Dept. of Archaeology and Social Processes

Head of dept.: Almudena Orejas Saco del Valle

We understand Archaeology as a knowledge-builder about social formations and historical processes by analysing their material and spatial remains. Different forms of social relations, from the technological and productive spheres to the symbolic world are liable to be understood through Archaeology.

These issues are studied through a wide variety of approaches. They all have, however, a common ground: the interpretation of historical realities beyond mere object analysis. The Department pursues the development of new techniques and the use of state-of-the-art instrumentation in analysing and managing new forms of data. Heritage must be integrated as a goal into the scientific process from its inception.

This theoretical and methodological identity is the fundamental definer of the Department. However, given the scientific trajectories of the research groups involved, the study of pre-modern societies is an additional point in common.

Within the Department there are five research groups:
•    Archaeobiology
•    Archaeometal 
•    Iron Age Iberian Societies: political territories, ideology and social change
•    Social and Economic Prehistory 
•    Social Structure and Territory-Landscape Archaeology (SST-LA)

Fundamental to the RL are the R+D Archaeology Laboratories of the IH, which offer the technical and analytical means necessary for developing the scientific strategies of the research groups associated.