Project News

JICA GEM-CC project provides training courses constantly in the field of packing, transportation and heavy artifacts. The biggest Transportation Company in Japan, Nippon Express in cooperation with JICA GEM-CC has conducted these training courses in GEM-CC since July 2011.

The training course on "Packing and transportation of artifacts has been implementing for 6 times in GEM-CC and one time in Japan. The training course on handling of heavy objects has been implemented in GEM-CC for 4 times since 2012 to acquire necessary skills for handling heavy artifacts.

Training course of heavy object

From 12th to 24th of February 2014, the 5th training course on heavy objects was held. Total 11 members of GEM and GEM-CC staffs who deal with heavy objects, have participated in this course. This course aimed to learn safe and efficient method on the loading and uploading of heavy objects. In the practice, a heavy column replica made of lime stone was used. The trainees learned a series of technique such as slinging, tipping, rolling and other technique apart from the iron frame. The trainees have learned also the mechanical aspects of the heavy objects.

Training course of packing and transportation of artifacts

They organized a training course on "Handling, packing and Moving of Artifacts" by 2 sessions; basic session between 28th of January and 3rd of February, and applied session between 9th and 18th of February. These courses aimed to provide the knowledge and principles of packing and transportation of different kinds of artifacts, the packing materials, and the methods of packing to trainees. The basic session was organized by the instructors from GEM-CC who had experiences from former training courses, and targeted the other unskilled staffs of GEM-CC. Mr. Shabaan, Head of Preparation Unit and other 6 skilled staffs made lecture to the 15 staffs in GEM-CC. They explained the basis of handling, packing and moving the artifacts, and focused on different methods of packing for different kinds of artifacts, such as pottery, small size objects and middle size objects.

The applied training course was targeted to12 members who had continuously received former training courses. This course aimed to learn the necessary method of handling fragile artifacts and packing design. The practical training was also carried out at the Egyptian Museum and then the trainees worked on the assignment of transportation planning. They have measured the exhibited artifacts which would be transported to GEM-CC in near future, made sketches, and observed carefully. Based on this training, trainees design the cardboard inner-boxes and made plan of transportation of the artifacts to the Conservation Center of the Grand Egyptian Museum.

[Comments from the trainees after the training course]

Mr. Mostafa, conservator in heavy artifact lab

"I will be a member of the team of transport the heavy objects from the Egyptian Museum to the GEM. So I would like to apply what I learned from the 4 training courses to make safe transportation".

Ms. Bardees, curator in GEM-CC storage

"This course would be very helpful for me because I deal with the objects not only inside the GEM-CC storage but also in the storages in pyramids area and in the Egyptian museum. I am going to develop what I have learned in the training course in my work".

Mr. Ahmed, conservator in Technical Preparation Unit

"The best thing in the training course is that we were able to put comprehensive plan for transferring the objects from the Egyptian Museum to the GEM-CC. I had very important experience to have learned the method of packaging, transportation, safe route selection, and etc."

Training of heavy artifacts: lifting up the stone column

Training of heavy artifacts: lifting down the stone column

Packing small size object (Basic course of Artifacts)

Packing middle size artifacts (Basic course of Artifacts)

Packing object into the box (Applied course of Artifacts)

Lecture by Japanese lecturers about packing of replica (Applied course of Artifacts)