The Helen and Martin Kimmel Center for Archaeological Science was established in 1997.
It supports interdisciplinary investigations involving both on-site archaeological excavations and laboratory research. Scientists associated with the center are trained both in archaeology and in the natural sciences, a combination that gives them the tools to address historical, environmental, technological and cultural questions.
Director
Prof. Elisabetta Boaretto
Prof. Boaretto is a physicist who received her PhD from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in accelerator mass spectrometry applied to cosmogenic and environmental radioisotopes. During her post-doctoral fellowship at the Aarhus University in Denmark she became enthusiastic about radiocarbon applications in environmental science. At the Weizmann Institute she developed a new approach to radiocarbon dating in archaeology, which integrated field work and laboratory analysis for the timing of cultural and environmental changes. In 2013 Prof Boaretto established D-REAMS, the Dangoor Research Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Laboratory dedicated to radiocarbon research and supported by the Dangoor family. Prof Boaretto holds the Dangoor Professorial Chair of Archaeological Sciences at the Weizmann Institute. In 2010 she was awarded the National Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievements and is a Knight of the Italian Republic. In 2011, she was elected a fellow of the European Physical Society (Nuclear Physics Division) and received the IBA Europhysics Prize for Applied Nuclear Science and Nuclear Methods in Medicine.