Institute of Archeology and Ethnology of Polish Academy of Sciences

Over the course of 70 years of activity, the scope of research has been significantly expanded. Archaeological studies, carried out in several regional centers, cover the period from the beginnings of human civilization to modern times, with particular emphasis on the formation of prehistoric societies and medieval culture. Excavations are conducted by the Institute’s staff not only in Poland and Central Europe, but also in nearly 30 Mediterranean countries, Africa, and Asia.

The Center for Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology conducts research on migration, refugee adaptation, mechanisms of constructing otherness, religion, urban anthropology, physical culture, memory, and humor. Researchers also focus on the relational aspects of socio-cultural reality, including from a posthumanist perspective.

The Center for Material Culture History is one of the few teams in the world with such a scientific profile. The aim of the research conducted here is to study the living conditions of various social groups, standards of existence and levels of wealth, phenomena of innovation and modernization against the backdrop of socio-cultural changes, as well as the reconstruction of the natural environment and its transformations.