An Italian archaeologist working in ancient Constantinople. Alessandra Ricci, undergraduate degree at La Sapienza University of Rome and PhD at Princeton, teaches at the Department of Archaeology and Art History at Koç University in Istanbul. Ricci has not only found fodder for her studies of late antiquity in the ancient capital of the Byzantine Empire. In 2005 she took part in the creation of the Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations, which she directed until 2009. In just a few years, the center has attracted scholars of the humanities from the entire world.
From Princeton to Istanbul. What opportunities does Turkey offer an Italian archaeologist who studied in the United States?
Turkey is a territory that has extraordinary possibilities for research. I came here because of my studies in Late Antiquity and the Byzantine period, as well as to apply the things I learned during my doctoral studies. Over recent decades, Turkey has managed to drastically overturn its image as a country to be conquered in archaeological studies. It has attracted culture, research and training in the humanities. In 2005 Koç University, which I later become associated with, offered me a chance to take part in the creation of Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations, aimed at attracting foreign researchers. It was the country’s first center founded by a local institution with the aim of promoting inter-disciplinary studies on all the historical periods existing in modern Turkey. It included a program of research grants, conference, workshops and university lessons for Turkish and non-Turkish scholars. The center became a catalyst for the humanities and today trains 24 researchers from all over the world.
What conditions allowed the creation of this center of excellence?
On one hand, the institutions and authorities were interested in facilitating investments in culture and research in the humanities. The Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations was started thanks to an endowment from a Turkish family interested in funding a specific field of research and training. This is a common practice in the U.S. and it would be nice to see it more often in Italy. On the other hand, I must say that at Koç University – just as I saw in Princeton – I found great opportunities to share experience with colleagues and to write proposals that were accepted. Thanks to this circulation of ideas, we were able to create a laboratory of science applied to archaeology. In four years, our department of Archaeology and History of Art became one of the best in Turkey. At Koç we can count on substantial European funding, even more than in Italy, in spite of the difficulties in accessing financing because Turkey is not part of the European union.
Can these experiences be replicated in Italy? How can we enhance the vast cultural heritage of our country?
Generally speaking, I believe that when Italians are given the chance to operate concretely, great results are obtainable. That should happen more often in Italy. Our country has not succeeded in adding value to our extraordinary heritage of knowledge. We have closed ourselves up in limited, predefined networks. We need to become accustomed to listening, to being more inclusive and less exclusive, to train and see training of our best as an opportunities to advance the common good that is research. In addition, we need to establish a platform of communication of our best to create interest and a sense of belonging to a dynamic community. It is no longer enough for a nation to “possess” incomparably museums and culture. We have to make is accessible, but also open it to research, to sharing of knowledge and training according contemporary standards.
What was the contribution to your training as an archaeologist in Italy?
I went to Princeton to get my PhD after my degree from La Sapienza University of Rome. In the United States I realized that I had a much better education in philosophy and the classics, even though I was unaccustomed to the group work and dialogue that academic life is based on. Above all, I was not educated to analytical and critical thought of university studies. However, I was certainly helped by the practical experience in Italy. I started by working as an archaeologist on the field at the age of 14 thanks to our country’s tradition and high standards of volunteer work. Those abilities, along with the Italian way of a concrete approach, a search for practical solutions to problems, were very useful.
