Dr. Yannis Bassiakos Yannis Bassiakos, Geologist-Chronologist, Research Director, leads the “Group of Paleoenvironment & Ancient Metals Studies” at the Archaeometry Laboratory of the Institute of Nanosciences & Nanomaterials/N.C.S.R. “Demokritos”. Main fields of activities (basic research and applications): a) ancient metals: mining, metallurgical residues, technology, provenance and prehistoric copper-smelting experimental simulations, b) ESR-paramagnetic/luminescence dating combined with dose-rate/microdosimetry and fission-tracks studies c) paleoenvironmental studies: geoarchaeology, neotectonics, active-fault dating, sea-level oscillation for ancient landscapes reconstruction, and d) characterization of archaeomaterials by optical/electron microscopy and micro-phases analyses. He has coordinated or contributed to a large number of research projects funded by national or foreign sources. In last years he is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal ‘Archaeological & Anthropological Sciences’ launched by Springer-Verlag.
Geoarchaeology exploits the concepts and methods of Geosciences for investigating topics related with Cultural Heritage issues. Relevant studies (i.e. past sea-land interaction in archaeologically significant waterfront areas, lost/buried harbours localization, ancient landscape reconstruction, absolute-dating paleoseismic recurrence etc) comprise challenging research issues, currently undertaken in Greece (mainland and the islands), areas which are featured by individual geological features, such as intensive seismicity, volcanism and physical dismemberment. At the same time these areas are explicit producers of diachronic culture and craftsmanship since the Neolithic. Knowledge and experience accumulated by implementation of such geoarchaeological projects are examined under modern developmental viewpoints, like large-scale works, natural hazards prediction, seismic periodicity/protection, tsunami extent assessment, urban planning etc.