The decision to begin this series of technical publications with a work on archaeology I reflects our belief that heritage and its physical manifestations form an integral and basic |part of our city.

A people's culture and way of life are recorded in their urban setting, preserved in the streets, buildings and artifacts they plan and produce. Archaeologists reading Beirut's past note that with each cycle of change, new chapters were added to its long and rich history. Some chapters were brighter and richer than others, but they all contributed to shaping our city.

At SOLIDERE, we have adopted a process of development and reconstruction that aims to foster a sense of urban wholeness by incorporating the past into our plans. This is reflected by our slogan. Beirut, The Ancient City of the Future, a slogan that governs our approach to city planning. This approach is informed by allfactors defining an urban entity, including archaeology, sociology, economics, architecture and engineering, so that all the aspects that make a city are woven together in a comprehensive and enriching whole.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Higher Education and the Directorate General of Antiquities, SOLIDERE aims to facilitate the work of urban archaeologists in various locations of the BCD as theirfindings are certain to enrich our understanding of Beirut's history and contribute to the creation of a quality urban environment.

Hopefully, we will be able to pride ourselves in the future for having outlined a process for city-making that allowed archaeological interests to be integrated into the urban landscape, while also maintaining a scope for the various other important factors that shape spatial relations within a city. If we succeed, we would have contributed toward the creation of a dynamic and well-integrated Beirut, proud of its past and confident in its future.

Neck of glazed Islamic pharmacist's jar. Souk excavations 1994.

al@mashriq                       960118/960118