Archives and Digital Infrastructure

The core tasks of the Archives include the collection and long-term safeguarding of the documents created during and related to the research activities of the IA’s staff, as well as providing research access to the records. The major current task, and, at the same time, challenge for the Archives are to digitise entirely the enormous amount of data currently kept in analogue format. This covers the revision of the registered documents, completing their ongoing digitisation, creating a multi-level system of archiving, and their open-access online publication in searchable form. To reach this ambitious goal and to ensure the long-term safeguarding and curation of this repository, we intend to rely on the IT infrastructure and other advanced IT technologies provided by HUN-REN. Further strategic cooperation agreements are to be concluded with the curators of other open-access archaeological databases and the archives of our partner institutions.

Geoinformatics Laboratory — Non-Destructive Diagnostic (NDD) Infrastructure

The current NDD team is highly competent both in the application of non-destructive technology and in the scholarly analysis of the results. The sustainability of this infrastructure in the long term can be secured through developing our equipment and providing the necessary training for employees. While both require substantial funding, this rapidly developing technology is – from the wider perspective – definitely the most cost-effective way of exploring archaeological sites without damaging underground structures

Conservation and Graphic Infrastructure

Key infrastructure facilities of the IA include its small Conservation and Graphic Labs. The chief conservator of the Conservation Lab is increasingly involved in on-site conservation work and actively contributes to experimental archaeological and research projects.

Similarly, the graphic designers of our Graphic Lab are skilled in using a variety of graphic, geoinformation, and 3D programs to create visual materials for the IA’s research projects. They also contribute to scientific projects by drawing on their specialised expertise, including one colleague's MSc degree in architecture.

Main Research Topic

Integrating Research Resources in the Exploration of Micro- and Macro-Historical Trajectories of the Carpathian Basin

The topic covers the comprehensive exploration of the micro- and macro-historical trajectories spanning the last millennia in the Carpathian Basin through the integration of datasets derived from various research projects into a coherent framework. The overarching goal is to build a sustainable model for digitally preserving, sharing, and analysing research data, merging both archived and newly generated datasets into a central data hub and offering their interpretative visualisation, creating thereby an independent level of publication. This strategic project embraces initial efforts to develop the “Digital Archaeological Atlas of Hungary” project. Its scientific inquiry is closely linked to the IA’s broad interdisciplinary research projects, which integrate bioarchaeological, archaeological, chronological, and site-based analytical methods.