BE-ARCHAEO is a large scale RISE (Marie Slodowska-Curie Action) program supported by the European Commission.

The consortium of this program includes Torino University – Coordinator – Okayama and Lisboa Universities, Shimane prefectural Educational organisation, the International Research Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology (IRIAE) in Naples and a range of European small companies.

The BE-ARCHAEO main objectives are focused on:

• Kofun period in Japan (from 250AD to 538AD. Between Yayoi and Asuka periods)- Excavation site located on Soja City territory
• Global understanding of the Kofun site
• Exhibitions in Italy (Torino) and Shimane (Izumo Museum) of BE-ARCHAEO results
•  Use of cutting-edge technologies  (thermoluminescence data, LIDAR …) to get a comprehensive description of the excavation site.

As BE-ARCHAEO combines Archaeology and Sciences like Chemistry, Biology and Soil studies it is a remarkable interdisciplinary project. Such projects are recognised as revolutionary topics and very catchy for large publics (see for instance a paper recently published in a famous French Newpapers).

In August 2018, the BE-ARCHAEO proposal finally met success: it will be funded. And now comes time to formally start the project.

A Kick-Off meeting will be organised on February 21st at Okayama University. As BE-ARCHAEO is one of the largest RISE proposals including a Japanese University as a major player ever, VIPs are expected to attend the Kick-Off: Ambassadors in Japan of Italy and Portugal, Torino University VP ….

A preliminary draft of the Kick-Off program is available.

In the afternoon of the Kick-Off a second event will be organised at the occasion of the opening of the Center of Dynamics of Civilisations. BE-ARCHAEO is already a major research project of that Center.