Research
The Institute for Archaeo-Metallurgical Studies is involved with a number of research projects based mainly at the Institute of Archaeology but also partnered in a number of joint international projects. In addition, IAMS strives to encourage and support a number of students and scholars wishing to advance archaeo-metallurgical knowledge by providing financial aid to attend conferences and workshops.
Current research being funded by IAMS includes:
Gold/Silver Production During the Historical Periods of China, 7th to 10th Centuries AD
This doctoral research project is being conducted by Siran Liu at UCL's Institute of Archaeology and is aimed at deciphering technical and cultural choices in China's Tang Dynasty's gold/silver smelting technology and reconstructing the activities associated with this industry in the wider cultural and geological landscape of Jiangxi province.
On the Origins of Metallurgy in Europe: Metal Production in the Vinča Culture
Miljana Radivojevic is currently involved in discerning the nature of the earliest smelting technology of the Old World in her current research on metallurgical remains from the Vinča culture (central Balkans) dating to c. 5400 to 4600 BC. This project will likely redefine our understanding of the emergence and spread of metallurgical technology.