Prospects for cooperation were discussed at a meeting with Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director of the Institute of Archaeology RAS Nikolay Makarov who visited the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research on 10 November.

The programme of the visit paid special attention to research conducted by specialists of the Neutron Activation Analysis Group (IREN facility) at the Laboratory of Neutron Physics JINR.

FLNP specialists use, in particular, the neutron activation analysis method to study objects of cultural heritage and archaeological findings from various countries, remains of medieval Russian nobility. The wide range of methods used by the Group includes also X-ray fluorescent spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, stratigraphy and optical microscopy, chemical microanalysis. Using these methods scientists study and contribute to the restoration of ancient fresco paintings of the Smolensk Cathedral of the Novodevichy Convent (Moscow) dated back to XVI century, as well as of the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Mirozhsky Monastery in Pskov and the St. George Cathedral of the Yuriev Monastery in Veliky Novgorod (both of XII century). Moreover, in cooperation with the RAS Institute of Archaeology, scientists study glass, clay, metals, and other materials found in Russia.

At the meeting of RAS Vice-President Nikolay Makarov with the Institute’s Director Grigory Trubnikov, the parties discussed the extension of the cooperation in the fields of interdisciplinary studies with the use of the JINR expertise, in particular, methods of magnetic resonance analysis. Participants of the event noted prospects for archaeological studies in the JINR Member States – Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan – with the use of the scientific infrastructure being developed there with the help of JINR. The parties highlighted that an opportunity to establish international scientific contacts with the JINR Member States is of interest. Its aim is to carry out a comparative analysis based on national archaeological databases. Participants also noted the potential of using computer capacities of the Joint Institute.

Moreover, JINR proposed to organize a series of lectures on history and archaeology for the Institute’s staff and students of the Physics and Mathematics Lyceum that had recently opened in Dubna. Grigory Trubnikov noted that JINR specialists could also give lectures on dark matter, the big bang theory, neutrinos, and many other physical topics.

Nikolay Makarov and Scientific Secretary of the RAS Institute of Archaeology Marina Vdovichenko visited the Laboratory of High Energy Physics where they had a tour of the construction site of the megascience project NICA and the factory of superconducting magnets. The guests visited the JINR interactive exhibition, as well as the arrow of the Volga and Dubna rivers where the Dubna settlement is located, also known as the Ratmino settlement, which is an archaeological monument of federal significance.

Photos by Igor Lapenko