Department of Archaeology Senior Research Associate Christina Luke and archaeology graduate student Marta Ostovich (GRS’10) visited the small southeastern European nation of Montenegro in the fall to lend their expertise in preserving that nation’s ancient cultural heritage. The weeklong trip, funded by the U.S. Department of State, came at a critical time in Montenegro’s development. Enmeshed in the violence that roiled the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s, Montenegro dissolved its union with Serbia in 2006 and declared independence.
The trip helped foster closer ties between the U.S. Embassy and the Ministry of Culture in Montenegro. Luke and Ostovich studied the current cultural management and natural heritage policies of Montenegro and the Balkan region and made recommendations for integrating these policies within Montenegro and across the region. They met with government officials, community leaders, and focus groups. They also delivered lectures, including one in the ancient seaside town of Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kotor and other sites in the country provide valuable examples of ancient and medieval architecture. One of the issues that generated the most discussion during the BU researchers’ visit was the need for cooperation across national boundaries. “Cultural heritage often transcends current political boundaries,” says Luke. “Thus, the regional approach may offer a broader lens for protection of landscapes, as well as places of heritage.”
Luke earned her selection to lead the trip by virtue of her expertise in cultural heritage preservation. She currently serves as program director for cultural heritage programs at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. From 2006 to 2008, she helped lead a Middle Eastern/Central Asian Program, also funded by the Department of State, to develop common methods for heritage preservation.
Luke hopes to return to Montenegro to continue her work there. She is heading up a major landscape project aimed at managing archaeological zones across Turkey. An important part of that project is the BU-based Central Lydia Archaeological Survey (CLAS), funded by a large National Science Foundation grant. BU Assistant Professor of Archaeology Christopher Roosevelt directs the CLAS, while Luke serves as co-director and BU graduate student Pinar Ozguner (GRS’11) serves as a senior project archaeologist. The CLAS will implement a strategic plan for heritage management of Central Lydia, a western region of Turkey.
Senior Research Associate Christina Luke (second from right) and graduate student Marta Ostovich (second from left) with representatives from the Archaeological Section of the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro and local non-governmental organizations.