UCL Qatar and Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) will host a public workshop to explore and share the history of Doha and the transformation of the traditional town into a modern city.

‘Heritage of Doha, Identity of Qatar,’ will be held on November 5, in the Georgetown Building, Education City.

The workshop will present the findings of UCL Qatar’s QNRF-funded Origins of Doha Project, including the results of the Joint Qatar Museums-UCL Qatar Old Doha Rescue Excavation.

Archaeological findings from the excavations will also be used to explore experiences of Doha’s inhabitants through time.

Dr Robert Carter, Senior Lecturer in Archaeology, UCL Qatar, will lead the workshop.

“Engagement with the public is a key part of the Origins of Doha Project. We intend to bring together original archaeological, historic and ethnographic research and present our findings to the public, as we want people to realise there is a much older Doha beneath and around them,” he said.

Split into morning and afternoon sessions, the workshop will begin by outlining latest archaeological discoveries from the Old Doha Rescue Excavation that took place from December 2013 to March 2014, including pearl divers’ weights, pearl merchants’ weights, anchors, pottery, keys and coins.

Dr Carter and his collaborators will explore the historical and cultural value of these findings and consider the vulnerability of Doha’s archaeological heritage, given the intensive development that has characterised the city in recent history.

The afternoon session will introduce preliminary analyses of the finds from the excavation, as well as results of historical mapping, building surveys and GIS work that capture the changes in Doha’s architecture and town plan over time.

It will also present some of the oral histories gathered by the Origins of Doha.

Follow us on our social media channels: @ILQlive @ILQlive @ILoveQtr ILoveQatar

QNE

Start a discussion