Nationality Greek Fields Physicist Residence Greece | Role Physics researcher Name Ioannis Liritzis | |
 | ||
Born November 2, 1953 (age 70)
Delphi, Greece ( 1953-11-02 ) Institutions University of the Aegean Alma mater University of Patras
University of Edinburgh Known for Natural science, archaeometry Notable awards Prize of Academy of Athens Books Luminescence Dating in Archaeology, Anthropology, and Geoarchaeology: An Overview Education University of Edinburgh, University of Patras | ||
Ioannis Liritzis (Greek: Ιωάννης Λυριντζής; born 2 November 1953) is professor of physics in archaeology (archaeometry) and his field of specialization is the application of natural sciences to archaeology and cultural heritage. He studied physics at the University of Patras and continued at the University of Edinburgh, where he obtained his Ph.D. in 1980. Since then, he undertook postgraduate work at the University of Oxford, Université Bordeaux III, University of Edinburgh and the Academy of Athens.
Contents
Currently he is professor of archaeometry at the University of the Aegean and he directs the Laboratory of Archaeometry (founded by him at 1999)and Lab of Environmental Archaeology. Director and initiator of the Masters course Applied Archaeological Sciences. In the past he served as Head of the Department of Mediterranean Studies at the University of the Aegean, Member of the Senate of University of the Aegean and Member of the Executive Committee of National Recognition of Foreign Academic Diplomas. His prior career includes the Greek Ministry of Culture for 5 years (1984–1989) and the Academy of Athens for 10 years (1989–1999).
He has made major contributions to several interdisciplinary research fields (geophysics, astronomy, planetology, paleomagnetism, paleoclimatology) and his work has been published in scientific journals such as Nature journal.
Work
Liritzis is best known for the invention of two novel dating methods. Τhe method for surface luminescence dating (introduced at 1994) where Liritzis extended the principles behind optical dating and thermoluminescence dating to include surfaces last seen by the sun before buried, of carved rock types from ancient monuments and artifacts, made of granite, basalt and sandstone and the obsidian hydration dating (introduced at 2002). Obsidian hydration dating established a new approach based on the surface saturation layer and the SIMS profile of hydrogen (SIMS-SS method).
Significant contributions in archaeoastronomy are also worth mentioning.
Initiator of Delphi4Delphi International Project
He has written over 300 original papers in internationally cited journals and 9 books (4 in English).
Many Greek and international magazines and newspapers have referred to his work, as has the Discovery Channel.
Liritzis has been elected as Membre Correspondant de l' Académie des Sciences, Arts et Belles-Lettres de Dijon and Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts He was awarded the Prize of Academy of Athens for his Book Archaeometry: Dating Methods in Archaeology (1986). Recently he was awarded the "The Costa Navarino International Archeometry Award (2010) Issued by the University of Peloponesse. He is Visiting Distinguished Professor at Henan University (China) Visiting Scholar at the University of California San Diego.
Liritzis is an editorial member in twenty International ICI Journals and is Editor-in-Chief of two.
He is the initiator and coordinates the Aegean University Archaeological excavation project in Delphi.