Asuman Alpagut

Biography

Asuman is an Anthropologist and Museum Researcher at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations  in Turkey where she has worked since 2000. Asuman’s primary role is to carry out an anthropological analysis and create reports on any skeletons that arrive from anthropological excavations. She is also responsible for the inventory, security, data and identification of the Paleolithic, Neolithic and Chalcolithic Age collections in storage. Asuman’s role also sees her create museum education projects aimed at school groups and she often acts as a duty officer where she is responsible for the opening and closing of museum and hosting governmental visits.

Asuman is currently working on preparations for the exhibition titled Pigment, Colours and Ideas with Bilkent University. The paintings and ceramic works of nearly 20 contemporary artists with the themes of pigment and colour will be exhibited in the Çatalhöyük section of the museum which is famous for its murals. For the past year, she has been working on the preparation of a symposium and book on Ankara and archaeology within the scope of the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Republic of Turkey. She is also working on the renewal of her museum’s guidebook, providing updated photographs and information for visitors.

In 2021, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the museum, Asuman was among the editors of a two-volume book titled Centennial Plane Tree Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. The book contains 67 articles on museum studies in Anatolia from the Paleolithic Age to the Ottoman Period, written by 96 academics and museum professionals who are experts on the subject.

Asuman has written a total of 15 articles on museum education and anthropology of which two have been shared internationally. Asuman also has a master’s degree in Paleoanthropology and Social Environmental Sciences. She has attended a number of seminars and courses on museum education, is a member of ICOM, and sits on the board of the Association of Ankara Turkey Museums.

Asuman believes museums are the most important places where academic knowledge meets visitors. It is the memory machine through which society sees itself and establishes a connection between the past and the future. However, she dreams of a sustainable museum in the future where humanity is at peace with nature and itself, and of a museum that includes all humanity and evokes a sense of belonging.

At the British Museum
During her time on the International Training Programme Asuman was based in the Department of Greece and Rome and she spent her partner placement at National Museums Northern Ireland.

In 2019 participants were asked to plan and propose a temporary exhibition around an object from the Museum’s collection working within the theme of journeys.  Asuman worked with Ye Ye (China) on her Object in focus project. Their exhibition proposal was titled The Journey of the Zande Pot.

Asuman’s place on the International Training Programme was generously supported by the de Laszlo Foundation.

ITP Newsletter Publications
ITP Newsletter Issue 7 (2020) Continue to Learn Museum: Educational activities with new creations at the Anatolian Civilizations Museum