The commission aims to discuss and transmit the archaeometric approaches to technologies in prehistory and protohistory concerning lithic technology, metallurgy, ceramics and glass making; gathering and organizing the results, conclusions and circumstances of archaeometric case studies of artefacts; paying particular attention to production, procurement and characterization of raw materials, and fabrication technologies; discussing relevant interdisciplinary research methods and techniques.
The commission provides a platform for scholarly discussion aimed at furthering the dissemination of new approaches and discoveries, and at promoting best practice in archaeometric research on metallurgy, glass making, lithic and ceramic technologies in prehistory and protohistory.
One of our chief objectives is opening up access to analytical data, results and conclusions from the broadest possible range of archaeometric projects and case studies relating to prehistoric and protohistoric artefacts made from metal, ceramic, glass and stone, with a particular focus on the characterization of raw materials and on manufacturing technologies. By making relevant data accessible to the wider scientific community and formulating standards for scientific databases, we wish to promote the integration between archaeometric research and other archaeological approaches.
We also strive to formulate standards for the publication of archaeological scientific data, chemical standards and material structures, and to create protocols for the archiving and dissemination of existing or “legacy” datasets, which would otherwise be vulnerable to being lost or overlooked. By discussing relevant interdisciplinary research methods and techniques, we also wish to promote work across academic disciplines and to investigate the relationships and overlaps between ancient technologies.
We organize a commission meeting once a year and hold dedicated sessions on the occasion of the triennial UISSP Word Congress.
