Girsu as Ensemble and Living Landscape: An Integrated Approach to Archaeology, Conservation and Heritage Management

This paper presents the interdisciplinary approach of the Girsu Project (2016–2025), an initiative of the British Museum. The ancient Sumerian city, located in southern Iraq, was discovered and extensively excavated in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These early campaigns left the site exposed and plundered, and tens of thousands of artefacts were dispersed worldwide. The project seeks to recontextualise this dispersed heritage and re-establish its significance in the Mesopotamian historic landscape. It is pioneering in its integration of archaeological research, conservation, and capacity building under a heritage management framework, viewing the Tello–Girsu ensemble as a living landscape.