Welcome to Our Site

 

The INSTAP Study Center for East Crete was founded in 1997 and is a unique facility for archaeological research, especially in the area of Prehistory.

The Center is committed to facilitating research publication in the broad field of Cretan studies, with a focus on archaeology and ethnology.

 

Facilities and Services

 

At the Study Center, scholars have access to a wide range of modern facilities to support both their field work and research aims. Perhaps the most important of these is the library, which is dedicated to all periods of Cretan history, with an emphasis on the Aegean Bronze and Iron Ages. The library contains over 2,000 volumes, 1,000 journals, and an offprint file with over 2,700 articles.

Three state-of-the-art laboratories are dedicated to the study of artifacts: a photographic facility with a full-time professional photographer for both artifact and site photography; the most advanced conservation laboratory on the island with a staff of three full-time professional conservators and a rotating group of assistants; and the William A. McDonald Petrography Laboratory (opened in 2002) with a full-time petrographer who makes thin-sections of pottery for ceramic analysis and evaluation.

The Center also employs a full-time archaeological draftsman and a team of assistants for both object and site drawings.

During the summer months, ground penetrating radar (GPR) equipment and a trained specialist are available to help excavators in locating as yet unexplored structures.

The Center houses a computer facility with high-quality scanning and printing capabilities. Numerous work spaces are open for use by local excavation teams, and a large stoa area provides study space for artifacts.