Laboratory for Archaeo-Materials

IMG 5004

The Analytical Laboratory for Archaeological Materials is headed by Prof. Sariel Shalev. The lab studies the ancient artifacts and remains which come from excavations in Israel in order to obtain a better understanding of the evolution of technology, industries, crafts, economies, society and culture and to study the archaeological materials contributing to the interface between science and humanities. This is accomplished by addressing archaeological, historical, ethnographical, and art historical questions, and to further explore them with the best available scientific tools such as portable X-ray florescence analyzer (ED-XRF) and radiography machine and other methods. In the last few years, analytical equipment has seen major advances in their precision and in the rapidity of their analysis, such that quality results are available in real time. Owing to its portability, ease of operation in computerized modes, this equipment is easily usable in the field, in museums, in study collections, and storerooms, etc. The lab is aiming at using this innovative equipment for the study of ancient artifacts and remains in order to obtain a better understanding of the evolution of technology, crafts, economy, society and culture.

The lab became recently the leading interdisciplinary research center of its kind in the field of archaeological materials and archaeometallurgy