The increasing number of excavations and survey projects conducted in Türkiye each year along with the discovery of significant findings has made it essential for scholars to exchange information and share the results of their work with the international community. As a result, the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums then under the Ministry decided in 1978 to organize an international symposium. The first International Symposium on Excavation, Survey and Archaeometry with the participation of both Turkish and foreign scholars was held in Ankara between January 15–18, 1979 at the Turkish Historical Society's conference hall.
The second symposium was held at the Turkish Historical Society between February 11–15, 1980; the third took place at the Faculty of Language and History-Geography between February 9–13, 1981; and the fourth was again organized in Ankara between February 8–12, 1982.
At the symposium held in Istanbul between May 23–27, 1983, the results of survey were addressed in a separate section and starting from that year they began to be published as a separate series. Upon widespread request it was also decided that the Symposium of Excavations, Surveys and Archaeometry (KST) would henceforth be scheduled for May, just before the beginning of the excavation season.
In this context, the sixth symposium was held in İzmir between April 16–20, 1984, and the seventh in Ankara between May 20–24, 1985. Starting in 1985, archaeometry results were also included in the symposium as a separate session and began to be published as an independent series.
Between 1979 and 2003, the symposium was organized in Ankara, Istanbul, İzmir, Antalya, Çanakkale and Tarsus with the support of the Ministry. Beginning in 2004, it started to be held in collaboration with universities.
Within this framework:
- In 2004, it was held in Konya in cooperation with Selçuk University,
- In 2005, in Antalya with Akdeniz University,
- In 2006, in Çanakkale with Onsekiz Mart University,
- In 2007, in Kocaeli with Kocaeli University,
- In 2008, in Ankara with Ankara University (Faculty of Language, History and Geography),
- In 2009, in Denizli with Pamukkale University,
- In 2010, in Istanbul within the scope of European Capital of Culture events,
- In 2011, in Malatya with İnönü University,
- In 2012, in Çorum with Hitit University,
- In 2013, in Muğla with Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University,
- In 2014, at the Gaziantep Zeugma Mosaic Museum,
- In 2015, in Erzurum with Atatürk University,
- In 2016, in Edirne with Trakya University,
- In 2017, in Bursa with Uludağ University,
- In 2018, again in Çanakkale with Onsekiz Mart University,
- In 2019, in Diyarbakır with Dicle University,
- In 2022, in Denizli with Pamukkale University and Denizli Metropolitan Municipality,
- In 2023, in Ankara with Hacı Bayram Veli University,
- In 2024, in Nevşehir with Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University,
- In 2025, in Mersin with Mersin University has been arranged.
Held annually during the last week of May, the symposium brings together local and international scholars conducting excavations and surveys in Türkiye. Over the course of five days in multiple parallel sessions they present and share data from archaeological excavations, restoration and conservation projects, surface surveys as well as anthropological and archaeometric studies with the academic community. During the symposium, scientific institutions, publishing houses, companies and non-governmental organizations active in the field of archaeology also set up booths and exhibits.
The International Symposium of Excavations, Surveys and Archaeometry one of the most significant scientific events held in Türkiye for promoting archaeology to wider audiences has been successfully organized since 1979. With its depth, scope and continuity this longstanding gathering ranks among the leading international academic events worldwide. It plays a crucial role in ensuring that the results of archaeological excavations, survey and archaeometric studies conducted in Türkiye are consistently shared with the academic community each year.
In this context, the papers presented at the symposium were published and distributed free of charge by the Ministry until 2019. Since 2023, they have been made publicly accessible via our official website.
