Turkic world archaeologists to create unified digital heritage database
Archaeological organizations across the Turkic world intend to create a unified digital platform for studying and preserving their shared historical and cultural heritage, following a meeting in Hungary, a Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The decision followed the third meeting of the Association of Research Institutes and Centers for Archaeology of the Turkic World (ARICA) in Bugac, Hungary.
Building an international research network
The event was attended by Shain Mustafayev, President of the Turkic Academy and Academician; András Bíró, President of the Hungarian Turan Foundation; representatives of archaeological organizations from Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia; the Turkish Historical Society; and the Hungarian National Museum.
Opening the meeting, Shain Mustafayev noted that in the three years since ARICA's founding, the association has moved from establishing basic cooperation mechanisms to building an international research network focused on specific projects.
Joint archaeological research
A key proposal was the creation of an International ARICA Program for joint research on the archaeological heritage of Turkic countries. The program would involve annual selection of priority archaeological sites for joint expeditions, excavations, documentation, and scientific analysis.
Potential research areas include archaeological sites of the Silk Road, early Turkic period sites, ancient irrigation systems, Eurasian nomadic cultures' archaeological heritage, and medieval craft centers.
Digitalization
Discussions also focused on digitalization. It is planned to create an Electronic Atlas of Archaeological Sites of Turkic Countries, which would consolidate data on site locations, chronology, research results, photographs, plans, and academic publications.
Participants also proposed creating a Digital Information Portal and an electronic research database to enable continuous exchange on projects, expeditions, publications, conferences, grants, educational programs, and specialists.
Annual meetings
Another initiative is to hold annual ARICA meetings to present expedition results, discuss discoveries, and set priorities for the next year.
ARICA was established on the initiative of the Turkic Academy in Samarkand in 2023. Its first official meeting was held in Shusha in 2024, and the second in Ankara and Gaziantep in 2025. During this period, participants identified key areas of cooperation and began implementing joint scientific and publishing initiatives.
Academic collaboration
The meeting also highlighted the importance of cooperation with Hungary, whose scholars and institutions have long participated in research on Hun heritage, the Eurasian steppes, and the early history of Turkic peoples.
A presentation was held for the publication "Archaeological Researchers of the Turkic World," prepared under the coordination of the Turkic Academy. The book contains profiles of prominent archaeologists from Turkic countries and their scientific contributions.
Final resolution
Following the meeting, participants adopted a final resolution outlining key directions and a work plan for ARICA. The document aims to facilitate the transition to practical implementation of joint archaeological research, the development of digital infrastructure, and the expansion of scientific exchange among Turkic world organizations.
As previously reported, the Turkic Academy showcased the projects of the Baku Turkological Congress in Istanbul.
