Türk Arkeoloji ve Kültürel Miras Enstitüsü
Mission and Vision
The mission of the Archeometry Laboratory, which was established under the Turkish Institute of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, is to carry out studies with respect to the studies for analysis and preservation of the archaeological materials, which are found in the excavations, as well as of the works of art for the museums and private collections, in an interdisciplinary manner. Archeometry is a branch that intends to study archaeological materials by bringing together expertise from many disciplines such as chemistry, physics, biology, materials science, geology and anthropology. Thanks to archeometry, the production techniques, production periods and origins of the artifacts found in the archaeological sites can be determined.
Another mission of the Archeometry Laboratory intends to protect the cultural heritage. The archeometric methods are used in the restoration and conservation applications; thus, the finds are stabilized as much as possible. The laboratory supports the archaeology by performing the archeometric assessments of the archaeological finds, and it protects our cultural heritage by using the material knowledge and analytical techniques. Thanks to the Archeometry Laboratory, the Institute intends to address the weaknesses of the archaeological analysis, and to serve as an "umbrella organization" by creating a sustainable exit for the purpose of improving the archeometry and conservation sciences in Turkey.
Another one of the main missions of the Archeometry Laboratory is education. The laboratory intends to carry out, analyze, conclude and interpret its studies with the participation of the students and researchers. The results obtained from the studies will be disclosed to the public through the periodic seminars; thus, it will be contributed to the social culture.
In addition, the Archeometry Laboratory carries out researches in the different fields of expertise, and it considers as one of its most important duties to publish the same on the national and international high-level journals, thus, to become an important scientific center.
Another objective of the Archeometry Laboratory of the Turkish Institute of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage is to serve as one of the main institutions that will serve the archaeology and cultural heritage management through the archeometric methods in Turkey. Thus, it intends to draw a multi-directional roadmap for the studies required to be carried out in this nature in Turkey by establishing connections with the national and international institutions that carry out similar analyses.
The duties of the Archeometry Laboratory are provided as follows:
a) To act as a center interconnecting the other relevant laboratories and institutions, which serve in the field of archeometry and conservation in Turkey and the European Union; and contact with the other institutions, which carry out archeometric analyses, and to prepare an online database, which contains an analysis infrastructure, for Turkey by creating a communication network; and to inform the archaeologists and researchers, which request analysis, about the available options.
b) To become a center giving an advice and creating a methodology for the archaeologists, conservators, architects, restoration experts, researchers, other relevant scientists and students in the immediate area with respect to the laboratory techniques and analytical procedures.
c) To train the students and researchers with respect to the archeometric techniques for the purpose of introducing and expanding the analyses used in the archaeological studies and cultural heritage management, and establishing a tradition for the future generations.
d) To advise the museums and excavation departments about the laboratory techniques in the archaeological analysis and conservation practices as well as about the conservation and restoration interventions; and to be the main advisory channel for the international authorizations for analysis of the archaeological samples.
e) To help conservation of the cultural heritage by compiling the archaeological find warehouses as an archaeological information archive both digitally and materially.
f) To carry out use, maintenance and coordination of all devices, including the X-ray Diffraction, X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer, Scanning Electron Microscope, within the Archaeology Laboratory of the Turkish Institute of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage.
g) To carry out the analysis requests in a timely manner in accordance with the service measurements.
h) To turn the laboratory of the Institute into an accredited archeometry center by issuing the scientific publications in relation to the analyses, performed, on the national and international journals.
i) To train the undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral research assistants and visiting researchers, coming from Turkey, the European Union and other regions of the world, about the instrumentation and analysis assessment with respect to the study collection samples.
j) To file an application for the projects supported nationally and internationally, and to carry out the research projects.
k) To act as a co-supervisor if and when required to support the students with respect to their undergraduate or graduate thesis studies themed with the archeometry.
l) To carry out the workshops with respect to the devices, archeometry and conservation.
m) To take the lead to expand the instrument repertoire for the purpose of making the Archeometry Laboratory more comprehensive.
List of Devices:
