Geoarchaeology
Researching the connection between humans and the environment
MúzeumCafé 27.
In 2000 Szeged University’s Department of Geology and Palaeontology developed its laboratory for the research of archaeological and other sites together with the Institute of Archaeology of Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA). This later joined the network which includes Archaeometric and Geographic Information, OSL laboratories at Szeged University, the MTA’s Institute of Nuclear Research (ATOMKI) and other laboratories abroad. Via the network the laboratory is involved in the following:
Geographical information: A digital data base includes maps in different scales and resolution, plus aerial and satellite photographs for any area in Hungary.
Geochronology: We have contracts with laboratories performing luminescence and radiocarbon tests (in Szeged, Poznan, Debrecen, Beijing, London) which undertake chronological analyses of samples prepared by us.
Archaeometrics: Our research network is able to conduct analyses involving comprehensive geochemical and organic-geochemical tests and mineralogical, petrographic and metal identification procedures of different archaeological sources in the broadest possible range.
Sediment geological analyses: Based on analysing materials acquired from drillings.
Paleobotanical analyses: Plant matter can be gained for the analyses with the German standard slime separator.
The comprehensive reconstruction of past: The most significant scientific attribute of the department is its ability to manage the entire series of analyses with all its components and reconstruct a comprehensive environment-historical image from the varied incoming data.