HAES brings together archaeologists, universities, government institutions, nonprofit organizations, technical specialists, and industry partners to help make advanced technologies and expertise available to research and cultural-heritage projects.

Our philosophy is simple:

Technology should serve the research. Collaboration makes that technology accessible.The Hellenic Exploration Society is partnered with Ilios Remote Sensing, LLC and Norsk Remote Sensing, LLC to its support of science, archaeology, research, and education through the digitization of terrestrial sites and artifacts.

The HAES, Ilios, and Norsk are working together to provide digitization services via laser scanning, virtual tours, and photogammetry to institutions in Greece and in the northwest region of the United States.

Our Mission

Supporting Discovery, Research, Preservation, and Education

Modern technologies are transforming the ways archaeological and cultural-heritage sites can be discovered, documented, studied, preserved, and shared with the public.

Three-dimensional laser scanning, photogrammetry, remotely operated vehicles, sonar, digital imaging, virtual tours, and other remote-sensing technologies can provide researchers with capabilities that were unavailable only a generation ago.

Yet acquiring specialized equipment is only part of the challenge. Effective use also requires technical expertise, field experience, data processing, and collaboration between the people who understand the technology and the researchers who understand the archaeological questions.

HAES exists to help bridge that gap.

We seek opportunities where technology, equipment, technical expertise, and financial support can make a meaningful contribution to archaeological research, cultural-heritage preservation, education, and public engagement.

Archaeologists Lead the Archaeology

Technology Provides Additional Tools

HAES does not seek to replace archaeologists, universities, archaeological authorities, museums, or other institutions responsible for cultural-heritage research.

We support them.

Archaeologists and researchers define the research objectives, determine appropriate methodologies, and interpret the results. HAES and its technical partners can contribute equipment, specialized expertise, data acquisition, processing, documentation, logistics, funding, and other resources where they can strengthen that work.

This collaborative model allows specialized capabilities developed in industry to be placed in the hands of researchers who can put them to meaningful scientific use.

The researchers define the questions. We help provide additional tools for finding the answers.

From the Excavation to the Seafloor

Supporting Archaeology on Land and Underwater

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE AIGAI

HAES supports archaeological research in both terrestrial and underwater environments.

At the ancient city of Aigai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northern Greece, HAES and its technical partners support archaeological research conducted by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki through terrestrial laser scanning and three-dimensional documentation of an active excavation.

THE MENTOR SHIPWRECK EXCAVATION PROGRAMME

In underwater archaeology, members of HAES participated in the 2023 Mentor Shipwreck Excavation Programme conducted by Greece's Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities. HAES also financed and produced a documentary about the expedition and archaeological investigation of the wreck.

PROJECT eNiGMA

Through Project eNiGMA — Next Generation Maritime Archaeology, HAES is working with technical partners to explore how ROVs, underwater laser scanning, sonar, imaging, and other remote-sensing technologies can expand the capabilities available to underwater archaeologists.

These projects operate in very different environments, but they share the same principle:

Use appropriate technology to help researchers document more, understand more, and disturb less.

Get Involved

Help Us Support Archaeology & Cultural Heritage

HAES welcomes collaboration with universities, archaeological authorities, museums, nonprofit organizations, researchers, engineers, technology companies, equipment manufacturers, foundations, and individuals interested in supporting archaeological and cultural-heritage research.

Support can take many forms: technical expertise, equipment, research collaboration, logistical assistance, sponsorship, or financial contributions.

If you have technology or expertise that could help archaeologists better discover, document, study, or preserve cultural heritage, we would like to hear from you.