Science and Technology in Archaeology Research Center (STARC)

The Science and Technology in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Research Center (STARC) contributes to the study of archaeology and cultural heritage through the development of broad research inquiries that foster cross-disciplinary collaborations between the humanities and the natural, material and computational sciences. In this context, STARC is dedicated to the advancement of new methodological approaches that utilize scientific and technological applications in a meaningful and scholarly way. Research activities and the development of state-of-the-art laboratories focus on problems of local and regional interest but of global importance currently converging on four main research threads: Archaeological Sciences, Digital Cultural Heritage, Built Heritage and Cultural Landscapes and Bioarchaeology.

STARC research is enhanced through partnerships and joint activities with leading local, regional and international institutions such as the Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France, the Cyprus Department of Antiquities, the Getty Foundation, the A.G. Leventis Gallery, the Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia, the Byzantine Museum of the Church of Cyprus, the University of Cyprus, the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, the Benaki Museum, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Princeton, Cambridge University, University of Leuven, University of Southern California, Cornell, Columbia University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Furthermore, STARC’s position as regional leader in the interdisciplinary study of works of art and architecture is strengthened by its inclusion as Eastern Mediterranean research hub in the European Research Infrastructure on Heritage Science (E-RIHS), currently in its preparatory phase. E-RIHS pursues the integration of European world-class research facilities to create a cohesive entity playing a connecting role in the global community of heritage science. More recently, two major grants have solidified key research niches for the future development of STARC. The first, by the A.G. Leventis Foundation establishes the A.G. Leventis Chair in Archaeological Sciences, held by STARC Director, Prof. Thilo Rehren. The second, by Dr. Andreas Pittas, supports the creation of the Andreas Pittas Art Characterization Laboratories to pursue interdisciplinary study and analysis of works of art and archaeological material.