Nomads of the Desert and the Sea: Evidence from Prehistoric Burial Mounds in Qatar
2025-11-06 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Tory Breezeway-1, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Harald Ingholt Lecture in Middle Eastern Archaeology
Lecturer: Dr. Richard Fletcher
Abstract: Prehistoric burial cairns have been a subject of archaeological investigation in Qatar since national development began in the 1950s. The study of various aspects of the burial mounds has yielded substantial evidence, with over 2,000 burials identified. Recent survey projects estimate a density of up to 10 mounds per km2 for the peninsula as a whole. A Qatar Museums project, in collaboration with Sidra Medicine, is testing this estimate through remote sensing to map the burial cairns, using aerial photography, satellite imagery, and LiDAR, and ground truthing results through field survey. Results for an area of 30,000 km2 in northern Qatar indicate 10,782 burials, with a clear pattern of preference in the north-west opposite the island of Bahrain.T he results of the project support the hypothesis that nomads in the desert of northern Qatar were moving between Bahrain and Qatar, probably on a seasonal basis.

Landscapes of Time and Memory: Foragers in the Mojave Desert
2025-11-06 17:30 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | TBA (Lubbock), Lubbock, TX, United States
Martha Sharp Joukowsky Lectureship

New Approaches to Roman Urbanism: The Excavations of the Falerii Novi Project (Lazio, Italy)
2025-11-06 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Kelsey Museum, 434 State Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States

TBA (New Brunswick)
2025-11-07 17:00 - 18:30 (America/Halifax) | TBA (New Brunswick), Fredericton, New Brunswick
Time TBA

Urban Regeneration and Sustainability (URS) - 6th Edition
2025-11-11 09:00 - 2025-11-13 17:00 (America/New_York) | Italy, Rome, Italy, Rome, Italy, AK, 00123, India
The “Urban Regeneration and Sustainability” conference holds huge importance in today’s world. As cities face numerous challenges, such as quick urbanization, environmental degradation, and social inequality, it is crucial to address these issues through sustainable urban regeneration practices. That is why IEREK is hosting the sixth edition of the conference offering attendees a platform to learn, collaborate, highlight their projects, access resources, and enhance their reputation. By participating in this conference, attendees can gain valuable knowledge, make partnerships, and accelerate their efforts toward creating sustainable urban spaces.

The Shipwreck at Gnalić – Gagliana Grossa (1569-1583)
2025-11-11 18:30 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Math & Science Center, W201, 400 Dowman Dr NE, Atlanta, 30322, United States
The George F. Bass Lectures

AIA Archaeology Hour November 2025: The People's Arena
2025-11-12 20:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/1117571134992/WN_obR16xWNSO6l2B2JHgfShg
Join the AIA for a fascinating evening with Alison Futrell as she gives the International Archaeology Day month AIA Archaeology Hour talk “The People’s Arena.”
This presentation will be given at 8pm Eastern/7pm Central/6pm Mountain/5pm Pacific.

Register here!

The Shipwreck at Gnalić – Gagliana Grossa (1569-1583)
2025-11-13 16:00 - 18:30 (America/New_York) | Wellesley College, Founders Hall 120, 106 Central St, Wellesley, MA, 02481, United States

The Rape of the Sabines: Myth and History in the Urban Development of Republican Rome
2025-11-13 17:00 - 18:30 (America/New_York) | TBA (Hartford 1), Hartford, CT, United States
Martha Sharp Joukowsky Lectureship Time TBA

Ceramic Production and Community at Archaic and Classical Eleon in Central Greece
2025-11-13 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Jepson Hall, Room 109, 221 Richmond Way, Richmond, VA, 23173, United States
Joseph Veach Noble Lecture, by Dr. Janelle Sadarananda, Skidmore College

Professor Amy Gansell, "The Queens of Nimrud’s Northwest Palace: Beauty, Power, and Presence in the Neo-Assyrian World, c. 865–705 BCE"
2025-11-18 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | TX
Nearly three thousand years ago, at the ancient site of Nimrud (near modern Mosul, Iraq), a succession of ten Neo-Assyrian kings reigned in collaboration with their queens from the magnificence of the Northwest Palace, the seat of the empire and center of their world. Too often overshadowed by the well documented legacy of Neo-Assyrian kings, Professor Gansell will shed light on the queens who reigned with them. Piece by piece, and layer by layer, across about 150 years of evidence, Professor Gansell discovers the beauty, power, and presence of Nimrud’s Northwest Palace queens in life, death, and for eternity.

Life in a Garrison of the Imperial Frontieron the Lower Danube in the 6th and 11th centuries
2025-11-20 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | University of Florida, Library West, Room 212, 400 SW 13th Street, Gainesville, FL, 32601, United States
Capidava was a Roman and Byzantine fort on the Lower Danube. Although the object of extensive archaeological study, the living conditions of the soldiers stationed there in the 6th and the 11th century have never been examined in a detailed, comparative mode. In both centuries, the population inside the fort included both women and children, as indicated by jewelry and skeletal material in the cemetery. The most important provisions supplied by the state were olive oil and wine, both transported from afar in amphorae. There are also clear signs of self-sufficient behavior, particularly of stock breeding and hunting. Very few weapons have been found in Capidava. However, there are clear signs of religious activity and personal devotion.

10,000 years of Oaxaca Cuisines from Mesquite Pods to Mezcal
2026-01-20 17:00 - 18:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | TBA (Santa Fe), Santa Fe, NM, United States
Doris Z. Stone New World Archaeology Lectures Time TBA

TBA (North Alabama (Huntsville))
2026-01-20 17:00 - 18:30 (America/Chicago) | TBA (North Alabama (Huntsville)), Huntsville, AL, United States
Kershaw Lectures in Near East Archaeology Time TBA

Life, Death, and Disease: Insights form Petra’s Tombs and Cemeteries 2
2026-01-21 17:00 - 18:30 (America/Chicago) | TBA (Nashville), Nasvhille, TN

Seeing the Past Anew: The Digital Epigraphy and Archaeology’s Toolkit for Accessible 3D Heritage
2026-01-21 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | University of Florida, Library West, Room 212, 400 SW 13th Street, Gainesville, FL, 32601, United States
Lecturer: Dr. Eleni Bozia
Associate Professor, Department of Classics
Head of the Data-Driven Humanities Research Group
University of Florida
Archaeology, epigraphy, and heritage sites point to and recall the past, and reasonably so. People usually turn to them for Instagram photos or contemplate on them because they are told that “history may not repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” However, in reality, there is still a large disconnect between the past and the present, the value of one for the other, and overall, the purpose of sustaining, supporting, and engaging with these fields and their objects of interest. This talk will traverse the history of digital preservation and dissemination, and digital world heritage through the lens of the Digital Epigraphy and Archaeology project to emphasize that nothing is more urgent for the present than the past, and how technology and AI can bring archaeology and epigraphy to a new, more responsible ecosystem of valued knowledge. Ultimately, this talk advocates for a future in which the digital humanities not only preserve the traces of antiquity but also empower new ways of engaging with them, transforming the past into a living, collaborative resource for global society.

The Past Keeps Getting Bigger: Living with the Past in the Present and the Future at Tell Dhiban, Jordan
2026-01-22 16:00 - 17:00 (America/Edmonton) | Business Building 2-09, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
The AIA Helene J. Kantor Memorial Lecture (link: https://www.archaeological.org/endowment/the-helene-j-kantor-memorial-lecture/)
Professor Bruce Routledge (University of Liverpool)
Tell Dhiban is a large mound in central Jordan occupied since 3000 BCE. It is best known as the capital of the biblical kingdom of Moab and the site of a significant Nabataean temple. However, focusing on separate moments in time does not do justice to a site where the past has always formed the ground beneath one’s feet. This talk will consider how for 5,000 years inhabitants of Dhiban have lived with the past, including current residents for whom the past also plays a key role in their futures.

Into the Mani: Death, Burial, and Legend on the Southern Greek Mainland
2026-01-22 16:30 - 17:30 (America/New_York) | Remote (Pittsburgh), Pittsburgh, PA, United States
Charles Eliot Norton Memorial Lectureship
Register for Zoom: https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/6xRhkuW-ScGmMN4GpWaPKA

The (Beautiful) Men and Women of Jaina Figurines
2026-01-25 14:00 - 15:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Hybrid
Lifelike Maya figurines from the Island of Jaina have been collected for almost 200 years, with hundreds now known in collections around the world, from Berlin to Brooklyn, and Los Angeles to Mexico City. These figurines also present the largest corpus of female representations of the ancient Americas, comprising roughly one-third of all known examples. Many examples are rattles or whistles, and trace of brilliant pigments remain in place. In this talk, Mary Miller will look at their meaning and their making, all c 700-900 CE.

AIA Archaeology Hour January 2026: NAGPRA as a Path to Healing and Reciprocity
2026-01-28 20:00 (America/New_York) | TX
Join the AIA for the first AIA Archaeology Hour talk of the new year as new AIA President Brian I. Daniels hosts Danyelle Means for “NAGPRA as a Path to Healing and Reciprocity.”
This presentation will be given at 8pm Eastern/7pm Central/6pm Mountain/5pm Pacific.
Have you noticed empty exhibit cases at museums over the past two years as museums move to comply with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)?
Means’ presentation reframes NAGPRA not as a legal obligation but as a vital opportunity for healing, reciprocity, and relationship-building between archaeologists, museums, and Indigenous communities. Drawing from Indigenous perspectives, the talk explores how NAGPRA challenges institutions to move beyond compliance and toward practices rooted in respect, sovereignty, and shared stewardship. By centering Native voices and experiences, this session invites the audience to consider how honoring ancestors and returning cultural items can transform the field into one of accountability, trust, and long-term collaboration.
Register here!

Founding the City: Carved Orthostats and Architectural Experimentation in Anatolia
2026-02-03 18:30 - 19:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Reed College, Performing Arts Building (PAB) 320, 3017 SE Woodstock Blvd., Portland, OR, 97202, United States
Charles Eliot Norton Memorial Lectureship

"Late Victorian Race Science and its Legacies in Aegean Archaeology"
2026-02-06 17:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | Swallow Hall, Room 101, 507 South 9th Street, Columbia, MO, 65201, United States
Interested in receptions of antiquity, discoveries in prehistory, and ideas about race during the late 19th and early 20th centuries? The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA)’s Central Missouri Chapter as well as the Classics, Archaeology, and Religion (CAR) Department welcome Dr. Anne Duray for her lecture “Late Victorian Race Science and its Legacies in Aegean Archaeology” on Friday, February 6th, at 5:30 p.m. in Swallow Hall, Room 101.
There will be a reception beforehand at 5 p.m.

The Ecstasy and the Agony:Excavations at La Venta, Mexico, an Olmec Capital
2026-02-11 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | University of Florida, Smathers Library Room 100, 1508 Union Rd, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States
Lecturer: Dr. Susan Gillespie
Professor of Anthropology, University of Florida
In 1942 and 1943, excavations revealed fabulous buried deposits of jade and other precious items in a very unexpected place: La Venta on Mexico’s southern Gulf coast, an area of swamps and tropical forest. These finds produced an “ecstatic” reaction in the world of archaeology and shed light on the Olmecs, a mysterious early civilization in Mesoamerica (c. 1150-400 BC). Subsequent fieldwork in 1955 revealed even more astonishing discoveries: tons of jade and other greenstone objects recovered at an “agonizing” cost. The archaeologists encountered tremendous problems excavating La Venta. The site was already suffering damage by development, and subsequent looting destroyed much of what was left. The story of the ecstasy and agony of La Venta’s excavations is reconstructed through archival archaeology, analyzing the field records, maps, and photographs.

Josef Wegner - Digging into Egypt’s Late Middle Kingdom, Recent Discoveries at the Anubis-Mountain Royal Necropolis, Abydos
2026-02-11 17:30 - 18:30 (America/New_York) | Johns Hopkins University, Homewood campus Gilman Hall Room 50, Johns Hopkins University, Homewood campus, BALTIMORE, MD, 21206, United States
Wednesday Feb. 11, 5:30 – 6:30, Gilman Hall Room 50
Johns Hopkins University, Homewood campus
Dorothy Kent Hill Lecture
Josef Wegner, University of Pennsylvania
Digging into Egypt’s Late Middle Kingdom, Recent Discoveries at the Anubis-Mountain Royal Necropolis, Abydos

Soto’s Stuff: Spanish 16th Century Expeditions and What They Left Behind
2026-02-17 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | University of Florida, Smathers Library Room 100, 1508 Union Rd, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States
Lecturer: Dr. Charles Cobb
Lockwood Chair in Historical Archaeology at the Florida Museum of Natural History
2025 UF Research Foundation Professor
Over the last decade, research by a collaboration of archaeologists has made considerable strides toward identifying sites visited by Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto’s army in the American Southeast (A.D. 1539-1543). In addition to delineating the route traveled by Soto, our working group has now amassed a substantial sample of European metal objects recovered from Indigenous villages. This presentation provides new insights on the Soto route and on how the related artifacts shed light on patterns of discard, trade, and the ways in which Indigenous societies reshaped European material culture.

From Farmers to Kings: The Emergence of Social Hierarchy in Prehistoric Europe
2026-02-17 17:30 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College, 1 Quinlan St, Lynchburg, VA, 24503, United States
Lecture by William Parkinson; William (Bill) Parkinson is an archaeologist who specializes in European and Eastern Mediterranean Prehistory. His anthropological and archaeological research explores the social dynamics of early village societies and the emergence of early states. He has over 30 years of experience conducting archaeological fieldwork and developing museum exhibitions for the Field Museum.
The modern world is plagued with unprecedented levels of social, economic, and political inequalities. But these inequities did not happen overnight; in places like southeastern Europe they emerged over the course of thousands of years as the small egalitarian farming villages of the Neolithic gave way to some of the earliest hierarchical kingdoms in the Iron Age. This is the story that was told in the First Kings of Europe exhibition, an ambitious international collaboration between twenty-six museums in eleven countries in southeastern Europe. In this presentation, Bill Parkinson gives an overview of his archaeological research into the emergence of social hierarchy in the region, as well as an overview of the exhibition he co-curated with his long-time collaborator, Attila Gyucha.

Digging in Circles: Miami's Prehistoric Legacy
2026-02-21 15:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | Palm Beach Museum of Natural History, the Mall at Wellington Green, 10300 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington, FL, 33414, United States

The Origins of the Alphabet and How It Spread Across the World
2026-02-22 14:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Knight Auditorium, The Spurlock Museum(UIUC), 600 S.Gregory Street, Urbana, IL 61801, Illinois, 61801, United States
Public Lecture by Professor Wayne T. Pitard
Abstract:
Essentially all of the alphabetic scripts in the world descend from a single script invented probably during the 20th century BCE by a Canaanite in the southern Levant. This lecture will provide a tour of the extraordinary development of the alphabet from its beginnings to its eventual spread across the Mediterranean and the world. We will examine the script’s origin and how the signs were conceptualized by their creator(s). We will look at the alphabet’s extension, first across the eastern Mediterranean where it developed into the distinctive Ugaritic, Phoenician, Hebrew, and Aramaic scripts, and then moved southward into the Arabian Peninsula, where it evolved into the Arabic system. Then we will examine how the early alphabet, which only expressed consonants, was revolutionized by the Greeks, who began using some of the letters as vowels. We will follow the development of the Greek alphabet into both the Latin and the Cyrillic alphabets that exist throughout Europe and much of northern Asia. Finally, we will touch upon the spread of the Arabic alphabet across northern Africa and eastward into India, and the Latin alphabet’s movement to the Americas and parts of southern Africa during the European colonial period of the 15th-20th centuries. All of this has made the alphabetic writing system the most widespread method of writing in the world.

Bone by Bone: The Commingled Remains from the Tomb at Tell Abraq, UAE (2200-2000 BC)
2026-02-22 17:00 - 18:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Santa Rosa Junior College Campus, Petaluma, CA
Charles Eliot Norton Memorial Lectureship Time TBA

Petra's Forgotten Past
2026-02-24 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Vancouver) | Buchanan A202, Unversity of British Columbia, 1866 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1, Canada
