Archaeology
and History Of Art

The Department of Archaeology and History of Art offers a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of archaeology, the history of art and visual culture, cultural heritage management, and museum studies by employing the most recent theoretical and methodological approaches and a hands-on approach to learning. Our faculty consists of specialists in the archaeology and history of art of the civilizations that have flourished in the area of modern Türkiye. Students will learn about prehistoric Anatolian archaeology, the Greek and Roman eras, Late Antique and Byzantine studies, and the Ottoman period, and can decide to focus more specifically on one of these time periods.

Faculty

Cultural heritage management practices and museum operations are inseparable from the study of archaeology and the history of art, and students will also be instructed in these areas during their four-year undergraduate program. Students in our department have the opportunity to take courses in ancient languages of the Mediterranean and Anatolian worlds such as Greek, Latin, and Ottoman Turkish. Our lectures are enriched through field trips to archaeological sites and museum excursions, and participation in conferences and workshops organized by visiting lecturers and specialists from Türkiye and abroad. We provide hands-on training in methods of analysis and conservation in our archaeological laboratory. Our students are also encouraged to participate in one of our archaeological excavation projects during the summer or to complete internships with museums or cultural heritage organizations.

Department Coordinator: Asst. Prof. Ivana Jevtic

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Curriculum

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Double Major Programs

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Courses

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Minor
Programs​

Click to access double minor programs.​

Labs

The Department of Archaeology and History of Art’s Archaeology Laboratory hosts the analysis of materials from the projects of Koç University faculty, including Barcın Höyük (Assoc. Prof. Rana Özbal), Kaymakçı (Professor Chris Roosevelt and Assoc. Prof. Christina Luke), Küçükyalı (Asst. Prof. Alessandra Ricci), and KEYAR (Asst. Prof. Çiğdem Maner). In addition to the traditional research techniques of macroscopic analysis, illustration, photography, and restoration, the technical equipment in the laboratory enables scholars to conduct further analyses on pottery, metal, glass, and sediment chemistry. Laboratory facilities include a polarizing-light microscope, a stereo zoom microscope, a laboratory oven, professional camera system, and necessary equipment for making ceramic and other thin sections. Workshops on archaeological illustration, photography, petrography, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and restoration aim to train students and provide opportunities for hands-on experience. With its technical equipment and reference collection composed of diverse archaeological materials, the Archaeology Laboratory is open to all scholars for collaborative research from universities within Türkiye and abroad.

 

The KUDAR Maritime Archaeology Laboratory was founded in 2018 as a space for teaching and research in maritime archaeology at Koç University. Because most artifacts removed from marine or waterlogged contexts will require some form of conservation treatment, whether it is the removal of soluble salts and concretion from pottery and metal objects or the consolidation of delicate organic materials, a laboratory space is essential for any artifact-based maritime archaeology research. The Department of Archaeology and History of Art at Koç University currently offers a graduate-level Documentation and Conservation Methods course (ARHA 582) in the KUDAR Laboratory, which provides an introduction to methods for documenting and conserving archaeological materials; the course includes hands-on experience with different techniques and the opportunity to develop final projects related to student interests and research.

In addition to its conservation facilities, the laboratory’s facilities support a variety of other training opportunities.  In addition to photographic, digital, and manual documentation of artifacts, and 3D photogrammetry, the lab can also support the documentation, conservation, and analysis of archaeological material by ARHA faculty and students as well as research fellows pursuing projects in maritime archaeology or related fields.

The laboratory includes two fume hoods, sinks, a compressed air line and pneumatic chisels (a necessity for concreted pottery and metal objects from underwater sites), a Telstar Lyoquest freeze dryer for conservation treatments of organic materials, an ICP-OES (Internally Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry) device for elemental analyses, cameras and photography lights and accessories, and a variety of tools and supplies for artifact documentation and conservation. Equipment for off-campus field- and museum-based projects are kept in the laboratory storeroom, including diving and photography equipment and computers for 3-D photogrammetry modeling and other research applications. The KUDAR Maritime Archaeology Laboratory also provides resources for KUDAR projects in Türkiye.

CPAP 100 Computer Proficiency Assessment Program

CPAP is a mandatory program for all Koç University undergraduates, except for the School of Medicine, to improve computer proficiency. Its aims are to develop and evaluate the skills of students in Microsoft Office Word (word processing) and Excel (spreadsheets).

Graduate Programs

The Department of Archaeology and History of Art (ARHA) offers a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of archaeology, the history of art and visual culture, late antique and Byzantine studies, cultural heritage management, museum studies, and maritime archaeology.