The Turkic countries are planning to set up a shared digital platform for scientific data exchange and a unified database of archaeological sites, according to Shahin Mustafayev, president of the Turkic Academy. He made the announcement at the third meeting of the Association of Research Institutes and Centers of Archaeology of the Turkic World (ARICA), held in Bugac, Hungary, 24.kg reported.
At the meeting, participants developed a concept for an ARICA digital portal and electronic research database. The platform is intended to serve as a permanent hub for communication among archaeological organizations, scholars and academic centers. It would compile information on joint expeditions and projects, along with publications, conferences, grants and educational programs, as well as details on researchers and affiliated institutions.
Specialists also plan to create a digital atlas of archaeological monuments. The database would consolidate information on major sites, including their coordinates, chronology, scholarly descriptions, photographs, site plans, research findings and related publications.
Participants also discussed joint archaeological projects and efforts to protect historical heritage, proposing an international program dedicated to studying the heritage of Turkic states. The program would identify priority sites each year, carry out joint excavations and expeditions, document findings and analyze results.
Key areas of cooperation identified include Silk Road cities, early Turkic monuments, monument complexes and ancient irrigation systems, along with the heritage of Eurasian nomadic peoples and medieval industrial centers. ARICA was established in 2023 in Samarkand on the initiative of the Turkic Academy.
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