Can Waste Become Archaeological Data?
International Conference on "World Archaeology: Archaeology of Landfills"
- Highlighting Future Heritage through Environmental Archaeology :
From Neolithic Shell Middens to the Atari Burial Site (August 8, President Hotel, Seoul) -

The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (Director General Lim Jong-deock; hereafter, the NRICH), under Korea Heritage Service (hereafter KHS), the International Symposium on “World Archaeology” together with the International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural (Director-General Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral; hereafter, ICCROM). This Symposium, themed “World Archaeology: Archaeology of Landfills” will be held on Wednesday, August 6at Hotel President in Jung-gu, Seoul.
* ICCROM: An intergovernmental organization established in 1959 for the preservation and restoration of cultural heritage worldwide. An advisory body of the World Heritage Committee, ICCROM has its headquarters in Rome, Italy. 138 countries, including the Republic of Korea, are members of the organization.

This symposium represents the third collaborative initiative between the NRICH and ICCROM, following the memorandum of understanding signed in June 2023 to advance heritage conservation and management. Unlike previous conferences that primarily focused on major archaeological sites worldwide, this year’s event highlights case studies of waste and landfill investigations from around the world through the lens of environmental archaeology, and addressing the urgent global challenge of climate change. It aims to explore the significance of contemporary traces as heritage for the future.

The symposium consists of five presentations followed by an academic dialogue session. The presentations cover a wide range of time periods—from the Neolithic era to the present—andfeature case studies from Korea (Neolithic period, Japanese colonial period), Italy (Roman Empire), the United States, and Mexico.
▲ “Discard and conservation : Some notions and questions about waste and value” (Thomas Meraz Castaño, ICCROM) explores the relationship between waste and cultural identity through diverse case studies;
▲ “Shell Middens : Forgotten Waste, Legacy of Memory” (Lim Sang-taek, Pusan National University) examines Neolithic shell middens to infer ancient dietary habits and environmental conditions;
▲ “Monte Testaccio : From Dump to Monument. An Image of Power and Abundance” (Pablo Oscaris Gil, Rey Juan Carlos University, Spain) investigates an artificial mound made of discarded Roman oil amphorae to shed light on the ancient economy and trade systems;
▲ “Forgotten Memories and Discarded Histories : Traces of Japanese Colonial Rule in Central Seoul” (Shin Hee-kwon, University of Seoul) illustrates the daily life and cultural landscape of the Japanese colonial period through the lens of modern architectural remains;
▲ “Local Landfills and Global Garbage” (William Rodney Caraher, University of North Dakota, USA) explores the relation between modern waste and global systems through the case study of the Atari video game landfill site.

Following the keynote presentations, an open discussion will be moderated by of Lee Sung-ju, President of the Korean Archaeological Society. Participants will exchange views on topics such as international perspectives on garbage archaeology, strategies for investigation and preservation, and the evolving role of archaeology in the 21st century.

The symposium is open to all and no on-site registration is required on the day of the event. It will also be broadcast live via the NRICH’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/@nrichstory).

The NRICH under the KHS is committed to exploring how discarded material culture can be transformed into valuable archaeological data. Through this effort, it aims to go beyond simple environmental concerns and seek new directions for cultural heritage management that connect “waste (landfills) and heritage”, and bridge “the past and the future.” Moving forward, NRICH plans to maintain close cooperation with ICCROM to establish a foundation for sustainable future strategies in national heritage management.


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