Prof. Dr. Şahin Yıldırım of the Faculty of Letters at Bartın University (BARÜ) has been elected to the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA), one of the world’s most prestigious and long-established archaeological institutions, becoming the sixth Turkish scholar to receive this distinction.
Prof. Dr. Yıldırım, a faculty member in the Department of Art History at BARÜ’s Faculty of Letters, had his membership approved at the AIA Council Meeting held in San Francisco. With a history spanning 147 years, the AIA has selected Prof. Dr. Yıldırım as only its sixth member from Türkiye. This achievement marks an important step in enhancing the international visibility of BARÜ’s archaeological excavation and restoration projects.
The Archaeological Institute of America, which publishes leading academic journals such as the American Journal of Archaeology and Archaeology Magazine, recognized Prof. Dr. Yıldırım for his significant scholarly contributions. At BARÜ, he conducts extensive research in the Black Sea and Thrace regions.
Among the works contributing to his election are new findings from the Colonial Period and Phrygian culture uncovered at the ancient city of Tios in the Black Sea region, where excavations are conducted under BARÜ’s leadership, as well as deep-sea ROW (Right of Way) surveys carried out in the northern Black Sea in cooperation with Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO). His portfolio also includes excavations on Roman legions and castra at the ancient city of Satala in the Eastern Black Sea region—where he served as head of excavations until 2024—as well as kurgan and tumulus excavations and surveys across Anatolia and Thrace.
The AIA’s “Responsible Members” are selected from among distinguished scholars residing outside the United States who have achieved international recognition in archaeology or related fields, including conservation, restoration, museology, and archaeological education.
Congratulating Prof. Dr. Şahin Yıldırım on his election, BARÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Akkaya stated that this membership represents a significant achievement for the university’s scholarly capacity and its international academic visibility.
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