DOHA: A new partnership highlighting archaeological research in the Middle East has been set up between University College London in Qatar (UCL Qatar) and QScience.com, the online academic publishing platform of Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Journals.
The partnership takes the shape of a new, open access book series entitled ‘UCL Qatar Series on Archaeology and Cultural Heritage’ enabling anyone anywhere in the world to freely read about archaeological research and build a greater understanding of the region’s fascinating history.
‘Craft and science: International perspectives on archaeological ceramics,’ is the first volume in the series to be published this week.
Edited by Marcos Martinَn-Torres, an archaeologist at UCL in the UK, the full text is freely available to download on QScience.com One chapter of the book focuses on techniques used to generate the distinctive colour and shine of early silver Islamic lustre. The presence of silver and copper nanoparticles in the glazes of 9th-12th century ceramics give some of the most decorative works of that time a golden, reflective nature, which was highly-valued.
UCL Qatar Director, Thilo Rehren, said: “Qatar Foundation and UCL Qatar share a strong ethos of excellence, and are committed to promoting research as a key element of creating knowledge. This is relevant for cultural heritage as much as for engineering, as we all live in a society shaped by its heritage, which we need to understand to shape the future.”
QScience.com Editorial Director, Christopher Leonard, said, “These open access books mean that anyone anywhere in the world can read about this research and build upon it for a greater understanding of the history of Qatar and the wider region.” The Peninsula
