David Biggs 'Conserving Ancient Sites from the Middle East'

HSPV Lecture
David Biggs, P.E., S.E.
Biggs Consulting Engineering PLLC
'Conserving Ancient Sites from the Middle East'

Since the 1800s, archeologists have discovered countless heritage sites from some of the oldest civilizations within the Middle East. Today, teams of archeologists, architects, engineers and conservators are tasked with conserving and restoring these treasures.

This presentation will discuss engineering challenges to protect various sites in Egypt, Turkey and Iraq. Some of these sites include the Pyramids and Sphinx, the fortress city of King Midas, Erbil - the oldest continuously-occupied citadel in the world, and the Midas Tomb which contains the world’s oldest intact timber structure.  The speaker will provide first-hand accounts of work at several of these sites.

David Biggs with Biggs Consulting Engineering, Saratoga Springs, NY is a civil/structural engineer.  He specializes in structural forensic engineering and historic preservation. He has been a lecturer for the Erasmus Mundus "Advanced Masters in Structural Analysis of Monuments and Historic Constructions" in Europe, a consultant to the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, and a lecturer for the Iraqi Institute for Conservation of Antiquities and Heritage.