The first research network organised and hosted by the DAI’s Istanbul Department was back in 2007. Since then this format has gone from strength to strength; meanwhile, a total of five research networks have been completed.
The networks are directed primarily, but not exclusively, at young scientists. The concept is simple: A fixed group of participants meets regularly over a period of two to three years to work on a clearly defined research topic. The regular meetings are a place to discuss and exchange ideas, also with invited speakers, with the aim of fostering interdisciplinary exchange within the department and with colleagues from German, Turkish and international universities and research institutions.
The networks are dedicated to overarching archaeological and cultural-historical topics which are suitable for diachronic studies, such as “Power and Hierarchies in Urban Space and Landscape” or “Nature and Cult in Anatolia”. During the duration of the networks, a variety of event formats, such as seminars, workshops or excursions, take place. These are dedicated to different aspects of the focal research topics. The participants are responsible for organising the content of individual events. Each research networks culminates in an edited volume that features individual contributions by the participants and a synthetic summary.
