International Workshop on Battlefield Archaeology Organized
The International Battlefield Archaeology Workshop, organized within the scope of the Malazgirt Battlefield Identification, Historical and Archaeological Survey Project, where detailed information and experiences about battlefield archaeology were shared, was held at our university.
In the program, which is the first workshop organized in Turkey in the field of Battlefield Archaeology, the achievements of the studies carried out in Malazgirt for four years were presented to the community. Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Alican, Prof. Dr. Andrew Peterson, Prof. Dr. Reyhan Körpe, Dr. Christopher Lillington-Martin, Dr. Can Aksoy, Dr. Georgios Theotokis and project coordinator Prof. Dr. Adnan Çevik attended the program.
Rector Alican started his opening speech by thanking the participants and stated that the project aims to create a serious methodological accumulation. Rector Alican said, "This workshop we are organizing today is very important both in terms of being held within our university and being the first of its kind in Turkey."
In his speech, Rector Alican said: "Battlefield archaeology, which develops techniques and methods to find archaeological evidence related to wars with extremely great effects, is a new field in the world. It is also called conflict archaeology with its more inclusive name. The methodology of the field is slowly emerging through studies. The discussions of the world's leading conflict archaeology theorists on this subject are very valuable. However, it can also be said that each project is unique.
The working environment of battlefield archaeology is not limited to the sites where the conflicts took place. Archaeological evaluations are carried out in places such as headquarters, arsenals, logistical support processes and prison camps. For recent conflicts, this is relatively easy. For earlier wars, however, finding evidence becomes more difficult. This makes for a challenging archaeological process.
The archaeology of the Malazgirt battlefield is a challenging project in many ways, not least because of the size of both the battle and the site. However, it will have an important place in the literature with its methodology and findings. Our university, which is preparing to sign joint projects with many institutions and universities in Turkey, is also ready for international joint projects and is waiting for the support of foreign universities."
