Balkans has always been the crucible of major historical events in the evolution of European and Eurasian civilizations. The settlement of Europe by Paleolithic hunters-gatherers and Neolithic farmers, the invention of copper, gold and tin bronze metallurgy or the formation of the Europe’s first great Bronze Age societies are only some of the defining moments in the long history of European and Eurasian nations. The Balkans was a birthplace of Classical Greece and Hellenism, the core of the Late Roman Empire and the long-lasting Byzantine Empire. It is a bridge over which people, culture, ideas and objects travelled from the Far East and Orient to Europe and vice versa. Cultural heritage of the Balkans is immense, yet not fully apprehended nor analyzed. It is a cultural area distinctive from the rest of the Europe, despite being historically its core part. To understand it better is to become aware of our common European cultural heritage in all its diversity and beauty. To this goal, we are aiming this scientific conference.
The Symposium will focus on the major topics of Αrchaeometry: analytical methods, organic and inorganic materials, dating methods, computer science and imaging techniques, conservation and restoration, geophysics and Geographic Information System applications, experimental Αrchaeometry, bioarchaeometry, multidisciplinary investigations, new developments and management in cultural heritage. The focus is on the Balkans and investigation of its cultural heritage, but topics relating to it are encouraged.
The organizer of the Symposium is the VINCA Institute of Nuclear Sciences in cooperation with the National Museum in Belgrade, the Gallery of Matica Srpska and the Ministry of Science of the Republic of Serbia.