Archaeological Institute of America

Archaeology to the Rescue: Recent Work at the Mycenaean Cemetery of Aidonia
2021-11-12 17:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York)
Dr. Lynne Kvapil (Butler University) will speak on “Archaeology to the Rescue: Recent Work at the Mycenaean Cemetery of Aidonia.”

Zoom Meeting ID: 988 2555 4469
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Tracing the Origins of Art in Africa
2021-11-13 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago)
Zoom lecture by Dr. Michael Chazan (University of Toronto)
Joukowsky Lecture

Zoom Details
The waiting room opens at 12:45pm CST, and the live lecture will begin at 1:00pm CST.
Click below to join the meeting. Or, join through Zoom with the following login:
Meeting ID: 361 501 0853
Password: [REDACTED]
If you do not already have Zoom installed on your computer, you will be prompted to do so.

Sardis: Recent Discoveries from the Bronze Age until the End of Antiquity
2021-11-14 15:00 - 16:30 (America/Chicago)
Dr. Nicholas A. Cahill, UW-Madison
The Archaeological Exploration of Sardis expedition has
carried out large-scale, scientific excavations at the site in western Turkey since 1958. Over these 5+ decades, archaeologists have documented the emergence and development of Sardis, the capitol of the Lydian Empire of the 6th and 7th centuries BCE, and one of the great cities of the ancient world. Utilizing spectacular aerial imagery, Dr. Cahill, Director of the Sardis Expedition since 2008, will discuss the geography, history, and challenges of excavating such a large
and complex site and will provide a backdrop for understanding recent discoveries and research. The speaker will address current archaeological questions including: Who were the Lydians? What does the early development of the city look like? What cultural transformations are evident when the native capitol becomes a Greek polis? What can the collapse of Sardis tell us about the “End of Antiquity” in the 7th c AD? On-going site conservation efforts will also be featured.

Female Benefactors in the Roman Empire (Dr. Rachel Meyers)
2021-11-15 17:30 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | CA, United States
The Iowa Society of the Archaeological Institute of America presents: “Female Benefactors in the Roman Empire” by Dr. Rachel Meyers (Iowa State University)
Evidence for the Roman practice of public generosity comes from ancient texts, inscriptions, and archaeological remains. This philanthropic activity, including endowments, bequests, construction projects, and entertainment, was a common way for the wealthy to show off their resources, promote their family’s standing, and position themselves for public office. Until recently, however, most female benefactors were pushed to the margins of scholarly inquiry or omitted entirely. While Roman women could not hold civic offices or military commands, they could acquire substantial wealth and engage in public life through priesthoods and public benefaction. This presentation features a large corpus of inscriptions from the Roman West that gives evidence for the numerous ways in which women used their financial resources for civic munificence. The data reveal geographical and chronological differences that help us gain a new understanding of women’s autonomy in the Roman Empire.
This is a virtual talk only. Please register ahead of time by clicking the button below.

Cultural Resource Management (CRM) Today
2021-11-16 19:30 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Davidson College, 315 North Main Street, Semans Auditorium, Belk Visual Arts Center, Davidson, NC, 28036, United States
Christy and Jim Pritchard, “Cultural Resource Management (CRM) Today”
THIS LECTURE IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE VACCINATED PUBLIC
MASKS ARE REQUIRED FOR ALL ATTENDEES
About the lecture:
Christy and Jim Pritchard have been leading cultural resources efforts across the US over the past 25+ years. They will discuss the legislative and operational framework for CRM today. The presentation will highlight collaborations between academic and consultant archaeologists and will discuss the many beneficial preservation impacts, both educational and social, of consulting archaeology in the US. Christy and Jim will present important projects and provide insights from the front line of American historic preservation.
About the speakers:
Christy Pritchard, RPA, is Operations Manager / Cultural Heritage Project Manager at Environmental Research Group, LLC. She earned her M.A.Sc.in Cultural Heritage Management with emphasis in Archaeology and Heritage Interpretation from the University of Canberra, Australia. She led the business and field operations for both federal and state contracts of the Kentucky offices for a southeastern cultural resources firm. When she joined Environmental Research Group, LLC, in 2015, she co-developed the cultural resources practice of ERG and now manages both cultural and environmental compliance services and training to agencies including Department of Defense (DoD), Multiple Districts of the United States Corps of Engineers (USACE), Veterans Affairs (VA), Army National Guard, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Jim Pritchard, RPA, is Operations Manager at Environmental Research Group, LLC. He earned his M.A.Sc. in Cultural Heritage Management with an emphasis in Archaeology from the University of Canberra, Australia. In 2007, he became a Vice President with one of the larger cultural resources firms in the Southeast and opened its Kentucky offices. Jim undertook strategic marketing for the firm and expanded its geographic and workload coverage across the Upland South, Ohio Valley, and Great Lakes region. Jim focused on the ongoing archaeological research and Section 106 compliance at Fort Knox, Kentucky, where he oversaw the investigation of tens of thousands of acres and the recording of hundreds of archaeological sites. Jim came to ERG in 2015 to build the cultural resources program nationwide.

Useful Objects: Nineteenth-Century Museums and American Culture (Free Virtual Event)
2021-11-17 16:30 - 17:45 (America/New_York)
Reed Gochberg, Assistant Director of Studies; Lecturer on History and Literature, Harvard University
In conversation with:
Brenda Tindal, Executive Director, Harvard Museums of Science & Culture
What can the history of museums tell us about their role in American culture today? What kinds of objects were considered worth collecting, and who decided their value? Join Reed Gochberg, author of Useful Objects: Museums, Science, and Literature in Nineteenth-Century America (Oxford University Press, September 2021) to learn about the early history of American museums, including Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology. In conversation with HMSC Executive Director Brenda Tindal, she will examine how writers and visitors reflected on a wide range of nineteenth-century collections—and how their ideas continue to inform ongoing debates about the challenges and possibilities museums face today.

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: Monumental Power, Politics and Pride
2021-11-18 17:00 (America/Denver) | WEBINAR (Edmonton 1), Edmonton, AB

Reconstructing Queen Amanishakheto’s Musical Instruments (Free Virtual Lecture)
2021-11-18 18:00 - 19:15 (America/New_York)
Susanne Gänsicke, Senior Conservator and ​​Head of Antiquities Conservation, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
Double reed pipes, known as auloi, were popular musical instruments in the ancient Mediterranean. In 1921, archaeologists exploring the necropolis of Meroë (northern Sudan)—as part of the Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition—found a large collection of auloi in the pyramid of Nubian Queen Amanishakheto. Susanne Gänsicke will discuss the discovery’s importance and what it reveals about the connections between Nubia and the Mediterranean world as well as the significance of far-reaching musical traditions. She will also share recent efforts to conserve and reconstruct these ancient musical instruments.
Presented by the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East and the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture

Pompeii on the Potomac
2021-11-18 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Vancouver) | Spokane, WA, 99201, United States
Constantino Brumidi’s Roman-Style Wall Paintings for the US Capitol
Dr. Elise Friedland (George Washington University, D.C.)
The US Capitol—America’s central federal building—echoes ancient Greece and Rome, not only in its architecture and architectural sculpture, but even in its decorative murals. This talk presents new research on the 1858 fresco cycle in the Senate wing’s Naval Affairs Committee meeting room, painted by Constantino Brumidi, the Italian-born artist, turned American citizen, who is most famous for his Apotheosis of George Washington in the Rotunda. Art historical and archival evidence demonstrate how Brumidi adapted Graeco-Roman motifs from a nineteenth-century publication of newly-discovered Pompeian frescoes to proclaim US naval power in the young nation’s main hall of government.

Çatalhöyük: The Bioarchaeology of an Early Farming Society in Transition (Clark Spencer Larsen)
2021-11-18 19:00 (America/New_York)
The Neolithic is a period of fundamental changes in living circumstances, much of which is tied to the shift from a lifeway based exclusively on hunting, gathering, and collecting wild plants and animals to one where domesticated plant and animals form a significant portion of the diet. For Western Asia, the human remains of early farmers recovered from Çatalhöyük (7100-5950 BC) in south-central Turkey provide a highly contextualized setting for addressing key issues relating to living circumstances, conditions in a proto-urban setting, and the context in general for much of the world we live in today.
Register by clicking the button below.

“Masada: From Jewish Revolt to Modern Myth”
2021-11-18 19:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | Monmouth College, IL, 61462, United States
Sienkewicz Lecture on Roman Archaeology
Jodi Magness, Kenan Distinguished Professor for Teaching Excellence in Early Judaism, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (magness@email.unc.edu)
In the first century B.C.E., Herod the Great, who ruled Judea as client king on behalf of Rome, built a fortified palace atop the mountain of Masada overlooking the Dead Sea. Seventy years after Herod’s death, the First Jewish Revolt against Rome broke out and Jewish rebels occupied Masada. According to the ancient historian Flavius Josephus, at the end of the revolt the Romans besieged the mountain and the Jewish rebels committed mass suicide. In this slide-illustrated lecture, we survey the history and archaeology of Masada, including the results of excavations in the Roman siege works which Magness co-directed in 1995. We conclude by considering the current debates surrounding Josephus’s mass suicide story.
Thursday, November 18, 2021, 7:30 pm, Pattee Auditorium, Room 100 Center for Science and Business (CSB), Monmouth College, Monmouth, IL 6142
Plans are to zoom this lecture live. Watch this space for further information.

“The shipwreck in a diamond mine”: Identifying Elephant Herds from the ivory cargo in the 16th century
2021-11-21 14:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Rye Free Reading Room, 1061 Boston Post Road, Rye, New York, 10580, United States
Whilst mining for diamonds in 2008, mine workers in Oranjemund, Namibia found over 40 tons of cargo from a shipwreck buried under the sand for centuries. The ship is likely the Portuguese vessel Bom Jesus, which wrecked off the coast of Namibia in 1533 AD, and the artefacts found reveal aspects of European trade and contact with the western African coast in the early 16th century. The wreck was excavated as a rescue operation, and diamond mining continues along this stretch of the Namibian coastline. Among gold and silver coins, copper ingots, and navigational equipment, 100 complete tusks of elephant ivory were excavated and are currently being curated in the mine.
In order to build a research and heritage project on the wreck, together with colleagues from the USA, South Africa, and Namibia, we started a program of biomolecular analyses on the 100 elephant tusks. We used a combination of ancient DNA and stable isotope analyses (δ13C and δ15N) to source the ivory to African habitats. Our results show that the shipwreck ivory comes from 17 different elephant herds of African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) which lived in mixed savanna habitats in inland western Africa. Our study shows that a combination of techniques can be employed to determine the provenance of shipwreck cargo, to compare the genetic characteristics of ancient and modern wildlife populations, and to highlight the connectivity of African exchange networks with maritime trade routes. We hope that these data will aid in the exhibition of the shipwreck and artefacts in the National Museum of Namibia, as well as showcase the outstanding potential of research on these materials.
Ashley Coutu is a Research Fellow and Deputy Head of Research at the Pitt Rivers Museum. She is an archaeologist with interests and training across fields such as historical and medieval archaeology, African archaeology, isotope ecology, zooarchaeology and historical ecology. Over the last decade, she has researched African exchange networks from the last 2,000 years, focusing on ivory as a material. She is also interested in the use of scientific techniques to understand how past people utilised ivory, and to explore its trade, use, and value over time in different cultures.
She received a BA from Boston College, USA in 2005, then moved to the UK to complete an MPhil in World Archaeology from the University of Cambridge in 2007. From 2007-2011, she completed her PhD as a Marie Curie Early Career Researcher on the EU-funded Historical Ecologies of East African Landscapes project at the University of York. Her PhD used a combination of archival, archaeological, and biomolecular data to understand the impacts of the 19th century ivory trade on elephants, humans, and landscapes along caravan routes in East Africa. In 2012, she moved to Denmark as a postdoctoral researcher on the Entrepôt project and from 2013-2017 was based at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, holding a Claude Leon fellowship and then a Marie Curie International fellowship. The two fellowships centred on a project to map African ivory trade networks from the last 2,000 years by analysing ivory working materials, ivory objects, and other small finds from archaeological sites across southern Africa. After moving back to the UK in 2017, Ashley spent time as a Visiting Research fellow at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts at the University of East Anglia and then took up a post as a Lecturer in Archaeology at Newcastle University before landing in Oxford in 2019.

Muchos Méxicos: Crossroads of the Americas exhibition opens to the public
2021-11-26 09:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
On Friday, November 26, the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture—the Harvard Museum of Natural History, the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East, and the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments—reopen to the public. See https://bit.ly/HMSCExhibitions for hours and reservations.
Muchos Méxicos explores Mexico’s rich history as a site of human innovation, creativity and cultural diversity. Featuring Mexican objects from the Peabody Museum collections, this bilingual exhibit tells the story of Mexico as a multicultural and geographic crossroads—one where the exchange of resources, products, and ideas among Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas before the Spanish invasion, and then with cultures around the globe—have all created a vibrant nation. See https://bit.ly/HMSCExhibitions for hours and reservations.
Muchos Méxicos explora la rica historia de México como un sitio de innovación humana, creatividad y diversidad cultural. Con objetos mexicanos de las colecciones del Museo Peabody, esta exposición bilingüe cuenta la historia de México como encrucijada multicultural y geográfica, donde el intercambio de recursos, productos e ideas entre los pueblos indígenas de toda América antes de la invasión española, y luego con culturas alrededor del mundo, han creado una nación vibrante.
Image credit: Peabody Museum Expedition, M. H. Saville and J. G. Owens, Directors 1891-1892 © President and Fellows of Harvard College, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, 92-49-20/C276

Mediterranean Marketplaces: Connecting the Ancient World exhibition opens to the public
2021-11-26 11:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East, 6 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
On Friday, November 26, the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture—the Harvard Museum of Natural History, the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East, and the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments—reopen to the public. See https://bit.ly/HMSCExhibitions for hours and reservations.
Much like today, ancient “consumers” were connected to distant markets. Both basic and precious goods from faraway lands “shipped” to royal palaces, elite estates—sometimes even rural households—and technological advances in craftsmanship and commerce transcended boundaries of language, religion, or culture to spread rapidly. Mediterranean Marketplaces explores how the movement of goods, peoples, and ideas around the ancient Mediterranean transformed the lives and livelihoods of people at all levels of society, driving innovations that had lasting impacts—even on the modern world. See https://bit.ly/HMSCExhibitions for hours and reservations.
Image credit: Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East 1902.16.3 © President and Fellows of Harvard College

Colonizing Provincial Egypt: Pyramids and the Early State presented by Professor Richard Bussmann, PhD, University of Cologne
2021-11-27 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Denver)
Abstract:
When we think of the pyramids of Egypt, we usually refer to the gigantic pyramids of Giza. These were statements of power in the early ancient Egyptian state. Yet, power does not become effective simply by building monuments. It rests on the ability of rulers to manipulate social relationships. In Egypt, the relationship between centre and the hinterland was key for governing the country. The early state struggled for over one thousand years, ca. 3000 to 2000 BC, with defining this relationship. One attempt to colonize the hinterland was by the crown to build small pyramids at provincial sites in order to impose royal authority locally. This lecture presents fresh archaeological fieldwork from one of the provincial pyramids. It discusses challenges archaic states were facing in early history and the ways people accommodated their lives within them.
Bio:
Richard Bussmann studied Egyptology, Assyriology and Theology at the Univeristy of Heidelberg, the Free University of Berlin, Humboldt University Berlin and Goettingen University. He received his PhD in Egyptology from the Free University of Berlin in 2007. His PhD thesis focused on the archaeology and history of local community shrines in the times of the pyramids. In 2010, he held a post-doctoral research fellowship of the Humboldt Foundation at Cambridge University. In the same year, he was appointed Lecturer, and in 2014 Senior Lecturer in Egyptology and Egyptian Archaeology at University College London. In 2016, he took up his current position as professor of Egyptology at the University of Cologne. Dr Bussmann combines archaeology and philology in his research. He is interested in the society and culture of provincial Egypt in the Old and Middle Kingdoms (ca. 2700 to 1700 BC), using theories from social anthropology, archaeology, and cultural history. He directs a project on the early inscriptions of ancient Egypt and is co-director of an archaeological fielwork project at Zawyet Sultan, in Middle Egypt. Dr Bussmann is currently finalising a book for Cambridge University Press, provisionally entitled “Egypt in the shadow of the pyramids: archaeology of society and culture, 2700-1700 BC”.

Cruising the Mekong RIver: Vietnam and Cambodia
2021-11-29
Explore the wonders of tropical Indochina on our luxurious tour of Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Mekong River. Begin with two nights in Ho Chi Minh City (still known by many as Saigon), a busy and dynamic metropolis that exudes energy and buzzes with activity. Then embark on a seven-night Mekong River cruise aboard the beautiful Mekong Princess, an exclusive riverboat with only 14 suites, elegant French colonial appointments, an ultra-shallow draft that allows us to access the nooks and crannies of the river, and all the modern comforts.
As you cruise from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap, visit magnificent Buddhist and Hindu temples, observe floating markets bursting with colorful produce, and delve into the everyday lives of those who call the Mekong River home. Enjoy an enriching series of presentations and discussions by the accompanying AIA lecturer and host. Conclude with two glorious days to explore Angkor’s world-famous Khmer temples, the largest religious monument in the world. Limited to 24 participants.

Mediterranean Marketplaces: Connecting the Ancient World Exhibition
2021-11-30 - 2022-05-15 | Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East, 6 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
Much like today, ancient “consumers” were connected to distant markets. Both basic and precious goods from faraway lands “shipped” to royal palaces, elite estates—sometimes even rural households—and technological advances in craftsmanship and commerce transcended boundaries of language, religion, or culture to spread rapidly. Mediterranean Marketplaces explores how the movement of goods, peoples, and ideas around the ancient Mediterranean transformed the lives and livelihoods of people at all levels of society, driving innovations that had lasting impacts—even on the modern world. See https://bit.ly/HMSCExhibitions for hours and reservations (reservations required).

Muchos Méxicos: Crossroads of the Americas Exhibition
2021-12-01 - 2022-05-15 | Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
Muchos Méxicos explores Mexico’s rich history as a site of human innovation, creativity and cultural diversity. Featuring Mexican objects from the Peabody Museum collections, this bilingual exhibit tells the story of Mexico as a multicultural and geographic crossroads—one where the exchange of resources, products, and ideas among Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas before the Spanish invasion, and then with cultures around the globe—have all created a vibrant nation. See https://bit.ly/HMSCExhibitions for hours and reservations.
Muchos Méxicos explora la rica historia de México como un sitio de innovación humana, creatividad y diversidad cultural. Con objetos mexicanos de las colecciones del Museo Peabody, esta exposición bilingüe cuenta la historia de México como encrucijada multicultural y geográfica, donde el intercambio de recursos, productos e ideas entre los pueblos indígenas de toda América antes de la invasión española, y luego con culturas alrededor del mundo, han creado una nación vibrante.
Image credit: Peabody Museum Expedition, M. H. Saville and J. G. Owens, Directors 1891-1892 © President and Fellows of Harvard College, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, 92-49-20/C276

Ancient Roads of the Chaco World: Monumentality, Religion, and Power
2021-12-01 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Denver) | CU Museum of Natural History, Broadway, Boulder, CO, 80309, United States
In this talk, Rob Weiner will discuss his recent fieldwork throughout the Chaco World, which combines LiDAR, drone aerial photography, and on-the-ground documentation to investigate the history, use, and meaning of monumental roads in Chacoan society. He will focus on new insights regarding the destinations of roads and ritual practices carried out on them, with particular attention to their role in perpetuating inequality. Insights from collaboration with the Navajo Nation and comparative examples of ritual pathways from throughout the ancient world offer new understandings of the role of linear earthwork features in the ancient Southwest.

Uncovering the Place of Uni: Archeological Excavations at the Ancient Etruscan Site of Poggio Colla in Italy
2021-12-02 17:00 (America/New_York) | WEBINAR (Montreal 1), Montreal, QC
Cinelli Lecture

New discovery of a Roman Legionary Base at Legio, Israel
2021-12-11 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Zoom lecture by Dr. Matthew J. Adams, director of the Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem.

Society Sunday: Disability and Infanticide in Ancient Greece
2022-01-02 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Ring in the new year as the AIA Societies Committee presents a virtual presentation and Q&A with Debby Sneed.
This presentation will also be available in American Sign Language. ASL interpretation will be provided by Trail Blazing Interpreters and we will also enable auto captioning on Zoom. Due to Zoom limitations on mobile devices and tablets, participants interested in accessing ASL interpretation should log in using the desktop version of Zoom.
Join Debby Sneed and take a deeper look at life in ancient Greece with a focus on disability and infanticide. Despite the widely embraced notion that ancient Spartans killed infants born with any kind of physical impairment, there is little literary, archaeological, or bioarchaeological evidence for this being regularly practiced. Debby will discuss how the archaeological record gives us a glimpse of the experiences of disabled members of ancient Greek society.
After the presentation there will be a 20 minute Q&A period, so bring your questions!

Debby Sneed is a Lecturer in the Department of Classics at California State University, Long Beach. She received her B.A. from the University of Wyoming, her M.A. from the University of Colorado, and her Ph.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles. Her research interests are disability, identity, and marginalization in ancient Greece, and the archaeology of ancient Greece. Her article “The Architecture of Access: Ramps at Ancient Greek Healing Sanctuaries” (Antiquity 94, 2020) was awarded the 2021 Ben Cullen Prize by the journal Antiquity for outstanding work in archaeology. She has an article on disability and infanticide published with Hesperia (90, 2021) and is currently working on her monograph, entitled Not Another Other: Physical Disability, Ableism, and Disablism in Ancient Greece.

Take some photo
2022-01-03 16:30 - 2022-01-04 17:00 (America/New_York)
Take some photos and upload them to meet our monthly thematic challenge

SASA Mini Reading Group: The Search for the Golden Fleece: Jason and the Argonauts
2022-01-04 14:00, 2022-01-11 14:00 (America/New_York)
Previous participation and previous knowledge not required.
In Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece is the fleece of the golden-woolled, winged ram, Chrysomallos, that rescued Phrixus and brought him to Colchis, where Phrixus then sacrificed it to Zeus. Phrixus gave the fleece to King Aeëtes who kept it in a sacred grove, whence Jason and the Argonauts stole it with the help of Aeëtes’ daughter. which was held in Colchis. The fleece is a symbol of authority and kingship. Join us to learn more about how Jason stole the Golden Fleece.
Tuesdays @ 2pm EST
Jan. 4th
Jan. 11th
Jan. 18th
Participants only need to register for each Reading Group once, you will receive links to our Live Syllabus where readings and discussions are posted in the confirmation email.
By RSVPing, you are agreeing that a recording of the event can be shared with others who RSVPed.

SASA Mini Reading Group: A Brief Introduction to Maya Hieroglyphic Writing
2022-01-05 15:00, 2022-01-12 15:00 (America/New_York)
Previous participation and previous knowledge not required.
Are you curious about how Maya hieroglyphs are read and what they say? Maya glyphs are one of the most visually interesting writing systems in the world, and are still being deciphered today. In this reading group, we will learn about the process of decipherment, how to read Maya glyphs, and where you can find more resources to continue learning!
Here is what you will be able to do at the end of the reading group:
Outline the decipherment of Maya hieroglyphic writing from the past through today
Demonstrate basic competency in Maya calendrics and numeric functions
Identify the most common Maya syllabograms and logograms
Interpret captions found in important Maya works of art
3-Week Text-In-Translation Reading Group
Wednesdays @ 3pm EST
Jan. 5th
Jan. 12th
Jan. 19th
Participants only need to register for each Reading Group once, you will receive links to our Live Syllabus where readings and discussions are posted in the confirmation email.
By RSVPing, you are agreeing that a recording of the event can be shared with others who RSVPed.

Jungle Kingdoms of the Ancient Maya
2022-01-08
This tropical adventure provides the best-paced itinerary available to thoroughly explore ancient Maya sites in the lush jungles of Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. Maya art and architecture will “come alive” as you encounter enormous stelae (carved monoliths), painted frescoes, stucco friezes, carved lintels, and huge temple-pyramids that soar above the rainforest. Explore, in-depth, the sites of Palenque, Bonampak, Yaxchilán, Tikal, Yaxhá, Copán, and Quiriguá (four are UNESCO World Heritage sites); with free time to go bird watching or simply relax, reflect, and enjoy our comfortable hotels and remote jungle lodges. Maximum of just 12 guests.

Redating the Iroquoian Histories through Archaeology
2022-01-09 14:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Rye Free Reading Room, 1061 Boston Post Road, Rye, New York, 10580, United States
Chronologies fundamentally underpin all other aspects of archaeological thought. When our timeframes shift, so to does the historical interpretive framework or scaffolding upon which we build our explanations for how past events unfolded. In this talk, I will briefly summarize work completed to date by the Dating Iroquoia project. Our aim has been to construct a more refined regional chronologies for select Northern Iroquoian sites and community relocation sequences through radiocarbon dating and Bayesian chronological modelling. Our focus is the ca. AD 1480-1610 period and the beginning of European contact. We use novel approaches for clarifying the calibration curve from the radiocarbon dates. The development of enhanced date estimates for specific sites in this period has allowed us to re-plot the date of events. The results have shifted our thinking about Northern Iroquois polity development and population movement. This includes rethinking the nature and timing of the historic enmity between the Huron-Wendat and Haudenosaunee nations and processes of population movement between ancestral Huron-Wendat communities in south-central Ontario.

Register for this event by clicking the button below.

SASA Mini Reading Group: Politics Past and Present: The (non)Differences
2022-01-10 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Previous participation and previous knowledge not required.
Reading will focus around the Historians Herodotus, Thucydides, Polybius, and Tacitus, with appearances from Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, and Seneca. Sessions will be structured roughly chronologically (5th century. Roman Republic, The Pricipate), examining change and continuity in political theory and analysis, considering the parallels with our own times.
Participants will receive an overview of the analytic approaches of ancient historians and political theorists to events and above all, the value of comparative study of the ancient world to illuminate just how relevant it really is for our lives, times, and therefore education.
3-Week Text-In-Translation Reading Group
Mondays @ 2pm EST
Jan. 10th
Jan. 17th
Jan. 24th
Participants only need to register for each Reading Group once, you will receive links to our Live Syllabus where readings and discussions are posted in the confirmation email.
By RSVPing, you are agreeing that a recording of the event can be shared with others who RSVPed.
