1) The ATHENA Project aims to enhance cultural interaction and cooperation around ancient theater sites across countries in the Euro-Med region, including Jordan, Italy, Tunisia, Algeria, and Spain. 2) Each partner country is responsible for certain work packages focused on documentation, management planning, sustainability strategies, dissemination, and project management. 3) Initial activities have included training Jordanian archaeological cadres on 3D laser scanning of ancient theater sites in Petra and Jarash and plans for further training in data processing in Italy.

1. ATHENA Project Raises Flag of Ancient Theaters in Euromed Region
Say Athena, and you think archaeology, Europe, cultural heritage and
more. Say ATHENA Project, the situation becomes more mysterious, but
you quickly learn it is linked to culture, ancient theaters, communication
and flow of cooperation and ideas between Europe and Arab countries
across the Mediterranean.
Named as the ATHENA Project of Ancient Theaters Enhancement for
New Actualities, this is a prodigious Euro-Med Heritage IV initiative
funded by the European Commission and supervised by its Regional
Monitoring and Support Unit (RMSU). The aim is to enthuse cultural
interaction across the Mediterranean countries involved in ancient
theaters development and their relationship with civil society
institutions and communities.
"We are taking a pro-active approach and providing technical support to
the projects underway, and encouraging the sharing of information
between the different partners including through the organization of
conferences, seminars and workshops on both sides of the
Mediterranean", says Christiane Dabdoub Nasser, RMSU Team Leader in
Brussels, the home of the European Community.
Five countries are taking part in the program that is at an advanced
stage today, going through conceptualization and formulation phases
and is now entering steps of development through its different
archaeological sites.
Jordan, Italy, Tunisia, Algeria, and Spain are taking part where their
ministries, academic institutions and research and scientific centers have
identified ancient theater sites in their respective countries for work
actions.
The stakeholders include the Department of Antiquities of Jordan,
Institut aux Etudes Litteraires et de Sciences Humaines de Tunis of the
University of Tunis, LaboBatiDansl'Environment—University of Science
and Technology, HouariBoumediene, Algeria, Universidad Politecnica de
Valencia—Instituto de Restauracion del Patrimonio in Spain and

2. Dipartimento di Rilievo, and disegnodell'Ambiente e dell'Architettura
(RADAAR) of the Sapienza Universita di Roma.
They are working on the sites identified as: In Petra and Jarash Theaters
(Jordan), Syracuse Theater (Italy), Carthage Theater (Tunisia), Cherchell
Theater (Algeria) and Merida Theaters (Spain).
The ATHENA Project is strongly cooperative. Each of the institutions are
responsible through what are termed as six work packages. Work
Package 1 which involves setting up the common scientific and cultural
frame is led by the Tunisian partner.
Word Package 2 is simply called knowledge and it is the Italian partner
responsible for that and includes methods and actions, resource
documentation and classification.
Work Package 3 involves outlining a sustainability strategy, priorities and
compatibility led by the Department of Antiquities of Jordan and
includes the collecting of data of previous Work Packages, designing the
overall picture of possible interventions to enhance the potentials of
sites across the ATHENA region.
Work Package 4 seeks to set up a management plan for ancient theater
enhancement to create a model management plan for the rest of the
countries led by the Spanish partner.
Work Package 5 is related to dissemination of information and capacity
building and involves communication and visibility including public
relations activity, media, online, graphic layout, publications, workshops
and conferences. It is being developed to give extra awareness about the
project, its phases of development and importance for ancient theaters.
The Italian partner supported by Jordan is also responsible for this Work
Package.
The final Work Package 6, Project Management and Quality Control, is
under the supervision of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan which
involves monitoring and guidance related to ATHENA's technical tasks
and deliverables. These are the tangible actions of the final Project.

3. It’s a tight step-by-step methodology, fostering a new philosophy going
at the heart of sustainability of situating the role of ancient theaters
within their surroundings and urban-cultural contexts and creating back-
and-forth linkages with local communities.
Experts say a delicate balance must be created between making sure
these sites exist within the urban-cultural environs and the need to
maintain their preservation, restoration and integrity of the original
structures.
"This is the first time an Arab country is leading a project within the
Euromed initiatives", says Acting Director-General of the Department of
Antiquities Faris Al Hamoud. "It throws a positive light on the technical
cadres in the Kingdom, especially those related to archaeology", he
adds.
Much knowledge collection and diffusion about heritage and restoration
occurred since the project began in 2009. The Mediterranean partners
have become involved in a mesh of working activities through Brussels
but most importantly between themselves, discussing best methods,
exchanging ideas, developing themes about ancient theaters across the
consortium.
"Ample networking and the spread of information is being done with
our partners through the present communication and telephony systems
through the internet", says Project Manager Nizar Adarabeh, who
manages ATHENA from his office in the Department of Antiquities in
Amman.
"I am in daily contact with our partners in Brussels, Rome, Spain and
others if need be, to touch base on the different work activities, and the
sharing of information about best methods for the good of the projects",
he adds.
The fruits are beginning to bear. Jordan has already received a top-of-
the-art 3D Laser Scanner and started working by surveying the sites
under study, and creating top imagery photographs for documentation.

4. An Italian team especially flew to the sites in Jordan in March 2011 and
trained local cadres on the C10 scanners to allow them to make optimal
use out of the precision imagery graphics of ancient theaters.
It was a field training with two top surveyors in the Department of
Antiquities instructed on the best use of the scanner by surveying the
Petra and Jarash Theaters.
As a result a training course was devised that will be used to train other
Jordanian cadres and other members taking part in the ATHENA
consortium.
Carlo Bianchini from the Sapienza Universita di Roma says: "The two
Jordanian surveyors are travelling to Italy in March 2012 to continue the
second stage of the training on data processing and how to produce
best results and outcomes".
But this is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of regional cooperation as
tangible evidence is already being felt through for instance, the
management plan that is being created by the Spanish partner. "The
Plan will at first be tested as a pilot project on Jarash, before it can serve
as a model for the rest of the ATHENA countries", says Maria-Terasa
Domenech from the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia.
Everyone working on the ATHENA project is upbeat about the
archaeological dimensions in the restoration process. Greater work is
expected to be done in 2012 relating to the implementations of the
project in the region and boost cooperation between the countries of
the Mediterranean.