Research directions
The main research directions of the Arheoinvest Platform are: History, Archaeology, Archaeometry, Anthropology, Botany, Zoology, Molecular genetics, Physical Geography, Environmental Geography, Soil Science, Geology, Geochemistry.
Each laboratory pursues research activities along several interdisciplinary directions in the field of arcaheology, with a broad interdisciplinary and applicative nature:
1. Laboratory of Applied and Theoretical Archaeology:
a. Prehistorical Archaeology – the investigation of prehistoric societies through non-destructive archaeological investigations with equipment purchased by Arheoinvest Platform as well as actual archeological research in prehistoric sites; reference collection of archaeological materials from all prehistoric cultures belonging to the east-Carpathian area;
b. Classical Archaeology – the investigation of archaeological sites from Dacian, Roman and post-Roman epochs; archaeological investigations with non-destructive equipment, purchased by Arheoinvest Platform, as well as classical archaeological researches;
c. Christian Archaeology – investigating Christian complexes from the Romanian territory, by non-destructive archaeological investigations with equipment purchased by Arheoinvest Platform, as well as classical archaeological researches;
d. Social archaeology – restoring social structures of prehistoric and proto-historic societies through comparative research of the archaeological complexes identified in the sites;
e. Archaeology funeral – Proto and classic prehistoric society’s burial complex investigation;
f. Computerized Archaeology – IT support for managing and processing archaeological data using specialized software;
g. Experimental Archaeology – Archaeological complexes and working techniques reconstruction, in order to understand their functioning in the past;
h. Underwater Archaeology – investigation of the underwater archaeological remains, using the eco-probe, diving and underwater archaeological investigations;
i. Ethnoarchaeology – ethnographic researches and the use of results, in order to explain archaeological situations.
2. Laboratory of Bioarchaeology:
a. Archaeozoology – investigating animal bone remains found in archaeological sites for understanding how human communities acquired animal foods; osteological comparative collection, archaeozoology library, stereomicroscopes, osteometry microscopes and tools, related facilities for training, study and storage of the archaeozoological material;
b. Archaeobotanics – investigation of plant remains found in archaeological sites for understanding how human communities acquired vegetal foods; archaeobotanical collections, the present flora collections, stereomicroscopes, carbonization furnace, centrifuges, microscope, facilities for training and study of plant remains, restoration and conservation;
c. Archaeogenetics – extracting ancient DNA as a source for minimum error identification of species, intraspecific comparisons of populations, evaluating the distance between two taxa, phylogenetic reconstruction of the evolution, the origins and evolution of domestic animals;
d. Paleoanthropology – biometric investigation of human remains from archaeological sites; paleoanthropological collection, osteometry instruments, facilities for training, research and storage of paleoanthropological material.
3. Laboratory of Geoarchaeology:
a. Paleogeomorphology – reconstruction and evolution of Quaternary geomorphologic structures, especially those used by prehistoric communities for placing settlements;
b. Paleoclimatology – reconstruction of Quaternary climate for each geoclimactic sequence and understanding the impact on human communities’ development;
c. Paleohidrology – restoring minor river systems, near human settlements and understanding the effects on human communities’ development;
d. Paleopedology – understanding paleopedological elements for each historical age and the impact on agricultural activities practiced by human communities;
e. Topography and archaeological cartography- generating topographical plans and georeferencing archaeological sites;
f. Geochemistry – using Raman spectrography to identify raw materials’ minerals in artifacts and pigments used in ceramics’ decoration, over time.
4. Laboratory of Archaeophysics:
a. Geophysics – prospecting archaeological sites in order to enlighten, through different geophysical methods, soil physical abnormalities, due to the presence of archaeological data, which modifies the soil’s geophysical properties (electrical conductivity, magnetic susceptibility etc.); detecting these abnormalities through electrical and magnetometric surveying;
b. Absolute Dating – radiocarbon and thermoluminescence methods for dating the archaeological sites;
c. Analysis of artifacts’ surfaces – by various surface analysis techniques are investigated certain mechanical and physico-chemical properties of the surface, very important in assessing present material in archaeological sites.
5. Laboratory for Scientific Investigation and Conservation of Cultural Heritage Assets:
a. Scientific investigation of works of art – expert authentication, asset evaluation, conservation status determination, compatibility studies, monitoring interventions;
b. Integrated conservation of cultural and natural heritage – the general theory of integrated conservation, heritage assets etiopatology, intervention’s methodology, climatology, museology, operative procedures in case of risk interventions, groups of materials restoration: metal, wood , stone, ceramics, glass, textiles and cellulose holders;
c. Science and Engineering of Materials – synthesis and characterization of new materials;
d. Science and environmental engineering – direct and reverse impact study on the environment and heritage systems;
e. Forensic science – methods and techniques of forensic investigation; collecting and preserving evidence and traces materials, analytical data processing and interpretation;
f. Inventions – developing new methods and techniques of scientific investigation.