‘The Role of Architect in Archaeological Field Studies’: A Practice-Based Training Model

Abstract

The architect working in the historical environment is expected to have some basic knowledge, regardless of the specific purpose of their work, whether it is the design of a protection roof to be built for more effective preservation of archaeological data, the documentation of new architectural data revealed by excavations, or the planning of an anastylosis application to be carried out in the area. First of all, the architect; must be able to perceive, understand and evaluate the historical structure and environment. It is observed that the provision of this knowledge in architectural education and the training of architects for the archaeological site is lacking. In this study, in archaeological field research that requires the contribution of many different disciplines; a practical training model proposed for the education of architects and architect candidates who will take responsibility in studies related to the identification, documentation and evaluation of immovable cultural heritage is discussed. A series of summer schools were organized in selected sites with undergraduate architecture students during the active season of archaeological excavations in order to create an education model for this and to enable this topic to be able to take its place in architectural education as a credit course in the future. The difficulties in archaeological sites and the multidisciplinary nature of the excavation teams were observed in the summer schools, and it was emphasized that the architect could take on many other roles besides documentation. During the training, traditional measurement techniques were taught and applied, and introductions to digital methods were given. In this study, considering the possible steps to be taken in the future, the theoretical framework and practical applications of these summer schools held directly at the archaeological site, the observations made, and the evaluations of the feedback of the participants are handled.