معرفی
Heiki Valk is Professor of Archaeology at the University of Tartu's Institute of History and Archaeology, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, where he has held various positions since 1993. He currently leads the Archaeology Centre for Research and Infrastructure and maintains affiliations with several research networks including COMFORT and SEADDA. His administrative roles include editorship of Tutulus archaeological journal and leadership of the Seto Institute council.
Valk's research focuses on:
- Rural archaeology of Medieval and Post-medieval Estonia
- Burial customs and cemetery studies (13th-18th centuries)
- Cultural connections between archaeology, folklore and ethnology
- Setomaa cultural heritage conservation
- Estonian hill forts and ethnic history
- Integration of archaeological and genetic research
Recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate strong focus on:
- Medieval Livonian society and religious life
- Archaeometric analysis of historical remains
- Fortification and conflict archaeology
- Sacred landscapes and folk traditions
- Cross-disciplinary approaches integrating archaeology with written sources
Significant honors include:
- Estonian State Award for Research (2017)
- Order of the White Star V Class (2001)
- Two Estonian History Writing Prizes (2015, 2013)
- National Heritage Board Best Research Award (2021)
- Kultuurkapital Award for heritage tourism research (2022)
He oversees archaeological infrastructure development, manages university collections and databases, and coordinates international fieldwork. His laboratory leads material analysis and maintains Estonia's archaeological information database established in 1999.
