The Institute for Aegean Prehistory (INSTAP) INSTAP The Institute for Aegean Prehistory INSTAP was established as a nonprofit organization 501K in the United States in 1982. INSTAP supports research into the civilizations of the Aegean and related areas from the Paleolithic to the beginning of writing in Greek traditionally set at the first Olympiad in 776 BC. To that end INSTAP has awarded more than 4000 grants to individual scholars and organizations from more than 15 countries. INSTAP has funded excavation projects field surveys scientific analysis conservation of sites and materials study and research of archaeological artifacts and assemblages publication and the INSTAP Study Center for East Crete and promotes technological advances in the field including in such areas as petrography paleobotany GPR and GPS C14 analysis DNA analysis and dendrochronology.