The commission aims to discuss and disseminate archaeometric approaches to technologies in prehistory and protohistory, focusing on lithic technology, metallurgy, ceramics, and glassmaking. It seeks to gather and organize the results, conclusions, and contexts of archaeometric case studies of artefacts, with particular attention to the production, procurement, and characterization of raw materials, as well as fabrication technologies. The commission emphasizes the discussion of 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, glassmaking, lithic and ceramic technologies in prehistory and protohistory.
One of our chief objectives is to open access to analytical data, results, and conclusions from the widest possible range of archaeometric projects and case studies related to prehistoric and protohistoric artefacts made from metal, ceramic, glass, and stone. We place particular emphasis on the characterization of raw materials and manufacturing technologies. By making relevant data accessible to the wider scientific community and establishing standards for scientific databases, we aim to promote greater integration between archaeometric research and other archaeological approaches.
We also strive to develop standards for the publication of archaeological scientific data, including chemical standards and material structures, and to create protocols for the archiving and dissemination of existing or “legacy” datasets, which might otherwise be lost or overlooked. By discussing relevant interdisciplinary research methods and techniques, we seek to encourage collaboration across academic disciplines and to explore the relationships and overlaps among ancient technologies.
We organize a commission meeting once a year and hold dedicated sessions on the occasion of the triennial UISSP World Congress.
