Research facilities
Laboratory for Material Science, Technology and Culture
- Application
- The Laboratory for Material Science, Technology and Culture (MATEC Laboratory) is a research and teaching facility dedicated to the scientific and cultural study of archaeological materials. We bring together a multidisciplinary team working at the intersection of materials science, archaeology, and the history of technology. Our approach integrates laboratory analysis with broader questions about human behaviour, craft traditions, and cultural interaction.
- Contact
- Dennis Braekmans
What we do
The laboratory investigates the production, use, and circulation of inorganic materials, including ceramics, metals, vitreous materials, mortars, pigments, and lithics. Central to our work is the relationship between raw material procurement, technological practice, and cultural context.
Key drivers for research include: how technologies emerge and evolve, how skills and knowledge are transmitted, and how communities adopt, adapt, or reject innovations. Through this, we contribute to a deeper understanding of technological change, connectivity, and cultural identity in the past.
How we do it
Our work combines laboratory-based scientific analysis with experimental and comparative approaches. Our laboratory offers experimental, microscope and high temperature facilities as well as mobile analytical techniques such as X-ray fluorescence (XRF), fiber optic reflectance spectroscopy (FORS), and Raman spectroscopy. The MATEC Lab collaborates with a wide network of academic institutions, museums, and heritage organizations, fostering interdisciplinary research across the humanities and natural sciences.
A strong experimental component allows us to reconstruct ancient production processes and test technological hypotheses against archaeological evidence. This integrated methodology enables us to move beyond description towards explanation.
The laboratory is also a training environment: we provide hands-on experience in analytical techniques and material characterization to BA and MA students, while fostering critical engagement with current theoretical approaches to material culture.
Outlook
MATEC Lab aims to further develop integrated, cross-disciplinary approaches to material studies, strengthening collaborations with scientific institutions, museums, and heritage professionals. By bridging analytical science and cultural interpretation, we seek to advance our understanding of ancient technology—not only as a set of practices, but as a dynamic component of human societies.