Aïcha Ben Abed Explained

Aïcha Ben Abed (alternatively Aïcha Ben Abed-Ben Khedher Arabic: عائشة بن عابد) is an archaeologist and Director of Monuments and Sites at the Institut National du Patrimoine, Tunisia. She is one of the world's leading authorities on the mosaics of Roman Africa.

Education

Abed graduated from Université d'Aix-Marseille in 1979 with a doctorate in art and archaeology.^[1] Her post-doctoral award is from Paris IV-Sorbonne.^[2]

Career

Abed has held a number of positions during her career, including as from 1986 to 1991 as Director of the Bardo Museum in Tunis. She is a specialist in Roman mosaics, particularly in Tunisia and was the first person to study the conservation of re-buried mosaics.^[3] Abed is working with international partners to secure the future and safety of Tunisia's important mosaics, whilst recognising the differences in resourcing that lie between the western museum world and the Mediterranean.^[4] Abed has spent her career encouraging the study of mosaics in Tunisia and has written widely on their history and conservation.^[5] She has worked on the mosaics from Thurburbo Majus, a Roman town 60 km from Carthage.^[6] She worked on the establishment of Chemtou Museum, an important site for marble quarrying in Tunisia.^[7]

Abed has worked as a consultant on the mosaics of Berytus, Roman remains in Beirut.^[8] She has worked on the Roman remains at Pupput, with an emphasis on how homes and other domestic spaces were organised.^[9] She has worked on the Roman spa complex at Djebel Oust, studying its origins,^[10] as well as the mosaics that were built there.^[11] She also worked on the curation of the Roman site at Jedidi.^[12]

Personal life

Abed was married to Tunisian activist . Kheder died on 10 February 2005. They had three children.^[13]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Ben Abed-Ben Khader, Aïcha - Persée. www.persee.fr. 2019-12-15.
2. Web site: Meet the ICCM Board Members. ICCM Foundation. en-US. 2019-12-15.
3. Roby. Thomas. Alberti. Livia. Abed. Aicha Ben. Abed. Aicha Ben. A Preliminary Assessment of Mosaic Reburials in Tunisia . 2010. Studies in Conservation. 55. 207–213. 10.1179/sic.2010.55.Supplement-2.207. 191325835 .
4. Web site: Field Trip Report Project: Mosaics conservation in situ. LeBlanc. Francois. 2001.
5. Wootton. Will. 2011. Review of: Tunisian Mosaics : Treasures from Roman Africa. Translated from the French by Sharon Grevet. Bryn Mawr Classical Review. 1055-7660.
6. Parrish. David. Khader. Aicha Ben Abed-Ben. 1993. Corpus des mosaiques de Tunisie II: Region de Zaghouan 3: Thuburbo Majus, les mosaiques dans la region ouest. American Journal of Archaeology. 97. 3. 590. 10.2307/506388. 0002-9114. 506388.
7. Durost. Raphaël. Scheid. John. Ben Abed. Aïcha. 2010-10-01. La mission archéologique de Jebel Oust, site antique de Tunisie. Archeopages. Hors-série 2. 46–51. 10.4000/archeopages.763. 1622-8545. free.
8. Book: International Committee for the Conservation of Mosaics. Conference (9th : 2005 : Ḥammāmāt, Tunisia). Lessons learned : reflecting on the theory and practice of mosaic conservation : proceedings of the 9th ICCM Conference, Hammamet, Tunisia, November 29-December 3, 2005. Ben Khader, Aïcha Ben Abed., Demas, M., Roby, Thomas., Δήμας, Μ., Getty Conservation Institute., Maʻhad al-Waṭanī lil-Turāth (Tunisia). 978-0-89236-920-1. Los Angeles. 181072665. 2008-07-15.
9. Ben Abed. Aïcha. 2006. Les maisons de Pupput (Tunisie). Comptes rendus des séances de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. 150. 1. 509–534. 10.3406/crai.2006.86967. 0065-0536.
10. Ben Abed-Ben Khader, Aïcha. Scheid, John. Broise, Henri. Balmelle, Catherine. 2011. Le sanctuaire de source de Jebel Oust (Tunisie). en-gb.
11. Balmelle, Catherine. Ben Abed-Ben Khader, Aïcha. 2005. Nouvelles recherches sur les décors en tessellatum et en opus sectile de Jebel Oust. en-gb.
12. Web site: Aïcha Ben Abed-Ben Khader. BNF.
13. Web site: Noureddine Ben Khedher. 2005-02-23. JeuneAfrique.com. fr-FR. 2019-12-15.