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Documenting the Traditional Lime Kilns Technology Across the Albanian-Greek Border

‘Burning the Bones of the Earth’ was initiated in November 2021 and concluded two years later, following extensive field research in several locations of Epirus in NW Greece and in regions of S. Albania. Its objective was to trace and document the traditional craftsmanship of wood-fired, flare-type lime kilns on both sides of the border; to explore the knowledge, practice, and social dimensions regarding the lime kiln technology and the ways it evolved in the two neighbouring countries. Full documentation of the project was uploaded at the British Museum’s Digital Resources Website on November 2025 and is now fully accessible to the community. In this resource you can find the documentation guide (downloadable file) and the full programmes website:

Burning the Bones of the Earth — Documenting the Traditional Lime Kilns Technology Across the Albanian-Greek Border

The file is available in English.

Date: 2 November 2025

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The H.E.R.O project was implemented under the Erasmus+ programme and was completed after 3 years (2021-2024) of transnational cooperation between 4 actors Acta Vista (France) leading partner, Bao Formation (France), Pour la Solidarite (Belgium), 4Grada Dragodid (Croatia), Boulouki (Greece).

The file is available in English.

This handbook documents a methodology for renovating interior plastering systems on stone masonry using low-impact lime- and clay-based materials enhanced with vegetable fibers. In this regard, it illustrates how a plastering system with enhanced thermal properties can be employed to modestly enhance the energy efficiency of a historic structure without compromising its architectural features. These interventions rely on local, natural materials and techniques based on traditional knowledge and the principles of reuse and recycling.

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The creation of the handbook was supported by the INTBAU Grassroots Grants Programme.

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The file is available in Greek.

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