The first AGRI-DRY Summer School was held in the week of the 7-11 April 2025 at the University of Salento, Lecce, Italy. The summer school was organised by Prof Girolamo Fiorentino and colleagues.

Ms Paidamoyo Chingono, Ms Alexandra Vasileva and Prof Nicki Whitehouse joined the summer school alongside 20 other researchers from across the network, from the Universities of Botswana, Witwatersrand, Aarhus, Salento, Pompeu Fabra Barcelona and University of Glasgow. This was the first time the research group had met in person since the MSCA/UKRI Doctoral Network started and represented a wonderful opportunity for the researchers to discuss their projects and collaborations across the network, report on progress to the European Commission and get to know each other after many months of online interactions.

 

Prof Nicki Whitehouse and Prof Marco Madella reporting to the European Commission. Photo: Matilde Stella

Over the course of the week, the group attended two field days visiting the town of Castro; the dune systems of the Parco Naturale Regionale delle Dune Costiere; the ancient olive groves of the Parco degli ulivi millenari; the vineyards of the Parco Archaeologico e Naturale di Santa Maria di Agnano. The group also participated in a series of training workshops over two and a half days focused on the Cultural Landscapes of the Mediterranean, Modelling Land use, Long-term ecology and the Future and received hands-on training in the analysis of ancient crops (plant macro-remains; charcoal and phytoliths), climate change in the Mediterranean and dryland agriculture. The group also discussed approaches to the analysis of resilience, establishing cause and effect in archaeology and the impacts of chronology in linking archaeological and climate records. The next AGRI-DRY Summer School will be held in six months’ time, in South Africa, in November 2025.

The AGRI-DRY Doctoral Network aims to develop an interdisciplinary approach to traditional crop cultivation through the recognition of the complementary value of cultural heritage and sustainable living. AGRI-DRY is a four-year Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network,  funded by the European Commission and UKRI. The network consists of 6 academic institutions from Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark, Botswana and South Africa. AGRI-DRY integrates leading researchers within this research field and offers them the unique opportunity to perform top-level and high impact research, whilst working to obtain a PhD.
The project is coordinated by Universitat Pompeu Fabra and University of Glasgow. Further information on the project may be found in the links on the right hand side of this web page.

AGRI-DRY Field Trip to Parco Naturale Regionale delle Dune Costiere, Puglia, Italy. Photo: Matilde Stella

AGRI-DRY lab group discussions. Photo: Matilde Stella

Ancient olive trees, Parco degli ulivi millenary, Puglia, Italy. Photo: Matilde Stella

 

 

First published: 17 April 2025

<< Latest news


Related links: