The mission of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI), www.dainst.org, is to conduct and facilitate research worldwide in the archaeological sciences and classical studies. Through its projects the DAI creates an important
foundation for dialogue between cultures, for international scientific collaboration and for the preservation of cultural heritage. The DAI is active on 5 continents in over 350 projects. The projects range from the sanctuary of Olympia, the pyramids of Dashur in Egypt, the imperial palaces on the Palatine in Rome and the 12,000-year-old cult site of Göbekli Tepe in Turkey to the oases of the Arabian Peninsula. In addition, ancient cultures are being investigated in the Andes of Peru, in the western desert of China, on the Solomon Islands in the West Pacific and Easter Island. The DAI, with its Head Office in Berlin, consists of 3 commissions, 7 departments, 4 branches and numerous research facilities in Germany and abroad, making it the biggest research institution of its kind in Germany and one of the biggest in the world. Thanks to its global network the DAI is an important instrument of German foreign cultural and educational policy and international scientific policy. As an important partner in cultural diplomacy, the German Archaeological Institute is a federal agency operating within the sphere of responsibility of the Federal Ministry of Foreign affairs.