Fudan Prof. Wu Xin was recently invited to attend in the inaugural meeting of the Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) for the Mes Aynak Project and the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH) Forum in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Prior to this event, Prof. Wu was appointed as a member of SAP for the Mes Aynak Project, conducted under the partnership of ALIPH and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC). The SAP consists of seven experts, who specialize in cultural heritage conservation and management and Central Asian archaeology. The SAP will provide advice and guidance for the conservation project at the Aynak archaeological site.

The SAP members and officials of ALIPH, AKTC and AKCSA

At the meeting, Prof. Wu and the fellow SAP members convened with the officials of the international organizations, such as Valéry Freland (Executive Director of ALIPH), Luis Monreal (General Manager of AKTC), Ajmal Maiwandi (Chief Executive Officer of AKCSA) and others. The attendees engaged in a comprehensive discussion regarding the conservation of the cultural relics at the Aynak site.

The inaugural meeting of the SAP for the Mes Aynak Project

Based in Geneva, ALIPH is a major international foundation dedicated to the conservation and preservation of cultural heritage in conflict zones or areas emerging from crisis. The Chinese government has been actively involved in the planning and creation of ALIPH. The ALIPH Forum of this year centered on addressing critical issues, such as responding swiftly to urgent cultural heritage situations in conflict and post-conflict regions, including Ukraine and Afghanistan, and earthquake-stricken areas In Turkey and Syria. 

With ALIPH's funding support for the Aynak Project, the Mes Aynak Scientific Advisory Panel will ensure the highest level of coordination and support needed for the project by offering guidance and recommendations regarding the technical and scientific aspects of the project, which includes reviewing of the technical and scientific methods proposed by the project team, and providing expert advice and feedback. The panel members will be conducting field visits to the Aynak archaeological site in the near future.

Situated on a copper mine near Kabul, the Mes Aynak site covers 45 hectares and contains a large number of Buddhist monuments. The site dates back to the early Bronze Age and was primarily occupied during the Kushan Empire (1st century B.C. to 3rd century A.D.) and remained in use until around the 7th century A.D. Between 2010 and 2018, archaeologists did excavations at Mes Aynak. The site is considered as the largest and most important archaeological site excavated in Afghanistan in the last four decades.

Prof. Wu Xin at the meeting

Prof. Wu has been active in Central Asian archaeology in the past 20 years. In 2011 and 2013, she conducted two archaeological field trips to Afghanistan, where she visited Mes Aynak and other sites. Her appointment as a member of SAP for Mes Aynak Project allows Fudan scholars to make a greater contribution to the global community's efforts in preserving world heritage. It also highlights Fudan University's growing commitment to safeguarding and conserving international cultural heritage.