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Brief Information of our Department

The Department of Prehistoric Archeology (Prehistory) was included in the Archeology Department. Halet Çambel, who participated the department as an assistant in 1948, founded the Prehistory Chair with the support of Kurt Bittel at the beginning of the 1950s. Kurt Bittel, who is the head of the German Archeology Institute, gives prehistory lessons as a member in the Archeology Department. Meanwhile Halet Çambel, pioneered the prehistory to become an independent department at Istanbul University. Çambel, which forms the scientific reputability and traditions of the department, also ensures that scientific approach and ethical values ​​become defined. From this period, the Prehistory chair becomes a section compatible with the developments in the world. Later, the laboratory and collection of the Prehistory Chair begins to form. Çambel provides many concepts from the world archaeology to Turkish Archaeology. From this perspective Çambel becomes one of the legendary heads of the prehistory chair. After Çambel, Ufuk Esin, who was the first prehistory student and doctorate of the chair, was the head of Prehistory Department in 1984. In addition to her leadership in the field of archeometry, Esin also makes initiatives on the creation of field teams in the department and the introduction of new archaeological techniques. Esin, who is the founding member of the Turkey Academy of Sciences, also plays an important role in the international development of the department. At the end of the 1960s, Ufuk Esin started excavations in the Keban Dam Area, along with Güven Arsebük, who was one of the young assistants of that period and continued his research mainly on the Paleolithic Age. After Ufuk Esin, Mehmet Özdoğan (1999-2009) and Sevil Gülçur (2009-2011), who were trained in the studies of the Keban Project, take the head of the department. Özdoğan performs numerous archaeological research in different regions at Turkey, but especially known for his work focusing on the Neolithic archeology. Sevil Gülçur, who is known for her long-term and comprehensive works in the Güvercinkayası settlement in Central Anatolia, makes important contributions to the urbanization and understanding of the process just before. Nur Balkan-Atlı takes over as the head of the department between 2011-2019. The obsidian resources in Central Anatolia, where Balkan-Atlı was the director, and the workshop excavations around Göllüdağ in Niğde, in particular, have sounded as projects in which concrete evidence of raw material, information and technology transfer between distant regions was obtained. These international collaborations also enable the training of specialized staff on chipped stone. Since 2019, Necmi Karul has been the head of the department.

Brief Information Regarding the Scientific Works and Research Activities

The Department of Prehistoric Archeology (Prehistory) is an academic unit specializing in the prehistoric period, which constitutes the oldest part of human history. Our department contributes to the production and sharing of archaeological information through research projects, field studies and scientific activities, as well as the creation of qualified staff required by our country with the training program and training of specialists in various fields.

Academic Staff

Prof. Dr. Necmi Karul
Prof. Dr. Mihriban Özbaşaran
Assoc. Prof. Erhan Bıçakçı
Assoc. Prof. Çiler Algül
Assoc. Prof. Semra Balcı
Assoc. Prof. Eylem Özdoğan
Assoc. Prof. Emre Güldoğan
Lecturer Oğuzhan Tanındı
Lecturer Dr. Nurcan Kayacan
Res. Assist. Yasin Gökhan Çakan
Res. Assist. İsmail Caner Pınarcı

Information about education objectives, quotas, accreditation status, the prep classifany of the department at the undergraduate level

Education-Teaching Goals: Maintaining innovative approaches in prehistoriy education, researching prehistoric periods for the benefit of society and science. Continuing creative and innovative studies to lead new expansions in archeology and to bring new methods / approaches to our country. Training scientists and experts who are competent in prehistoric archeology and open to innovation. To raise libertarian individuals who are competent in their fields and respect their environment, scientific and ethical values. To establish information sharing mechanism with the society. Goals: Continuing the development of formal education. To ensure the continuity of the strong education staff of the Prehistory Department. Developing the visual and written collections of the department by developing them. To share information with other institutions' undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate staff. Improving interdisciplinary cooperation in applied and theoretical studies. YKS Point Type: Equal. Quota: 50. Success Order of the Last Person to Settle in 2019: 477.460. Our department is not accredited.

How to apply Double Major and Minor Programs?

Double Major and Minor Programs are available. Students who apply and qualify within the quota - for all programs - can receive Double Major and Minor education.

Department's Student Club

Although there is no separate student club as a department, there is a student club as an archeology department.

Graduate Education

In our department, postgraduate education is given at master's and doctorate levels. Admission Requirements: 1- Being a graduate (also a master degree for a doctoral level). 2- Taking the Ales exam and getting enough points. 3- Having taken one of the Foreign Language exams whose equivalence has been accepted by YDS or YÖK and getting enough points. 4- To enter the interview that the department will do. Minimum admission scores and dispersal are determined within the framework of Istanbul University Graduate Education Regulation and the conditions determined by the Senate. No special conditions are required. Application dates are announced in the academic calendar published by IU Institute of Social Sciences every year. For students who want to transfer from national and international higher education institutions to Istanbul University, the principles and conditions determined by Istanbul University Graduate Education and Training Regulation and Senate of our University are applied.

Exchange Programs

Our department has bilateral Erasmus agreements with Groningen University Netherlands and New Bulgarian University in Bulgaria. The scope of these agreements covers undergraduate and graduate programs. Although our department does not have an agreement with an institution specifically for Farabi, a quota is given every year and if students prefer our department, the relevant quota is used.

Features that Distinguishes Our Department from Equivalent Departments

There are many excavation and research projects carried out by our department. All of our department members are conducted in an excavation or survey. In the summer months when education and training are intermit, it is possible to continue scientific activities in the field. Students are offered the opportunity to participate in projects involving many national and international experts. Obtaining archaeological data with this method is taught to all students while they are still at the undergraduate stage. With the archeological collection of Prehistory Department, which started to be created since the 1950s, there are many and varied archaeological materials. Our students has a opportunity to work with archaeological material in the Prehistory Laboratory within the subject they want to work.

Business areas that our graduates can work and be involve

They can be employed in relevant departments of universities and institutions, museums and private museums affiliated to the Ministry of Culture. They can also work as archaeologists in temporary projects by the museum or related institutions. They can work in institutions working on culture and arts.

Admission Requirements to Undergraduate Programs for International Students

Turkish certified students are accepted by our department. Horizontal transfer is available.

Admission Requirements to Graduate Programs for International Students

Students with Turkish certificate are accepted within the postgraduate admission requirements. It is not possible to write a thesis in a foreign language. Although there is a possibility to transfer, students who are in the PhD program are required to enter the PhD Qualification Proficiency Exam in our department.