Moritz Kinzel
Moritz Kinzel is 2nd Director of the German Archaeological Institute Istanbul. He has studied architecture and heritage conservation in Berlin at TFH Berlin and TU Berlin. He holds a PhD in building archaeology from the Technical University Berlin (2011). from 2011 to 2019 he was a researcher at the Department of Cross Cultural and Regional Studies (ToRS) at the University of Copenhagen. He has worked on various archaeological projects in the Middle East, e.g. Yemen, Syria,Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey, but also as an architect in Germany. His building archaeological research is focusing on Near Eastern Neolithic Architecture (NENA) e.g. at Göbekli Tepe in Turkey or Shkārat Msaied in Jordan.
Current research
Göbekli Tepe Bauforschung / Building archaeology
The building archaeology of the early Neolithic architecture at Göbekli Tepe is a subproject of the DFG long-term project, ‘The Prehistoric Societies of Upper Mesopotamia and their Subsistence’ coordinated by the German Archaeological Institute in cooperation with the Şanliurfa Museum. The project aims to assess and complete the existing architectural record to provide the basis for a thorough re- interpretation and publication of the architecture exposed over the last 25 years.
Shkarat Msaied Neolithic Project
The Shkarat Msaied Neolithic Project conducts archaeological research at a site dating to the 9th millennium B.P. Shkarat Msaied is located in the sandstone mountain area c. 13 km north of Petra, and it consists of a settlement belonging to the Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period (9.200-8.500 B.P.). It was inhabited in a period marked by crucial developments in subsistence strategies as people began to experiment with cultivation of plants and herding of animals. The stone built architecture at the site is well-preserved and shows a series of modifications and rebuilding activities. Despite the presence of permanent structures the settlement was possibly only used seasonally. The semi-arid landscape on which the Shkarat Msaied site is situated was mainly occupied by mobile hunter-gatherer groups, living in circular shaped buildings with a rich and diverse material culture.
link: https://shkaratmsaied.tors.ku.dk/
Prehistory Graphic Outreach Initiative
To make Danish Near Eastern Neolithic research and the research results of Shkarat Msaied more visible and accessible to a wider (younger) audience the Danish Ministry for Education and Research and the Danish Institute in Damascus are supporting our initivate to produce a graphic novel and a travelling exhibition based on our research . The graphic sequences will be produced by the Award-winning artist Konrad Nuka Godtfredsen in close cooperation with the excavation team. The storyline was developed and written by Moritz Kinzel together with Bo Dahl Hermansen and Mette Bangsborg Thuesen with input by the relevant experts in the team.
The story will be centred around results from Shkarat Msaied and deals with with the daily life as well as mortuary practices during the (Pre-Pottery) Neolithic. The graphic sequences by Konrad Nuka Godtfredsen will help to illustrate the results in a very accessible way and will contribute to a wider perception of the Danish contribution to Near eastern Neolithic research. As these graphic sequences are meant to become an integrated part of the final publication of the archaeological project, we see this project as a case study for the future use of graphic novel sequences in archaeological reporting.
link: https://shkaratmsaied.tors.ku.dk/graphicoutreachinitiative/
HeAT- Heritage and Threat
Today’s world contains a host of phenomena and situations that constitute threats to objects, sites and practices deemed “heritage” by stakeholders, threats that can also stem from the creation of heritage sites, objects and practices. Yet there is still a dearth of systematic information about this broad palette of threats, which constitutes a gap in our general knowledge and an obstacle to the purposeful activity of governments and institutions at times of crisis evaluation and intervention or post-crisis reconciliation. The Danish, Polish, Romanian, and Italian partners in the Heritage and Threat (HeAT) project aim to address this situation through systematic analysis of threat to heritage in four different localities and situations: Syria and Northern Iraq in crisis; Poland’s memory in times of change and modernisation; Romania and the “knowledge” registers that save or destroy objects, sites and practices; Italy and dams, constructions that inevitably endangers traces of the past. Outcomes will include the production of a sophisticated cross-cultural typology of threats to heritage in the form of practical manuals for use, among others, by governmental organs, global organisations, NGOs and peace-keeping forces, as well as thought-provoking exhibitions to popularise academic findings.
link: https://ccrs.ku.dk/research/centres-and-projects/heat/
Current research
Göbekli Tepe Bauforschung / Building archaeology
The building archaeology of the early Neolithic architecture at Göbekli Tepe is a subproject of the DFG long-term project, ‘The Prehistoric Societies of Upper Mesopotamia and their Subsistence’ coordinated by the German Archaeological Institute in cooperation with the Şanliurfa Museum. The project aims to assess and complete the existing architectural record to provide the basis for a thorough re- interpretation and publication of the architecture exposed over the last 25 years.
Shkarat Msaied Neolithic Project
The Shkarat Msaied Neolithic Project conducts archaeological research at a site dating to the 9th millennium B.P. Shkarat Msaied is located in the sandstone mountain area c. 13 km north of Petra, and it consists of a settlement belonging to the Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period (9.200-8.500 B.P.). It was inhabited in a period marked by crucial developments in subsistence strategies as people began to experiment with cultivation of plants and herding of animals. The stone built architecture at the site is well-preserved and shows a series of modifications and rebuilding activities. Despite the presence of permanent structures the settlement was possibly only used seasonally. The semi-arid landscape on which the Shkarat Msaied site is situated was mainly occupied by mobile hunter-gatherer groups, living in circular shaped buildings with a rich and diverse material culture.
link: https://shkaratmsaied.tors.ku.dk/
Prehistory Graphic Outreach Initiative
To make Danish Near Eastern Neolithic research and the research results of Shkarat Msaied more visible and accessible to a wider (younger) audience the Danish Ministry for Education and Research and the Danish Institute in Damascus are supporting our initivate to produce a graphic novel and a travelling exhibition based on our research . The graphic sequences will be produced by the Award-winning artist Konrad Nuka Godtfredsen in close cooperation with the excavation team. The storyline was developed and written by Moritz Kinzel together with Bo Dahl Hermansen and Mette Bangsborg Thuesen with input by the relevant experts in the team.
The story will be centred around results from Shkarat Msaied and deals with with the daily life as well as mortuary practices during the (Pre-Pottery) Neolithic. The graphic sequences by Konrad Nuka Godtfredsen will help to illustrate the results in a very accessible way and will contribute to a wider perception of the Danish contribution to Near eastern Neolithic research. As these graphic sequences are meant to become an integrated part of the final publication of the archaeological project, we see this project as a case study for the future use of graphic novel sequences in archaeological reporting.
link: https://shkaratmsaied.tors.ku.dk/graphicoutreachinitiative/
HeAT- Heritage and Threat
Today’s world contains a host of phenomena and situations that constitute threats to objects, sites and practices deemed “heritage” by stakeholders, threats that can also stem from the creation of heritage sites, objects and practices. Yet there is still a dearth of systematic information about this broad palette of threats, which constitutes a gap in our general knowledge and an obstacle to the purposeful activity of governments and institutions at times of crisis evaluation and intervention or post-crisis reconciliation. The Danish, Polish, Romanian, and Italian partners in the Heritage and Threat (HeAT) project aim to address this situation through systematic analysis of threat to heritage in four different localities and situations: Syria and Northern Iraq in crisis; Poland’s memory in times of change and modernisation; Romania and the “knowledge” registers that save or destroy objects, sites and practices; Italy and dams, constructions that inevitably endangers traces of the past. Outcomes will include the production of a sophisticated cross-cultural typology of threats to heritage in the form of practical manuals for use, among others, by governmental organs, global organisations, NGOs and peace-keeping forces, as well as thought-provoking exhibitions to popularise academic findings.
link: https://ccrs.ku.dk/research/centres-and-projects/heat/
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AGRICULTURE HAD NOT BEEN FULLY ESTABLISHED YET; HUNTING AND GATHERING WAS STILL A MAJOR PART OF LIFE. THE COMMUNITY RELIED ON THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE OF THEIR WISE WOMAN.
BUT THIS IS NOT ONLY THE STORY OF THE COMMUNITY OF AN EARLY FARMING VILLAGE; NO, IT IS INTERWOVEN WITH THE STORY OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND EXCAVATIONS CARRIED OUT BY A TEAM OF ARCHAEOLOGISTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN.
Graphic novels in archaeology are not a new phenomenon. Illustrations have always played a major role in visualising and documenting archaeological finds. However, the book that you are holding in your hands is slightly different. It does not only tell a story based on archaeological findings, and it is also not the typical adventure story of some researchers going into the desert to uncover treasures of unbelievable value. No, this book tries to look behind the processes that influence how archaeologists build their narratives based on archaeological remains. How does an interpretation direct the overall story and how do new finds and results of a study change the content of the story? Is there only ONE story to tell or are more storylines possible?
https://www.zerobooksonline.com/en/the-fox-a-tale-from-neolithic-shkarat-msaied_29_62762.html?r=10
Review: https://blogs.faz.net/comic/2021/03/01/die-welt-hoert-auf-kinderhaende-1697/
More Informationen and all editions online at : https://sites.google.com/view/the-fox-neolithic-graphicnovel/home
Based on the architectural findings, (preliminary) reports, archaeological records and field studies by the author, the Pre-Pottery-Neolithic B (PPNB) architecture of Shkārat Msaied and Baʻja, both located in the Greater Petra area in Jordan, is analysed, interpreted and reconstructed using archaeological and building archaeological methods. The results of the building archaeological studies will help to understand better also the architecture of other Neolithic sites in the Southern Levant.
A particular focus of this study is the scientific reconstruction of early Neolithic architecture. The reconstruction covers not only common building principles during the PPN, but also aspects of appearance, structure and construction, as well as space and life concepts.
To gain a better understanding of the PPNB architecture of Shkārat Msaied and Baʻja the buildings and archaeological contexts are compared with the architecture of other Neolithic sites in the Near East and (sub-) recent traditional architecture of areas around the world with comparable climatic and geographic parameters. Besides structural and functional aspects, the study focuses on the building processes, knowledge transfer of building technologies, and the site formation processes as well as the creation and development of space and societies.
Original language German
Place of Publication Berlin
Publisher Ex oriente
Number of pages 570
ISBN (print) 978-3-944178-04-2
State Published - 2014
Name Studies in early Near Eastern production, subsistence, and environment
Volume 17
ISSN (print) 0947-0549
AGRICULTURE HAD NOT BEEN FULLY ESTABLISHED YET; HUNTING AND GATHERING WAS STILL A MAJOR PART OF LIFE. THE COMMUNITY RELIED ON THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE OF THEIR WISE WOMAN.
BUT THIS IS NOT ONLY THE STORY OF THE COMMUNITY OF AN EARLY FARMING VILLAGE; NO, IT IS INTERWOVEN WITH THE STORY OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND EXCAVATIONS CARRIED OUT BY A TEAM OF ARCHAEOLOGISTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN.
Graphic novels in archaeology are not a new phenomenon. Illustrations have always played a major role in visualising and documenting archaeological finds. However, the book that you are holding in your hands is slightly different. It does not only tell a story based on archaeological findings, and it is also not the typical adventure story of some researchers going into the desert to uncover treasures of unbelievable value. No, this book tries to look behind the processes that influence how archaeologists build their narratives based on archaeological remains. How does an interpretation direct the overall story and how do new finds and results of a study change the content of the story? Is there only ONE story to tell or are more storylines possible?
https://www.zerobooksonline.com/en/the-fox-a-tale-from-neolithic-shkarat-msaied_29_62762.html?r=10
Review: https://blogs.faz.net/comic/2021/03/01/die-welt-hoert-auf-kinderhaende-1697/
More Informationen and all editions online at : https://sites.google.com/view/the-fox-neolithic-graphicnovel/home
Based on the architectural findings, (preliminary) reports, archaeological records and field studies by the author, the Pre-Pottery-Neolithic B (PPNB) architecture of Shkārat Msaied and Baʻja, both located in the Greater Petra area in Jordan, is analysed, interpreted and reconstructed using archaeological and building archaeological methods. The results of the building archaeological studies will help to understand better also the architecture of other Neolithic sites in the Southern Levant.
A particular focus of this study is the scientific reconstruction of early Neolithic architecture. The reconstruction covers not only common building principles during the PPN, but also aspects of appearance, structure and construction, as well as space and life concepts.
To gain a better understanding of the PPNB architecture of Shkārat Msaied and Baʻja the buildings and archaeological contexts are compared with the architecture of other Neolithic sites in the Near East and (sub-) recent traditional architecture of areas around the world with comparable climatic and geographic parameters. Besides structural and functional aspects, the study focuses on the building processes, knowledge transfer of building technologies, and the site formation processes as well as the creation and development of space and societies.
Original language German
Place of Publication Berlin
Publisher Ex oriente
Number of pages 570
ISBN (print) 978-3-944178-04-2
State Published - 2014
Name Studies in early Near Eastern production, subsistence, and environment
Volume 17
ISSN (print) 0947-0549
are we documenting in 2D or 3D? By doing so, do we actually document all the aspects of an
architectural context that we want to capture? How do we record structural changes over time
(building phases)? These and other aspects require consideration when documenting architectural contexts in the framework of archaeological fieldwork. The choice of approaches defines
the methods and techniques we apply to achieve the results and final product that we seek or
wish to present. Based on a case study from Göbekli Tepe, various aspects of 3D Structure from
Motion (SfM) -recording and modelling will be discussed in this contribution.
"M. Kinzel & L. Clare, Monumental – compared to what? A perspective from Göbekli Tepe".
in the same edited volume:
A. B. Gebauer, L. Sørensen, A. Teather, A. de Valera (eds.) Monumentalizing Life in the Neolithic: Narratives of Change and Continuity. Oxbow Books, Oxford (2020).
This session aims to highlight the impact of the emergence of architecture (in the Neolithic) on human social behaviour, the changes in the perception of space and development of building technology. Neolithic architecture can be understood as a largescale laboratory for testing structural and spatial solutions; some of them are lasting until today.