creating archaeological track in the Valley, preserving ancient sites and restoring oil press and churches are shceduled.
LA JOURNÉE PORTE OUVERTE: DISCOVER THE ARCHAEOLOGY
August 30, 2019
The event lasted a day long, inhabitant of Andaket and neighboring villages as well as students and professors of the Lebanese University, the dean of the faculty of Letters and Human Sciences Pr. Ahmad Rabah and members of the DGA visited the site. The program was adapted for all age categories. Posters were displayed at the entrance of the MSA site. A selection of artefacts was displayed for the public (coins, pottery, Metal objetcs…). Groups were guided by our archaeologist on the site following the pathways created to understand the story and history of the site and archaeological features.
This event had a good impact in the region and helped promote the arcaheology and the heritage and was covered nationally by the media.
CONFERENCE
May 2-3 2019
A paper about Oudine project was presented at conference 'the Studies in Archaeology and Heritage' organized by the Lebanese University, held at the National Library Beirut (Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences Department of Arts and Archaeology Branch 2-Fanar).
The proceeding will be published in a special issue in BAAL journal.
