An international scientific conference titled “Application of Natural Science Methods in Archaeological Research” was held in the city of Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan. The event was organized by the A.Kh. Margulan Institute of Archaeology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, the Institute of Nuclear Physics under the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) — an international intergovernmental scientific research organization, of which the Republic of Azerbaijan is a co-founder. The headquarters of the institute is located in the scientific town of Dubna, Russian Federation. The conference was dedicated to the 70th anniversary of JINR.

Conference participants presented findings on the application of methods such as nuclear physics, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, microtomography, spectroscopy, isotopic geochronology, as well as muon tomography in scanning underground and above-ground historical architectural monuments. The practical results of applying these methods to archaeological sites and artifacts were discussed.

Azerbaijan was represented at the conference by Parviz Gasimov, PhD in History, a leading researcher at the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS). He delivered a presentation titled:

“Application of Natural Science Methods in Archaeological Research in Azerbaijan During the Independence Period.” In his speech, Gasimov outlined innovations in Azerbaijani archaeology introduced during the years of independence, particularly the use of advanced technologies such as radiocarbon dating, isotopic and genetic analyses. He
emphasized how these approaches have led to the partial or complete revision of certain archaeological hypotheses based on new results.

Special attention was given to the use of methods such as Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL), Cosmogenic Radionuclides (CRN), biomarker analysis, and paleoproteomics in the study of the ancient human sites of Azykh and Taghlar caves, carried out with the participation of specialists from Europe and Japan. Parviz Gasimov also noted that, under a cooperation agreement signed between the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology of ANAS and Karabakh University, a new Azykh Archaeological Research and Analysis Laboratory is currently being established.

As part of the conference, participants visited the nuclear reactor center and laboratories of the Institute of Nuclear Physics under the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan. During the visit, technologies used for the sterilization of ancient artifacts, manuscripts, and archival documents using nuclear methods were demonstrated.

Participants of the international event were also invited to the opening of the exhibition “Interdisciplinary Integration in Archaeology” at the Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The exhibition showcased artifacts discovered during archaeological excavations in Kazakhstan, their analysis using natural science techniques, and the scientific results obtained.

Oxuma sayi: 134