ISA (International Symposium on Archaeometry) is a benchmark international conference that brings together experts from around the world dedicated to the development and application of scientific techniques to investigate the past with the aim of preserving heritage.

Each year, professionals in science, archaeology, conservation, and cultural heritage from all over the world gather to share the latest advances in archaeological science, from cutting-edge analytical methods to innovative and multidisciplinary research.

The 45th edition of this top-level meeting will be held in Turin during the week of Maiatza 18-22, 2026.

On this occasion, the restoration and enhancement project of Punta Begoña has been selected to participate in the international symposium by one of the most prestigious cultural heritage entities worldwide: ICC, International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. This institution has an international network present in over 70 countries, more than 7,000 members, and around 40,000 social media contacts, in addition to agreements with prominent museums, universities, and heritage organizations worldwide.

The presence of the open restoration project of Punta Begoña represents not only a recognition of its innovative character in various fields, but also an exceptional opportunity to disseminate it in a forum of great international impact.

The participation of Punta Begoña will take place on Maiatza 19 and 21 under the title “Galerías Punta Begoña (Getxo, Basque Country), a model of transdisciplinary work through the archaeometry of ceramics”.

The presentation to be given has been designed by the director of the Punta Begoña Fundazioa Foundation, María Peraita, and by the Doctor in Archaeology and professor at the EHU University of the Basque Country, Javier García Iñañez, who will deliver the in-person exposition.

One of the most outstanding aspects of this initiative, which also serves as the contextual framework for the presentation, is that it represents one of the greatest university challenges in interdisciplinary work developed in Euskadi to understand the historical and structural values of the building, its evolution, the pathologies affecting it, and the appropriate solutions for its recovery.

This effort, in which five university campuses, ten departments, and 67 research team members participated, has generated enormous interest due to its model of joint and coordinated work in areas as diverse as architecture, analytical chemistry, hydrogeology, landscape studies, history, archaeology, geotechnics, and cultural management.

The presentation describes this entire process and how it led to the intervention phase and the promotion of social participation through the creation of the Punta Begoña Fundazioa Foundation as a management body responsible for coordinating scientific research, intervention, conservation, public participation, guided tours, and cultural and training activities.

Based on this contextualization, which also refers to the presence of the extraordinary personalities of its promoter, Horacio Echevarrieta, and its architect, Ricardo Bastida, the exhibition “Punta Begoña, from the laboratory to society” is described.

This exhibition brought aspects related to the research phase, such as hydrogeology, analytical chemistry, archaeometry, and restoration, closer to society in an accessible and informative way.

The impact achieved by this temporary exhibition, located in the monument itself, led to the decision to make it permanent, recovering and redesigning the original supports, with the aim of incorporating them into pedagogical itineraries within the Education and Heritage Program, and also displaying them in visits open to the public.

Since the initial exhibition, the number of visitors has grown very significantly and, in 2025, exceeded 8,200 people per year. In addition, its contents have been incorporated into general visits, specific groups, cultural activities, professional initiatives, educational visits, theatrical and landscape tours, technical training, and tourism promotion actions, among other proposals.

Without losing academic rigor, the project has managed to generate social interest around technical processes through an innovative exhibition approach and the design of attractive supports that allow the complexity of recovery processes, data derived from analyses, the identification of manufacturing and glazing methods, as well as origins and corresponding stages, to be conveyed.

The director of the Punta Begoña Fundazioa Foundation could not attend the presentation in person due to professional reasons, as work on the Punta Begoña hall, the monumental access, and the “Flysch Cave” begins on the same days, a large-scale intervention and pioneering in the “live and direct broadcast” of the restoration and enhancement work of the Punta Begoña Galleries.

This is a new initiative aimed at strengthening connection with society, participation, and the integral transparency of the process.