The study of building materials has been an undervalued area in archaeological research. In this sense, the systematic practice in archaeological surveys has consisted in discarding any building materials, understanding that these elements had nothing to contribute to historical discussions. Therefore, the studies had been focused on other artifacts and ecofacts that have traditionally received greater attention in archaeological studies. However, in recent years, building materials have been gaining ground in studies for their potential information about construction strategies and their evolution over the centuries.

Our International Doctoral Summer School 2021 will be oriented to outline the reasons that generate the lack of interest in building materials, as well as the methodologies and theoretical framework. It will also analyze some aspects of the production of building materials that have important social and environmental implications for the study of past societies, which can be inferred through a combination of material analysis, ethnoarchaeology and experimental work.

From Monday 13th to Friday 17th, September 2021, the International Doctoral Summer School 2021 ‘Archaeological Science on building material: ceramics, rocks, muds, & lime mortars’, will offer PhD students and early career doctors from all over the world the opportunity to present their ongoing or recently completed research, obtained qualified comment from some of the most renowned experts, and be advised in regard to their postdoctoral projection. However, the principals objectives of this seminar are summarised in:

1. To carry out an analytical approach to the different materials used in the production of buildings materials.
2. To create a space for debate with the participation of internationally renowned researchers.
3. To bring this knowledge closer in a practical way thanks to the use of the infrastructures of the Archaeometry Laboratory of the University of Granada.

The seminar will take place at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters and the 'Antonio Arribas Palau' Archaeometry Laboratory of the University of Granada, in the city of Granada (Spain). The seminar can also be followed online via google meet.

Granada was the capital of the Zirid Kingdom of Granada during the 11th century and of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada between the 13th and 15th centuries. After the capture of the city by the Catholic Monarchs, it remained the capital of the Castilian Kingdom of Granada, which was already a simple territorial jurisdiction and remained so until 1833, when a new provincial division took place in Spain, which is still in force today. Its municipal coat of arms bears the titles “Very noble, loyal, named great, celebrated and heroic city of Granada”.

Granada is a centre for tourism, due to its monuments and the proximity of the Sierra Nevada ski resort, as well as the historical area known as La Alpujarra and also the part of the Mediterranean known as the Costa Granadina. Among its historic buildings, the Alhambra is one of the most important monuments in the country, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994, along with the Generalife garden and the Albaicín. Its cathedral is considered to be the first Renaissance church in Spain;8 attached to the cathedral is the Royal Chapel, which houses the tombs of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, as well as Queen Juana I of Castile “the Mad” and King Philip I of Castile, “the Handsome”.

Granada's cultural offerings include some twenty museums,9 including the Granada Science Park and the Granada Museum of Fine Arts, considered the oldest provincial art gallery in the country. The city is also home to the Manuel de Falla Archive and the Federico García Lorca Centre. Moreover, since 2014, the city has been a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a City of Literature, the first Spanish-speaking city to obtain this designation.

The University of Granada, according to 2007-2008 student data, is the fourth nationally in terms of number of students and is one of the most popular destinations for European students in the Erasmus programme. In this area, the University of Granada is the coordinator of the ARQUS European University Alliance project, being from 2019 one of the eleven Spanish universities selected to form part of the European supercampuses within this programme.

To the south of the city is the Parque Tecnológico de Ciencias de la Salud (PTS), a complex which, in addition to housing the largest hospital in the province - the Hospital Universitario Clínico San Cecilio - also brings together research centres, university faculties and industry in the area of biomedical research.

The municipality has a light metro system: the Metro de Granada, which runs transversally through the city and connects it with the main surrounding municipalities, from Albolote to Armilla; and with an airport. It is also connected by the Spanish High Speed Railway, via the Antequera-Granada line.

Who can attend? The seminar is oriented to novel researchers in Archeology and History, but also for those who, not belonging to these fields, have focused their research on areas of knowledge relevant to the subject of the course. The International Summer School organized by Unit of Excelence “Archeometrical Studies. Inside the artefacts & ecofacts” has a transdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and multidisciplinary vocation, so any proposal will be considered if any thematic or methodological compatibility is demonstrated.

A maximun of 10 researcher will be able to participate online in order to give a wider dissemination of the activities that will take place during the seminar. For this purpose, several Google Meet sessions will be created and sent out days before the start of the sessions (how it works). Anyone who is not registered will not be able to participate. The selection of these participants will be subject to the same procedures as the other participants (see below).

Please submit your proposal to --LOGIN--128572d443628ceffeaee4cf89a887e5ugr[dot]es . The deadline for the submission of proposals has been extended until September 15th, 2020. Accepted proposals will be confirmed shortly after reception, until reaching the limit of available places. Each proposal should include: Name and Surname, e-mail, affiliation (if any), title of research proposal, abstract (300 words max.) and scientific areas of interest (5 to 10 keywords).

The cost of this International Doctoral Summer School will be 120 € for all researchers. The maximum number of participants will be 25 students.

There will be two fee exentions. In order to apply, the researchers must send us a complete text that will be presented at the School before September, 1st. The text should have a length of between 4000/6000 words. The organizing committee will select the two best texts, according to the thematic lines considered in this edition.

The results of the seminar will be published in a monograph with the same title, in which other colleagues will be invited to participate. This publication is due for completion in the second half of the year 2022. The dates for publication will be as follows:

• Before 31 January, 2022: complete article with well adjustedpublication rules.
• From 1 February to March 31, 2022: peer review process.
• Before 31 May, 2022. Layout of the work and review of the printing proofs.
• July/September, 2021: publication completed.

• Alberto Dorado Alejos. --LOGIN--aea4e2195e13bb0a12c57826d1f95afeugr[dot]es
• Eva Alarcón García. --LOGIN--fe13583f7fb917b9bd955125b07ae33augr[dot]es
• Elena H. Sáchez López. --LOGIN--b82542024e6064aa83a67c8905089d94ugr[dot]es
• Francisco Contreras Cortés. --LOGIN--afda84cc20ec03c302ce1cc4f69128ddugr[dot]es
• Department of Prehistory & Archaeology. University of Granada

• Unidad de Excelencia: --LOGIN--128572d443628ceffeaee4cf89a887e5ugr[dot]es
• Alberto Dorado Alejos. --LOGIN--aea4e2195e13bb0a12c57826d1f95afeugr[dot]es
• Eva Alarcón García. --LOGIN--fe13583f7fb917b9bd955125b07ae33augr[dot]es
• Elena H. Sáchez López. --LOGIN--b82542024e6064aa83a67c8905089d94ugr[dot]es