BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Archaeological Institute of America - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.archaeological.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Archaeological Institute of America
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20250309T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20251102T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20260308T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20261101T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20270314T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20271107T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/Los_Angeles
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0800
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:PDT
DTSTART:20250309T100000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0800
TZNAME:PST
DTSTART:20251102T090000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0800
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:PDT
DTSTART:20260308T100000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0800
TZNAME:PST
DTSTART:20261101T090000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0800
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:PDT
DTSTART:20270314T100000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0800
TZNAME:PST
DTSTART:20271107T090000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/Chicago
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:CDT
DTSTART:20250309T080000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
TZNAME:CST
DTSTART:20251102T070000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:CDT
DTSTART:20260308T080000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
TZNAME:CST
DTSTART:20261101T070000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:CDT
DTSTART:20270314T080000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
TZNAME:CST
DTSTART:20271107T070000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:Europe/Istanbul
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0300
TZOFFSETTO:+0300
TZNAME:+03
DTSTART:20250101T000000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260507T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260507T130000
DTSTAMP:20260505T225219
CREATED:20260430T131909Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260430T131909Z
UID:10009063-1778157000-1778158800@www.archaeological.org
SUMMARY:New on View: Islamic Figural Sculpture—Forbidden or Not?
DESCRIPTION:Although human and animal imagery\, especially in sculptural form\, is considered forbidden in Islam\, many examples have appeared throughout history. This gallery talk will highlight works in glass\, ceramic\, and metalwork\, particularly those from Iran. The objects are part of Animal Power\, a yearlong installation in the galleries of Islamic and South Asian art. \nThis gallery talk is part of our New on View series\, highlighting recent gallery installations and presenting new insights into recent acquisitions or old favorites. \nLed by: Ayşin Yoltar-Yıldırım\, the Norma Jean Calderwood Curator of Islamic and Later Indian Art\, in the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art\, at the Harvard Art Museums. \nFree admission
URL:https://www.archaeological.org/event/new-on-view-islamic-figural-sculpture-forbidden-or-not/
LOCATION:Harvard Art Museums\, 32 Quincy Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Other Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.archaeological.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/FigureHawk_1947.31_CARP01461_PR.jpg
GEO:42.374219;-71.114198
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Harvard Art Museums 32 Quincy Street Cambridge MA 02138 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=32 Quincy Street:geo:-71.114198,42.374219
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260507T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260507T203000
DTSTAMP:20260505T225219
CREATED:20260114T155607Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260114T155607Z
UID:10008819-1778175000-1778185800@www.archaeological.org
SUMMARY:Film Screening: La Chimera
DESCRIPTION:Please join the local chapter of the AIA (Archaeological Institute of America) for a screening of the award-winning film\, La Chimera (2023). \nA masterpiece of magical realism\, this independent-film (written and directed by Alice Rohrwacher) will take us on a journey through multiple afterlives… the ancient erupting through the modern. The fable follows a rumpled English archaeologist named Arthur\, and his merry\, wayward crew of tombaroli — who survive by looting ancient-Etruscan tombs. Yet there are larger quests involved. They are at once mythic\, illusory\, and unobtainable\, and they bring into collision the worlds of antiquities-trafficking\, the priceless-priced\, and the search for lost love. \nThere will be an informal reception with popcorn\, cookies\, and non-alcoholic beverages at 5:30pm. The film will begin at 6pm and will be followed by another opportunity to mingle and converse. This event is free and open to the public. Brought to you by the Whitman College History Department.
URL:https://www.archaeological.org/event/film-screening-la-chimera/
LOCATION:Whitman College\, Kimball Theatre\, 324 Boyer Ave\, Walla Walla\, WA\, 99362\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.archaeological.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/LaChimera-copy.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Sarah Davies":MAILTO:daviessh@whitman.edu
GEO:46.0698923;-118.3305057
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Whitman College Kimball Theatre 324 Boyer Ave Walla Walla WA 99362 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=324 Boyer Ave:geo:-118.3305057,46.0698923
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260509T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260509T170000
DTSTAMP:20260505T225219
CREATED:20260309T164630Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260309T164630Z
UID:10009023-1778340600-1778346000@www.archaeological.org
SUMMARY:New Discoveries in the Anubis-Mountain Royal Necropolis at Abydos
DESCRIPTION:Saturday\, May 9\n3:30 pm EST\nIn-person only at the Penn Museum\, Anthro Classroom 345\nNo registration required \nSpeaker: Prof. Josef Wegner\, Curator Penn Museum. Professor of Egyptian Archaeology\, Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures\, University of Pennsylvania \nTitle: New Discoveries in the Anubis-Mountain Royal Necropolis at Abydos \nAbstract:\nThe most recent excavations of the University of Pennsylvania Museum at South Abydos have revealed new evidence for the long-term development of the royal necropolis anciently known as Anubis-Mountain. Initiated by King Senwosret III\, ca. 1850 BCE the site continued to develop over several centuries with additional tombs added by kings of the late Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period. Fourteen royal tombs have now been identified. The recent (January 2025) discovery of a large Second Intermediate Period royal tomb has added new evidence on this later group of kings that includes Woseribre Seneb-Kay whose tomb and burial was excavated in 2014. Expanding excavations in recent seasons have provided new insights into how\, and why\, the Anubis-Mountain necropolis continued to attract kings from ca. 1850-1600 BCE. \nOngoing excavations at South Abydos in the royal necropolis named Anubis-Mountain in ancient times are adding new insights into the development of this site. Tombs of fourteen kings are now known. The most recent discoveries include a new tomb\, the largest yet identified of the Second Intermediate Period. Other results are helping to explain how and why Anubis-Mountain became an important royal burial ground ca. 1850-1600 BCE. \nSpeaker Bio:\nJosef Wegner is Professor of Egyptian Archaeology\, and current Department Chair in the Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also Curator in the Egyptian Section of the Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. He received his PhD in 1996 on the topic of the development of the Osiris cult at Abydos. He has been excavating at Abydos since 1994 were he and his team have been documenting the ruins of the funerary complex of Pharaoh Senwosret III of Egypt’s 12th Dynasty. These excavations include the Middle Kingdom town of Wah-Sut as well as the royal cemetery named Anubis-Mountain. Discoveries at Anubis Mountain include the tomb of King Seneb-Kay\, as well as other tombs of rulers of the Abydos Dynasty. Dr. Wegner’s work has focused primarily on the archaeology of Egypt’s Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period. Dr. Wegner’s books include: The Mortuary Temple of Senwosret III at Abydos (2007); Archaism and Innovation\, Studies in the Culture of Middle Kingdom Egypt (2007); Akhenaten and Tutankhamun: Revolution and Restoration (2009); The Sphinx that Travelled to Philadelphia: the Story of the Colossal Sphinx of Ramses the Great in the Penn Museum (2015); The Sunshade Chapel of Princess Meritaten from the House of Waenre of Pharaoh Akhenaten (2016); King Seneb-Kay’s Tomb and the Necropolis of a Lost Dynasty at Abydos (2021). Together with Dr. Jennifer Wegner and other members of the Penn Museum’s Egyptian Section\, Dr. Wegner is co-curator of the soon to open (2026) reinstallation of the Museum’s Ancient Egypt and Nubia Galleries. \n******************\nLectures are FREE to ARCE Members\, $7 for University of Pennsylvania Museum Members and UPenn Staff and Faculty\, $5 for Students with ID\, and $10 for the general public.\nLight refreshments served starting at 3pm. \n******************\nThe American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) is a private\, nonprofit organization founded in 1948 by a consortium of educational and cultural institutions to support research on all aspects of Egyptian history and culture\, foster broader knowledge among the general public\, and strengthen American-Egyptian cultural ties. The ARCE Pennsylvania Chapter (ARCE-PA) is the local branch of the national institution. We host monthly events including scholarly lectures\, Egyptian-themed workshops\, social events\, and guided tours of the Penn Museum’s Egyptian galleries. For more information or to learn about the perks of membership\, please send an e-mail to info@arce-pa.org\, or visit our website at www.arce-pa.org.
URL:https://www.archaeological.org/event/new-discoveries-in-the-anubis-mountain-royal-necropolis-at-abydos/
LOCATION:Penn Museum\, 3260 South Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Lecture
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.archaeological.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2025-excavations.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="JJ Shirley":MAILTO:vp@arce-pa.org
GEO:39.949402;-75.191601
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Penn Museum 3260 South Street Philadelphia PA 19104 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=3260 South Street:geo:-75.191601,39.949402
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260510T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260510T150000
DTSTAMP:20260505T225219
CREATED:20260406T153601Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260406T153601Z
UID:10009047-1778421600-1778425200@www.archaeological.org
SUMMARY:Book Talk with Mary Beard
DESCRIPTION:Parthenon Symposium: Book Talk with Mary Beard Author of Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old\nSunday May 10\, 2:00 PM Central\, at the Paschall Theater \nAIA-Nashville Society and the Parthenon are proud to partner with Montgomery Bell Academy to welcome Mary Beard to the “Athens of the South”! Join distinguished classicist Mary Beard for a talk on her most recent exploration of the relevance of the ancient world in our contemporary lives. RSVP required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-talk-with-mary-beard-tickets-1984904305209?aff=oddtdtcreator \nIn her newest book\, Mary Beard explores our ongoing fascination with the ancient Greek and Roman worlds\, starting with a personal\, childhood encounter with a very old piece of bread on display in a museum. From this\, she introduces the idea of the wonder\, or “thauma\,” that drew her into a lifetime of trying to understand everyday lives in the remote past. She confronts the uses and abuses of symbols from the ancient world\, reminding us that although the ancient world is often politicized\, it does not belong to partisans. She argues that the classics remain relevant because they teach us to debate complex and difficult topics. She welcomes everyone into classics\, bringing curiosity and wonder to the study of the past. \nTalk is free and open to the public with an RSVP. Copies of Mary Beard’s new book Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old will be available onsite for purchase through Parnassus Books while supplies last. There will be a signing line following the talk where books can be signed and/or personalized. \nRSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-talk-with-mary-beard-tickets-1984904305209?aff=oddtdtcreator \nAbout the speaker: \nMary Beard is a distinguished classicist\, bestselling author\, and popular commentator\, known for her pioneering scholarship and for her witty approach to making antiquity accessible. She is a professor emerita of classics at the University of Cambridge\, a fellow of Newnham College\, and professor of Ancient Literature at the Royal Academy\, with many additional international academic distinctions. She has served as the classics editor of the Times Literary Supplement. Her books include The Parthenon\, one of the most readable accounts of the thousands of years of use and re-use of the ancient Greek building. Among many other wide-ranging works\, she is the author of SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome; Women and Power: A Manifesto; and How Do We Look: the Body\, the Divine\, and the Question of Civilization. \nAbout the book: Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old by Mary Beard\nWhy the ongoing fascination with the ancient world? This witty\, approachable book asks why—for better or (sometimes) worse—antiquity continues to exert such a powerful hold on the contemporary imagination. Recalling a formative childhood encounter with a four-thousand-year-old piece of bread in a museum\, Beard introduces the idea of thauma\, or wonder\, that kick-started a lifetime engaging with classics. It was not the canonical “greats” of ancient literature and art that initially drew her in\, she confesses\, but rather the more intimate\, messy\, and humdrum evidence of daily life in the remote past. \nConfronting the uses and abuses of symbols of the ancient world\, Beard reminds us that the traditions and “masterpieces” of Greece and Rome have certainly been politicized\, but they belong to neither the left nor the right. Happily\, no one owns the past. She warns us not to let a sense of reverence or overfamiliarity dampen the “shock of the old\,” arguing that one of the most important things that classics teach us is how to grapple with complicated and controversial things. “The Greeks and Romans are long dead\, they cannot answer back\, and you can say what you like about them\,” she reminds readers. “The simple fact that classics belong to none of us can offer a safe space to argue about the most difficult debates we face now.” \nBeard welcomes everyone into classics. “It is not compulsory to be excited by the ancient world\,” she writes. “But it can be a shame not to be.” This charming\, sharp\, and readable book from one of the world’s most entertaining classicists offers something for both new and established fans of classics\, bringing new wonder and curiosity to even the most ancient of ideas.
URL:https://www.archaeological.org/event/book-talk-with-mary-beard/
LOCATION:Paschall Theater @ Montgomery Bell Academy 4001 Harding PikeNashville\, TN\, 37205United States\, Paschall Theater\, Montgomery Bell Academy\, 4001 Harding Pike\, Nashville\, TN\, 37205\, United States
CATEGORIES:Lecture,Other Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.archaeological.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/talking-classics.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Katie Petrole":MAILTO:katherine.petrole@nashville.gov
GEO:36.1285315;-86.8364663
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Paschall Theater @ Montgomery Bell Academy 4001 Harding PikeNashville TN 37205United States Paschall Theater Montgomery Bell Academy 4001 Harding Pike Nashville TN 37205 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=Paschall Theater\, Montgomery Bell Academy\, 4001 Harding Pike:geo:-86.8364663,36.1285315
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260510T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260510T160000
DTSTAMP:20260505T225219
CREATED:20260424T155556Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260424T155556Z
UID:10009060-1778425200-1778428800@www.archaeological.org
SUMMARY:Egyptian Gardens and Greek Grids: The Middle Kingdom Funerary Garden at Dra Abu el-Naga\, the Stele of Moskhion\, and Greek Stoikhedon
DESCRIPTION:The American Research Center in Egypt\, Northern California chapter\, invites you to attend a lecture by Dr. Patricia Butz\, UC Riverside: \n“Egyptian Gardens and Greek Grids: The Middle Kingdom Funerary Garden at Dra Abu el-Naga\, the Stele of Moskhion\, and Greek Stoikhedon” \nSunday\, May 10\, 3 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time\nLive Oak Community Center (New venue!)\n1301 Shattuck Ave.\, Berkeley\nThis is an in-person lecture\, not virtual. The lecture will not be recorded. \nAbout the Lecture: \nDr. Butz explores her research on a remarkable cross-cultural connection between Egypt and Greece in their use of grids and gridded texts. The word stoikhedon in Greek is used to describe the layout of alphabetic inscriptions in a grid formation from the late 6th century BCE onward. Dr. Butz argues that the phenomenon is attested to by Greeks\, not because of a static crossing of horizontal and vertical lines but because of their understanding and incorporation of the dynamic inherent in Egypt’s own use of grids\, specifically for garden planning and water distribution. Tomb paintings beginning in the Old Kingdom have long depicted gridded gardens\, but the spectacular archaeological discovery in 2017 by Dr. José Galán and his Spanish mission (Scribe 6\, Fall 2020) of a gridded funerary garden at Luxor dating to the Middle Kingdom has supplied the on-ground evidence. Dr. Butz shows how modules (stoikoi) were used in Egyptian agriculture\, matching the only literary attestation for stoikhedon ever found — on the bilingual (demotic and Greek) magical Stele of Moschion\, where the movement of letterforms on magical grids acts like water passing through these squares. \nAbout the Speaker: \nPatricia A. Butz (pronounced “Boots”) specializes in research addressing the Greek presence in Egypt and the Egyptian presence in Greece. Her attention to the paleography and layout of ancient inscriptions is longstanding\, especially on the Greek stoikhedon style and its origins. She is the author of The Hekatompedon Inscription at Athens and the Birth of the Stoikhedon Style (Leiden: E. J. Brill\, 2010) and many articles on the subject of visual literacy in antiquity\, including\, “Dialogue at Edfu? The Dedications of Lichas\, Son of Pyrrhus\, and the Concept of Egyptian Double Composition” in the Proceedings of the Twelfth International Congress of Egyptologists (2023) and “The Memorial of Metrodoros: Greek Stoichedon from North Africa” in Abgadiyat\, the Journal of the Center of Writings and Scripts at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (2013). She received her PhD. from the University of Southern California in Ancient Art History\, where she also completed the master’s program in Museum Studies/Art History. She is affiliated with the University of California\, Riverside\, and is teaching courses\, including Egyptian Art History\, at California State Polytechnic University\, Pomona. \n——————— \nLive Oak location and parking: \nThis month\, we’re meeting in the Fireside Room of the city’s Live Oak Community Center in north Berkeley. It’s in Live Oak Park\, less than half a mile from the northern edge of campus. Parking is mainly on neighboring streets: Shattuck\, Berryman\, Milvia\, etc. If you need disabled parking\, please arrive early as spots are few. \nUseful links: \nLive Oak Community Center – https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/parks-recreation/facilities/live-oak-community-center\nGoogle map of vicinity – https://www.google.com/maps/@37.8838014\,-122.2742405\,16z?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDQxMy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D \nAbout Northern California ARCE: \nFor more information\, please visit https://www.youtube.com/@NorthernCaliforniaARCE\, https://www.facebook.com/NorthernCaliforniaARCE\, https://arce-nc.org\, https://bsky.app/profile/khentiamentiu.bsky.social\, and https://khentiamentiu.org. To join the chapter or renew your membership\, please go to https://arce.org/membership/ and select “Berkeley\, CA” as your chapter when you sign up.
URL:https://www.archaeological.org/event/egyptian-gardens-and-greek-grids-the-middle-kingdom-funerary-garden-at-dra-abu-el-naga-the-stele-of-moskhion-and-greek-stoikhedon/
LOCATION:MA
CATEGORIES:Lecture
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.archaeological.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GardensGrids.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Glenn Meyer":MAILTO:arcencZoom@gmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260520
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260521
DTSTAMP:20260505T225219
CREATED:20251210T161424Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251210T161424Z
UID:10008795-1779235200-1779321599@www.archaeological.org
SUMMARY:Online conference on worked shells in the ancient world. Material\, use\, typology\, chronology and contexts in honour of Jean-Paul Descœudres\, University of Sydney
DESCRIPTION:Dear Colleagues\, \nWe are glad to inform you that an international e-conference on worked shells in the ancient world (material\, use\, typology\, chronology and context) will take place on May 20\, 2026 on Zoom.us. This forthcoming online meeting will be an archaeomalacological workshop in honour of Jean-Paul Descœudres from the Universities of Geneva and Sydney. Papers are invited to present evidence of human collection and modification of shells from all over the ancient world (especially the Mediterranean) and over a large chronological range (from Prehistory to Antiquity with a focus on the Roman world). We are interested in worked shells rather than those used as food or as environmental indicators. Our subject groups are as follows: Phylum Mollusca\, mollusc shells\, mother-of-pearl\, purple-dye production\, archaeomalacology\, archaeozoology\, archaeological raw materials\, archaeological artefacts\, archaeological small finds\, archaeological science\, conservation of archaeological shells\, physical anthropology\, osteoarchaeology\, bioarchaeology\, palaeohistology\, ancient history\, history of art and cultural anthropology etc.\nAn abstract of the proposed contribution should be sent to the organizers by February 1\, 2026 at the latest. The Proceedings of the conference will be published in a forthcoming issue of the journal “Mediterranean Achaeology”\, cf. .\nAncient worked shells were found in relatively large quantities in the entire Mediterranean\, from Spain to Syria and Egypt to France\, where they were manufactured between the Neolithic and Medieval periods. However\, the spectrum of the worked shells recovered from Anatolia\, the Near East\, the Black Sea area and the Balkans is very varied\, and reflects different characteristics of ancient daily life. In this conference papers dealing with ancient artefacts or objects manufactured from shells or mother of pearl will be included. The main material groups made by shells are as follows: items connected to personal grooming\, artefacts used for spinning or in pottery decoration\, artefacts related to cosmetics\, jewellery\, combs\, pins for clothing and women’s hair\, items related to dressmaking and textile (particularly sewing needles\, weaving implements or buttons)\, amulets and other magical items\, knife handles\, frames of various kinds (e.g.\, of mirrors)\, furniture (including fittings\, wood sidings and inlayed decoration)\, boxes\, plaques\, liturgical and religious items (e.g.\, crosses and reliquaries)\, half-finished products and miscellanea.\nSo far the study of this material group has been overlooked\, whereas there is still a huge amount of unpublished material from excavations\, field surveys and museums in the entire ancient world. There is a regular conference series of the ICAZ Archaeomalacology Working Group (AMWG; cf. ) which includes almost all periods and areas. In our e-meeting in 2026 we attempt to set out a comprehensive model for the study of worked shells\, including their definition\, typology\, chronology\, contexts\, function\, regional characteristics\, production and distribution patterns in the ancient world\, and more particularly in the Mediterranean\, the Near East\, the Black Sea area and the Balkans. The increasing number of recent finds in these areas over the last thirty years\, thanks to the development of preventive archaeology\, has tended to challenge our previous observations and assumptions on worked shells.\nIt is also our intention to create a complete bibliography of previous publications on worked shells for several areas and chronologies.\nWe warmly invite contributions by scholars and graduate students from a variety of disciplines related to this material group. Intended to bring together scholars of instrumenta archaeology to discuss a range of issues concerning this material group’s characteristics\, this video conference should be an excellent opportunity to increase our knowledge about ancient worked shells. The following theme groups relate to the main questions the conference aims to address: \n– Worked shells\, Phylum Mollusca\, mollusc shells\, mother-of-pearl and material related to purple-dye production from archaeological field projects\, museums and private collections\, for example\, Tridacnae shells that are occasionally encountered in the literature as objects found in the Mediterranean and Near East\, i.e.\, large shells\, decorated with carvings and/or traces of paint\,\n– Graeco-Roman worked shells in comparison with the worked shells of the Palaeolithic\, Mesolithic\, Neolithic periods\, Bronze and Iron Ages\,\n– Graeco-Roman worked shells in comparison with the Minoan and Mycenaean worked shells\,\n– Etymology of worked shells in ancient Near Eastern\, eastern Mediterranean and Aegean languages\,\n– Ancient Greek\, Latin and Byzantine textual sources on worked shells\,\n– Shell depictions on ancient Greek and Roman visual sources (for example on frescoes)\,\n– Typological evolution and design of worked shells\,\n– Selection criteria for some certain animal genres for shell-working\,\n– Decoration of worked shells\, as detailed chronologies should be established for both the produced forms and their decoration\,\n– Chronologies of these objects that can highlight the social spread of these products\,\n– Manufacturing techniques\, manufacturing tools\, major production centres and workshops of worked shells\, their organisation and interactions.\n– Distribution of worked shells\, economic and social aspects: in what type of socio-economic context are they found?\,\n– Typological and functional features of worked shells: what might the utilitarian\, social and/or symbolic functions or practices of these objects have been?\n– Identification of the economic factors that contributed to the standardization in the shell-working\,\n– Commodities and their trade through worked shells\,\n– Relations of worked shells to other bone\, metal\, terracotta\, glass\, wooden or stone objects: how did this material group fit in with objects made from different materials\, particularly metal\, glass\, or wood? Can any stylistic links be found between them?\n– Conservation of worked shells\, especially excavated finds: current strategies and future approaches\,\n– Archaeometric analyses of these objects\,\n– Miscellanea. \nA special focus of the conference is the identification of workshops from different regions\, cities and areas\, in particular capital cities (such as Byzantium\, Ephesus\, Pergamum\, Antioch-on-the-Orontes\, Alexandria\, Athens\, Rome etc.).\nAnother important topic is the manufacturing techniques which were varied and depended on the composition and morphology of each raw material type as much as on the artefact to be produced. Regardless of the raw material\, the manufacturing process of an ancient shell object was usually multi-stage: \n1. Selection and acquisition of the raw material;\n2. Preparation of the raw material\, including cleaning\, drying and cutting into pieces;\n3. The appropriate working processes using instruments like knives\, chisels\, files\, lathes and bow-drills;\n4. Finishing the worked objects by grinding\, polishing and colouring. \nThe finds suggest that manufacturing techniques were related to organized production where the different manufacturing stages were standardized and predefined\, which can be identified as a chaîne opératoire. Particular attention should be paid to these technical aspects\, which are the integral parts of the uniqueness of most of the ancient worked shells.\nWe also need to look at the distribution of these objects on a local\, regional\, and even supra-regional scale\, and trade networks. Some have crossed overseas; how can these exchanges be explained?\nOur conference is primarily virtual\, and will take place on Zoom; but if any participant wishes to come to Izmir\, she/he is welcome to present her/his paper in our conference room to the audience which will also be livestreamed and broadcast simultaneously on Zoom.\nAll the readings and discussions in our e-conference will be in English\, and recorded for later viewing as a podcast on YouTube. The proceedings of the conference will be published in a forthcoming issue of “Mediterranean Achaeology”. The conference is free of charge.\nWe would be delighted\, if you could consider contributing to our conference and contact us with the registration form below until February 1\, 2026. Our e-mail address is paphlagonia@deu.edu.tr\nFor all your queries concerning the conference our phone and WhatsApp number is +90.544.540 78 34. The organizers seek to widen participation at this conference\, and would like to encourage colleagues from all parts of the world to attend. We kindly request that you alert any interested researches\, colleagues and students within your research community who would be interested in participating at this e-conference\, either by forwarding our first circular and poster through your Academia\, Researchgate\, Instagram\, X\, YouTube\, Facebook accounts\, or other similar social media\, or by printing them and displaying in your institutions.\nWe hope that you will be able to join us on Zoom\, and look forward to seeing you!
URL:https://www.archaeological.org/event/online-conference-on-worked-shells-in-the-ancient-world-material-use-typology-chronology-and-contexts-in-honour-of-jean-paul-descoeudres-university-of-sydney/
LOCATION:Izmir\, Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi\, Edebiyat Fakültesi\, Izmir\, Buca\, 35160\, Turkey
CATEGORIES:Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.archaeological.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The-worked-shells-e-conference-Poster.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Erg%C3%BCn LAFLI":MAILTO:paphlagonia@deu.edu.tr
GEO:38.3671783;27.2025061
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Izmir Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Izmir Buca 35160 Turkey;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi\, Edebiyat Fakültesi:geo:27.2025061,38.3671783
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260521T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260521T140000
DTSTAMP:20260505T225219
CREATED:20260430T132428Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260430T133442Z
UID:10009062-1779368400-1779372000@www.archaeological.org
SUMMARY:Exhibition Tour: Celtic Art Across the Ages
DESCRIPTION:Join Harvard professor Paul Russell for a discussion about Celtic languages and writing in this tour of the exhibition “Celtic Art Across the Ages.” Focusing on inscriptions and manuscripts\, Russell will delve into scripts\, language\, writing\, and surviving texts. \nLed by: Paul Russell\, Margaret Brooks Robinson Professor of Celtic Languages and Literatures\, Department of Celtic Languages and Literatures\, Harvard University \nIn “Celtic Art Across the Ages” (March 6–August 2\, 2026)\, discover the many forms of Celtic creativity and their artistic legacies in this sweeping story that spans ancient to modern times. \nFree admission.
URL:https://www.archaeological.org/event/exhibition-tour-celtic-art-across-the-ages/
LOCATION:Harvard Art Museums\, 32 Quincy Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Other Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.archaeological.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/BlicklingPsalter_MLM205832_143965v_0011_hpr.jpg
GEO:42.374219;-71.114198
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Harvard Art Museums 32 Quincy Street Cambridge MA 02138 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=32 Quincy Street:geo:-71.114198,42.374219
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260523T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260523T133000
DTSTAMP:20260505T225219
CREATED:20260410T153339Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260410T223003Z
UID:10009050-1779537600-1779543000@www.archaeological.org
SUMMARY:Why Has African Archeology Been Ignored
DESCRIPTION:Deepening our understanding of African heritage often starts in spaces that celebrate our history\, but while museums house these stories\, it is archaeology that unearths them. \nWhile the world is well-acquainted with the architectural wonders of the Mediterranean and the Near East\, the vast archaeological landscape of the African continent has often remained on the periphery of global conversation. This session is designed to explore the structural\, logistical\, and historical reasons behind this gap in our shared human story. \nFrom the complexities of preserving heritage in diverse climates to the economic challenges of long-term excavation\, we will look at the practical hurdles that have shaped the field of African archaeology\, highlight the groundbreaking work currently being done to bring these ignored narratives back into the global spotlight\, and explore opportunities for youth in Africa to participate in fieldwork across the continent and build careers in heritage preservation\, culture advocacy\, and archaeology. \nJoin us this May and connect with a continental and international community of storytellers\, historians\, archaeologists\, culture advocates and heritage enthusiasts working to ensure Archaeology in Africa takes center stage in global discourse. \nWhat to Expect: \n1. The Logistical Landscape: An overview of the unique challenges of archaeological research on the continent. \n2. Beyond the Surface: A look at sophisticated ancient African innovations in metallurgy\, urban planning\, and trade. \n3. The Tech Revolution: How new technologies like satellite imaging and 3D mapping are revealing sites that were previously inaccessible. \n4. Future Directions: A discussion on the importance of diversifying the global archaeological record for a more complete understanding of history.
URL:https://www.archaeological.org/event/why-has-african-archeology-been-ignored/
LOCATION:MA
CATEGORIES:Conference,Lecture
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.archaeological.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/ANN-MAY-EVENT-Why-has-african-archeology-been-ignored.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="African Narrative Network":MAILTO:abraham@africannarrativenetwork.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260528T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260528T113000
DTSTAMP:20260505T225219
CREATED:20260422T142426Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260422T142426Z
UID:10009059-1779966000-1779967800@www.archaeological.org
SUMMARY:Archaeological Field Sampling and Material Selection for Radiocarbon Dating
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a complimentary webinar on best practices for archaeological field sampling and material selection for radiocarbon dating. Designed for archaeologists\, geoarchaeologists\, and heritage professionals\, this session will provide practical guidance on selecting the right samples in the field to build robust site chronologies\, avoid common pitfalls\, and improve the reliability of dating results. \nWhat you’ll learn:\n– Radiocarbon dating in the archaeological context\n– Building a robust site chronology: multiple samples\, replication\, and stratigraphic logic\n– Best practices for sample selection & Field sampling strategy: charcoal\, bone\, seeds\, carbonates\, sediments\, and mixed materials\n– Key assumptions & challenges: old wood effect\, reworking\, intrusive material\, reservoir effects\, and preservation biases.\n– Case studies\n– Sample submission
URL:https://www.archaeological.org/event/archaeological-field-sampling-and-material-selection-for-radiocarbon-dating/
LOCATION:Zoom\, Virtual\, FL\, 33155\, United States
CATEGORIES:Other Event,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.archaeological.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SGS-Beta-logo.png
ORGANIZER;CN="SGS Beta":MAILTO:lab@radiocarbon.com
GEO:35.5174913;-86.5804473
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260530T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260530T150000
DTSTAMP:20260505T225219
CREATED:20251124T164704Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T204119Z
UID:10008773-1780149600-1780153200@www.archaeological.org
SUMMARY:Walter Farmer collection and Akenaton
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Jack Green (Associate Director of Collections and Curatorial Affairs\, Washington and Lee University) will present a lecture entitled “Tell es-Sa’idiyeah Cemetery (Jordan) and its connections to ancient Egypt and Persia.” A reception and chance to talk with the speaker will be held afterwards.
URL:https://www.archaeological.org/event/walter-farmer-collection-and-akenaton/
LOCATION:MA
CATEGORIES:Lecture
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.archaeological.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Green.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR