It is the main institution with the academy that conducts research in the field of studying archaeology and the ancient history of Ukraine.

The institute is part of the department of history, philosophy and law of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

The institute's headquarters is located in Obolonskyi District, Kyiv, near the Dnieper embankment.

In 2014 the institute was accounted for 133 researchers among which academician Petro Tolochko, corresponding members of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Serhiy Kryzhytskyi, Oleksandr Motsya, Hlib Ivakin, Viktor Chabai and 16 more scientists with a degree of doctor of sciences.

[1] The Ukrainian activist Dmytro Tymchuk noted that archaeologists who illegally conduct excavations are being tracked and will be charged with it eventually.