Speaker
Prof.
Thilo Rehren
(The Cyprus Institute)
Description
Advanced scientific methods play an ever-increasing role in the study of the human past. The topic of this conference is just one example of such highly-specialised fields, offering a uniquely sharp and powerful tool for a wide range of situations. While Archaeology has from the beginning evolved through merging different specialist disciplines, it has also from the beginning grappled with the problem how best to integrate these often seemingly incompatible, even incomprehensible approaches to achieve real advances for the field as a whole.
With this lecture I want to shine a light at the sometimes opposing forces within Archaeometry / Science-Based Archaeology / Science and Technology in Archaeology. On the one hand, there is the trend to develop ever-cleverer tools and methods, while on the other hand, routine application of what looks like pedestrian science is often all that can be done, or needs to be done. I will offer a personal view on how best to keep these two forces in a productive balance, even make them work together like two horses drawing one carriage.
This balance needs to be kept within an often turbulent academic and social environment which makes it difficult to reach anything resembling equilibrium, or a pleasant trot through that beautiful country called ‘The Past’. Instead, it is a very real race in competition with many other academic fields vying for public attention (and money), and its playing field often resembles an obstacle course more than a country lane. In such an environment it is imperative that the two (metaphorical) horses of technical development and routine application work together as closely as they possibly can, while watching closely what the competition is up to. As in any good sport, competing for talent is an important part of the game, and there are opportunities here which Archaeology and Cultural Heritage can usefully exploit in order to attract the best people, even in the fields of science and technology.
Primary author
Prof.
Thilo Rehren
(The Cyprus Institute)
