Gods? Beasts? Warriors? Interpreting the Imagery of Celtic Coinages
2026-04-29 18:00 - 19:15 (America/New_York) | Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
Ilse and Leo Mildenberg Memorial Lecture:
Gods? Beasts? Warriors? Interpreting the Imagery of Celtic Coinages
Celtic coins present a remarkable world of varied, often fantastic images. The earliest coinages were generally close copies of Hellenistic coins from the Mediterranean world, but gradually they developed a distinct visual language. Elements of the original prototypes were adapted or became disjointed; because these were combined with new elements, the resulting designs can be difficult to understand today. Different regions also followed different iconographical traditions, leading to a wide variety of designs. In a later phase, the arrival of Rome on the political stage led to the re-appearance of coinages with a classical look, particularly in Britain.
In this lecture, David G. Wigg-Wolf, Honorary Professor of Leicester University, will trace the iconography of Celtic coins, from its origin to its later development, and will interpret their visual language and sociopolitical role.
David G. Wigg-Wolf was a senior researcher on the German Fundmünzen project in Frankfurt until 2009 and then a senior researcher at the Römisch-Germanische Kommission des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts until 2024. He now serves as honorary professor at Leicester University. His research interests include the production, circulation, and use of coinage in Western and Central Europe from the late pre-Roman Iron Age to the early medieval period, and digital numismatics.
To honor the memory of renowned numismatist and scholar Leo Mildenberg (1912–2001) and his years of friendship with Harvard University, a fund was established by his friends and colleagues and endowed in 2005 by his wife, Ilse Mildenberg-Seehausen.

New Insights into Changing Lifeways in Ancient Nubia
2026-04-30 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Phoenix) | Zoom, Virtual, FL, 33155, United States
Brenda J. Baker, PhD
Professor of Anthropology
Center for Bioarchaeological Research
School of Human Evolution and Social Change
“New Insights into Changing Lifeways in Ancient Nubia”
The Bioarchaeology of Nubia Expedition (BONE) focuses on the area between the Fourth and Fifth Cataracts of the Nile River in northern Sudan, enriching our understanding of the extent to which people peripheral to core areas where state-level societies operated were integrated. Interconnections are evident from the Kerma period (c. 2500-1500 BCE) on, incorporating exotic items such as carnelian and Red Sea mollusc shell beads and Egyptian vessels, though local craft production is evident. Analysis of strontium isotopes from tooth enamel shows a decrease in mobility throughout the Kerma period in this area, likely reflecting a shift in subsistence practices. Late Meroitic through Post-Meroitic period burials from the Qinifab School site cemetery (used c. 250-1450 CE) include extra-local items indicative of continuing access to far-flung exchange networks despite the construction of a network of stone-walled forts in the region and evidence of conflict commencing during this time. Inclusion of archery equipment in the graves of several males coincides with high rates of trauma reflecting interpersonal violence. These trends suggest that the disintegration of the Meroitic empire led to ongoing incursions and that control by the kingdom of Makuria and conversion of the local populace to Christianity was fraught. Avulsion of lower incisor teeth in nearly 10% of adult males and females became a new marker of identity in late Meroitic to medieval people of the region and new work reveals that tattoos were also far more common in ancient Nubia than previously recognized.
Biography
Brenda J. Baker is a professor of anthropology in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change, a core faculty member of the Center for Bioarchaeological Research and curator of the ancient Nubian collections housed at ASU. She directs the Bioarchaeology of Nubia Expedition (BONE) in northern Sudan and is the founding co-editor-in-chief of Bioarchaeology International (2015-present). Baker taught previously at Tufts University (1992) and Minnesota State University Moorhead (1993-94), and was director of the Repatriation Program and curator of Human Osteology at the New York State Museum from 1994-1998. She has served on the Executive Committee of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists (2012-2015), as an associate editor of the International Journal of Paleopathology (2010-2015) and Journal of Human Evolution (2020-present), and was a founding Steering Committee member of the Western Bioarchaeology Group (2012-2022). She is also a founding member of the American-Sudanese Archaeological Research Cener, serving on its advisory panel (2017-present). Baker’s teaching includes upper-division undergraduate courses such as the Global History of Health, Life and Death in Ancient Egypt, Bioarchaeology, undergraduate and graduate courses in human osteology, and graduate courses in Paleopathology, Children and Childhood in the Past, Nubian Bioarchaeology, and field methods.
Registration is required. Follow this link to register: https://asu.zoom.us/meeting/register/VrIBqv9sQ_CwgC39LZu8MQ#/registration

"Greek Caves: On Archaeology, Myths, Religions and Cultural Heritage Preservation"
2026-04-30 18:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Center for Hellenic Studies, 3100 Whitehaven St. NW, Washington, DC, 20008, United States
*REGISTRATION REQUIRED TO ATTEND IN PERSON: https://forms.gle/GAwxSNfiGqYTrEoK6
Washington DC Society of the AIA and the Center for Hellenic Studies present the 39th Richard Hubbard Howland Lecture by Dr. Stella Katsarou, Ephorate of Palaeoanthropology-Speleology, Greek Ministry of Culture

There Is More To Egypt than Tut: Challenges for Egyptology and Egyptologists
2026-05-02 10:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Rye Free Reading Room, 1061 Boston Post Road, Rye, New York, 10580, United States
The Archaeological Institute of America, Westchester Society, and the New York chapter of the American Research Center in Egypt are pleased to present to present the following free online symposium “There Is More To Egypt than Tut: Challenges for Egyptology and Egyptologists.”
Date: May 2, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM-1:00 PM ET.
The program is hosted by the Rye Free Reading Room. To register click here.
The purpose of the symposium is to do exactly what the title expresses. King Tutankhamun is the universal face of Egypt to the world. Egypt is blessed with an abundance of art, architecture, and writing. But there is more to the study of Egypt than material objects.
The speakers in this symposium will address issues in chronology based on the First Intermediate Period, the Hyksos based on the Second Intermediate Period, race and Nubia, women and the relation of Egyptology to other “ologies.”
There will be a ten minute break between the third and fourth speakers.
Periodization and the creation of a new Egyptian History
Thomas Schneider, Professor of Egyptology and Near Eastern Studies (on leave 2023-7),
University of British Columbia
The conventional periodization of ancient Egyptian history as a sequence of ‘kingdoms’ and ‘intermediate periods’ (and subperiods, such as “the Ramesside period”, dynasties) is a legacy of the 19th and early 20th c., partially informed by a chronological grid conveyed in Manetho’s Aigyptiaca. This conventional sequencing of history is perpetuated in all recent histories of ancient Egypt, whose narratives and summary chronological tables make something appear historical that is mere practical convention. Despite the fact that Egyptological scholarship has fundamentally changed our understanding of Egyptian history over the past 100 years, the field has never attempted any alternative historical periodization that assesses phenomena of historical (dis)continuity and cohesion based on current knowledge. This lecture will discuss the importance of periodization as a historiographical tool and chart a way forward towards a new periodization of Egyptian history.
Prior to coming to University of British Columbia in 2007, he taught at multiple institutions. From 2018-20, he was Associate Vice President (International) at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China. From 2016-7, he served in a part-time role as Advisor to the President at Quest University Canada. From 2014-8, he was a member of the UBC Senate and worked, among other projects, on a Responsible Conduct of Research Initiative by the Dean and Vice Provost, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. From 2021-2022, he was the founding Executive Director of the Pacific Alliance of Liberal Arts Colleges (PALAC). On January 1, 2023, he took up the position of Chief Executive of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (www.apru.org).
He is the founding editor of the “Journal of Egyptian History” (2008-2014) and was the editor of “Culture and History of the Ancient Near East” (Brill, 2006-2013) and “Near Eastern Archaeology” (American Schools of Oriental Research, 2012-2018).
There’s more to Egypt than Egyptians
Dani Candelora, College of Holy Cross
In Egyptology, the Hyksos are at best dismissed as an irrelevant blip in pharaonic power, and at worst vilified as the invading barbarians of Manetho’s narrative. Ongoing research, both reinvestigating well-known texts and uncovering new archaeological evidence, has shown that neither are accurate. Instead, the Hyksos were multicultural rulers with links to broader West Asian power networks, and their reigns influenced Egyptian culture in arenas from warfare to religion, technology to language. Despite being accepted as Egyptian kings by most Egyptians, and even respected by later Egyptian dynasties, the negative Theban political rhetoric has overwhelmingly colored the Hyksos’s treatment in the field. These kings are an important part of Egyptian history, and should be recognized for the legacy they left behind.
Danielle Candelora is the Assistant Professor of Classics and Egyptology at the College of Holy Cross. She received her B.A. from Brown University, her M.A. from the University of Chicago, Oriental Institute (now Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures), and her Ph.D. in Egyptian Archaeology from the University of Chicago, Oriental Institute (now Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures). Her dissertation was “Redefining the Hyksos: Immigration and Identity Negotiation in the Second Intermediate Period” and she has maintained that interest in her academic career. Her research and teaching interests are Immigration and Identity Negotiation, Egyptian/Near Eastern/Mediterranean Art, Architecture, Material Culture, and Archaeology, Interdisciplinary Theoretical Approaches to Identity, Border Construction and Maintenance, Strategic Use of Art and Architecture in Self Representation and Politics, Cross-Cultural Exchange of Artistic Motifs and Technological Transmission, Ancient Art and Archaeology in Museum Collections, Egyptian Intermediate Periods. She just published Immigration and Borders in Ancient Egypt. Elements in Ancient Egypt in Context, (Cambridge University Press) and is working on The Hyksos and Immigrant Communities in the Second Millennium BCE: Foreign Identities and Their Impact on Egypt.
True Colors: Racecraft in the Archaeology of Egypt and Sudan
Dr. Uroš Matić, University of Graz, Austria
This paper examines how ideas about “race” have shaped the study of ancient Egypt and Sudan from the nineteenth century to the present. Rather than treating race as a biological fact, it uses the concept of “racecraft” of Karen Fields and Barbara J. Fields to show how race developed as a changing set of assumptions and interpretations. Drawing on theories from the history and sociology of knowledge, especially the work of Ludwik Fleck, the study explores how racial thinking continued to influence archaeology even after it was officially rejected. Finally, the study reassesses changes in ancient Egyptian representations of Nubians. Earlier interpretations viewed the significant mid–Eighteenth Dynasty changes in Nubian iconography as artistic documentation of real physical features of newly encountered populations in Upper Nubia. In contrast, this paper demonstrates that these visual changes primarily reflect shifts in ancient Egyptian political and ideological strategies.I am an archaeologist and Egyptologist specialized in violence, ethnicity, gender and settlement archaeology of ancient Egypt.
He obtained my PhD at the Institute for Egyptology and Coptic studies of the University in Münster in 2017. His doctoral thesis deals with violent treatments of enemies and prisoners of war in New Kingdom Egypt. The thesis was marked with a double summa cum laude and rewarded with Philippika prize for 2018 of the German publishing house Harrassowitz. It was also awarded with the Best Publication Award of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in 2020.
From 2018 to 2019 he conducted Post Doc research at the Institute for Egyptology and Coptic studies of the University of Münster on cosmetic substances and utensils in Egyptian New Kingdom Nubia. During this research he was a guest scholar at the OREA-Institute for Oriental and European Archaeology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. This research was conducted within the German DAAD PRIME Post Doctoral program for 2018-2019.
He was a lecturer at the University of Münster (2016-2021), University of Vienna (2022), University of Innsbruck (2024-2025) and University of Graz (2022-present).
Women of a Fractured State: First Intermediate Period Women’s Agency and Visual Literacy
Sue Kelly, Czech Institute of Egyptology, Charles University, Prague.
The dissolution of Old Kingdom centralised authority catalysed a profound evolution in women’s visual literacy, unique in Egyptian history. While Memphite tradition governed female figures through rigid, passive constraints, the fracturing of state control during the First Intermediate Period allowed women’s iconography to deviate from established canons, reflecting a more expansive visual vocabulary.
This lecture examines the emergence of female agency through the deliberate manipulation of artistic codes. Rather than a byproduct of provincialism, this transition reflects a systematic shift in women’s funerary representation. Six iconographic transitions: the adoption of male-coded striding postures; the inclusion of authoritative attributes like the staff and ankh; the renegotiation of spatial positioning on monuments; the representation of expanding social categories; the integration of active gestures; and rare chromatic anomalies, such as using red skin to signify female vitality are examined.
Furthermore, these self-presentations provide textual records of women adopting both ‘ideal’ and ‘career’ biographies—the dual pillars of Egyptian self-thematisation. By adopting these new modes of representation, women challenged Old Kingdom decorum and asserted a sophisticated, distinct presence in the visual record. These are, fundamentally, ancient female voices articulating how they chose to be commemorated for eternity.
Sue Kelly is an Egyptologist and early-career researcher whose work sits at the intersection of social theory and the material record. Her research focuses on the ‘Social Power’ of ancient Egyptian women, across the dynasties one through to eleven., employing a data-driven approach to reconstruct the agency, influence, and contributions of women within the complex hierarchy of the Old Kingdom and the First Intermediate Period. Her overarching aim is to continue the longitudinal study to map developments, transitions, and changes across the four different political environments: state formation, maturation, collapse, and reunification.
Her book, Unveiling Female Social Power (c. 3080–2180 BCE), serves as a testament to this methodology. By conducting a statistical analysis of female titles, Dr. Kelly challenges long-standing narratives that have historically marginalized women’s roles in Egyptian statehood. Her work demonstrates that female agency was not a peripheral phenomenon but a vital, functioning component of the socio-political infrastructure, measurable through the distribution of titles and the management of elite resources.
Dr. Kelly earned her PhD in 2021 and completed her initial post-doctoral fellowship in 2023 at Macquarie University, Sydney. She is currently concluding a prestigious Marie Curie Actions Fellowship at the Czech Institute of Egyptology.
There’s nothing new about that! How Egyptology can offer fresh perspectives on contemporary scientific and societal challenges
Frederik Rogner, Vienna, Austria
At the dawn of Egyptology’s third century, Egyptologists have both successfully received and adapted approaches from other fields, and themselves developed hypotheses and methods which can be fruitfully applied to the study of diverse cultural phenomena, far beyond the boundaries of Egyptology and of ancient Egypt. At the same time, Egyptological outreach that is deliberately aimed at the wider academic community and tries to actively contribute to ongoing interdisciplinary discourses, remains rather low.
This paper addresses these issues, with a particular view to the scientific and societal relevance and potential of humanities at large. I will conclude by addressing two areas where insights from Egyptology can offer perspectives and strategies for better understanding (and, as a result, dealing with) seemingly ‘new’ challenges in contemporary society, namely AI driven image production and expressions of political power.
Frederik Rogner has obtained his BA in Ancient Civilizations and his MA in Egyptology and in Classical Archaeology from the University of Basel. In 2019 he completed his binational doctoral studies at the University of Basel and the École Pratique des Hautes Études – Université Paris Sciences et Lettres. His PhD thesis deals with issues of visual narrativity and pictorial storytelling and their application in the ancient Egyptian New Kingdom. He was a member of the Graduate school of Eikones, the Center for the Theory and History of the Image in Basel. Rogner’s research interests include multimodal synergies of pictures and writing in ancient Egypt, the semantics of form and layout in two- and three-dimensional space, and the use of images as communicative tools throughout human history. He has conducted several research projects at the Netherlands Institute for the Near East (Leiden) and at the University of Geneva. He currently holds a position in the Austrian federal administration.
Contact Information:
Dr. Peter Feinman
President
AIA Westchester Society
Vice President
ARCENY Society
President
Institute of History, Archaeology, and Education
feinmanp@ihare.org

There Is More to Egypt than Tut: Challenges for Egyptology and Egyptologists
2026-05-02 10:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | CA, United States
There Is More To Egypt than Tut: Challenges for Egyptology and Egyptologists
The Archaeological Institute of America, Westchester Society, and the New York chapter of the American Research Center in Egypt are pleased to present to present the following free online symposium “There Is More To Egypt than Tut: Challenges for Egyptology and Egyptologists.”
Date: May 2, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM-1:00 PM ET.
The program is hosted by the Rye Free Reading Room. To register click here.
The purpose of the symposium is to do exactly what the title expresses. King Tutankhamun is the universal face of Egypt to the world. Egypt is blessed with an abundance of art, architecture, and writing. But there is more to the study of Egypt than material objects.
The speakers in this symposium will address issues in chronology based on the First Intermediate Period, the Hyksos based on the Second Intermediate Period, race and Nubia, women and the relation of Egyptology to other “ologies.”
There will be a ten minute break between the third and fourth speakers.
Periodization and the creation of a new Egyptian History
Thomas Schneider, Professor of Egyptology and Near Eastern Studies (on leave 2023-7),
University of British Columbia
The conventional periodization of ancient Egyptian history as a sequence of ‘kingdoms’ and ‘intermediate periods’ (and subperiods, such as “the Ramesside period”, dynasties) is a legacy of the 19th and early 20th c., partially informed by a chronological grid conveyed in Manetho’s Aigyptiaca. This conventional sequencing of history is perpetuated in all recent histories of ancient Egypt, whose narratives and summary chronological tables make something appear historical that is mere practical convention. Despite the fact that Egyptological scholarship has fundamentally changed our understanding of Egyptian history over the past 100 years, the field has never attempted any alternative historical periodization that assesses phenomena of historical (dis)continuity and cohesion based on current knowledge. This lecture will discuss the importance of periodization as a historiographical tool and chart a way forward towards a new periodization of Egyptian history.
Prior to coming to University of British Columbia in 2007, he taught at multiple institutions. From 2018-20, he was Associate Vice President (International) at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China. From 2016-7, he served in a part-time role as Advisor to the President at Quest University Canada. From 2014-8, he was a member of the UBC Senate and worked, among other projects, on a Responsible Conduct of Research Initiative by the Dean and Vice Provost, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. From 2021-2022, he was the founding Executive Director of the Pacific Alliance of Liberal Arts Colleges (PALAC). On January 1, 2023, he took up the position of Chief Executive of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (www.apru.org).
He is the founding editor of the “Journal of Egyptian History” (2008-2014) and was the editor of “Culture and History of the Ancient Near East” (Brill, 2006-2013) and “Near Eastern Archaeology” (American Schools of Oriental Research, 2012-2018).
There’s more to Egypt than Egyptians
Dani Candelora, College of Holy Cross
In Egyptology, the Hyksos are at best dismissed as an irrelevant blip in pharaonic power, and at worst vilified as the invading barbarians of Manetho’s narrative. Ongoing research, both reinvestigating well-known texts and uncovering new archaeological evidence, has shown that neither are accurate. Instead, the Hyksos were multicultural rulers with links to broader West Asian power networks, and their reigns influenced Egyptian culture in arenas from warfare to religion, technology to language. Despite being accepted as Egyptian kings by most Egyptians, and even respected by later Egyptian dynasties, the negative Theban political rhetoric has overwhelmingly colored the Hyksos’s treatment in the field. These kings are an important part of Egyptian history, and should be recognized for the legacy they left behind.
Danielle Candelora is the Assistant Professor of Classics and Egyptology at the College of Holy Cross. She received her B.A. from Brown University, her M.A. from the University of Chicago, Oriental Institute (now Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures), and her Ph.D. in Egyptian Archaeology from the University of Chicago, Oriental Institute (now Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures). Her dissertation was “Redefining the Hyksos: Immigration and Identity Negotiation in the Second Intermediate Period” and she has maintained that interest in her academic career. Her research and teaching interests are Immigration and Identity Negotiation, Egyptian/Near Eastern/Mediterranean Art, Architecture, Material Culture, and Archaeology, Interdisciplinary Theoretical Approaches to Identity, Border Construction and Maintenance, Strategic Use of Art and Architecture in Self Representation and Politics, Cross-Cultural Exchange of Artistic Motifs and Technological Transmission, Ancient Art and Archaeology in Museum Collections, Egyptian Intermediate Periods. She just published Immigration and Borders in Ancient Egypt. Elements in Ancient Egypt in Context, (Cambridge University Press) and is working on The Hyksos and Immigrant Communities in the Second Millennium BCE: Foreign Identities and Their Impact on Egypt.
True Colors: Racecraft in the Archaeology of Egypt and Sudan
Dr. Uroš Matić, University of Graz, Austria
This paper examines how ideas about “race” have shaped the study of ancient Egypt and Sudan from the nineteenth century to the present. Rather than treating race as a biological fact, it uses the concept of “racecraft” of Karen Fields and Barbara J. Fields to show how race developed as a changing set of assumptions and interpretations. Drawing on theories from the history and sociology of knowledge, especially the work of Ludwik Fleck, the study explores how racial thinking continued to influence archaeology even after it was officially rejected. Finally, the study reassesses changes in ancient Egyptian representations of Nubians. Earlier interpretations viewed the significant mid–Eighteenth Dynasty changes in Nubian iconography as artistic documentation of real physical features of newly encountered populations in Upper Nubia. In contrast, this paper demonstrates that these visual changes primarily reflect shifts in ancient Egyptian political and ideological strategies.
Uroš Matić is a lecturer in Egyptology at the Department of Classics, University of Graz. He specializes in war in ancient Egypt, ancient Egyptian interrelations, and settlement and gender archaeologies. Matić obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Münster in 2017 and received two prizes: the Philippika Prize of Harrassowitz (2018) and the Best Publication Award of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (2020).
He held a P.R.I.M.E. fellowship from the German Academic Exchange Service (2018–2019) and grants from the Foundation for Postgraduates in Egyptology in Vienna (2016 and 2022). From 2019 to 2023, he worked as a researcher at the Austrian Archaeological Institute and in 2025 as a senior fellow at the College for Social Sciences and Humanities in Essen.Since 2026, he has been a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow, studying the agency of spoils of war in ancient Egypt.
His most recent publications include Aftermath of War in Ancient Societies (Oxbow Books, 2026) and Bodies that Mattered: Ancient Egyptian Corporealities (Sidestone Press, 2025). He has taught at the Universities of Münster, Vienna, Graz, and Innsbruck.
Women of a Fractured State: First Intermediate Period Women’s Agency and Visual Literacy
Sue Kelly, Czech Institute of Egyptology, Charles University, Prague.
The dissolution of Old Kingdom centralised authority catalysed a profound evolution in women’s visual literacy, unique in Egyptian history. While Memphite tradition governed female figures through rigid, passive constraints, the fracturing of state control during the First Intermediate Period allowed women’s iconography to deviate from established canons, reflecting a more expansive visual vocabulary.
This lecture examines the emergence of female agency through the deliberate manipulation of artistic codes. Rather than a byproduct of provincialism, this transition reflects a systematic shift in women’s funerary representation. Six iconographic transitions: the adoption of male-coded striding postures; the inclusion of authoritative attributes like the staff and ankh; the renegotiation of spatial positioning on monuments; the representation of expanding social categories; the integration of active gestures; and rare chromatic anomalies, such as using red skin to signify female vitality are examined.
Furthermore, these self-presentations provide textual records of women adopting both ‘ideal’ and ‘career’ biographies—the dual pillars of Egyptian self-thematisation. By adopting these new modes of representation, women challenged Old Kingdom decorum and asserted a sophisticated, distinct presence in the visual record. These are, fundamentally, ancient female voices articulating how they chose to be commemorated for eternity.
Sue Kelly is an Egyptologist and early-career researcher whose work sits at the intersection of social theory and the material record. Her research focuses on the ‘Social Power’ of ancient Egyptian women, across the dynasties one through to eleven., employing a data-driven approach to reconstruct the agency, influence, and contributions of women within the complex hierarchy of the Old Kingdom and the First Intermediate Period. Her overarching aim is to continue the longitudinal study to map developments, transitions, and changes across the four different political environments: state formation, maturation, collapse, and reunification.
Her book, Unveiling Female Social Power (c. 3080–2180 BCE), serves as a testament to this methodology. By conducting a statistical analysis of female titles, Dr. Kelly challenges long-standing narratives that have historically marginalized women’s roles in Egyptian statehood. Her work demonstrates that female agency was not a peripheral phenomenon but a vital, functioning component of the socio-political infrastructure, measurable through the distribution of titles and the management of elite resources.
Dr. Kelly earned her PhD in 2021 and completed her initial post-doctoral fellowship in 2023 at Macquarie University, Sydney. She is currently concluding a prestigious Marie Curie Actions Fellowship at the Czech Institute of Egyptology.
There’s nothing new about that! How Egyptology can offer fresh perspectives on contemporary scientific and societal challenges
Frederik Rogner, Vienna, Austria
At the dawn of Egyptology’s third century, Egyptologists have both successfully received and adapted approaches from other fields, and themselves developed hypotheses and methods which can be fruitfully applied to the study of diverse cultural phenomena, far beyond the boundaries of Egyptology and of ancient Egypt. At the same time, Egyptological outreach that is deliberately aimed at the wider academic community and tries to actively contribute to ongoing interdisciplinary discourses, remains rather low.
This paper addresses these issues, with a particular view to the scientific and societal relevance and potential of humanities at large. I will conclude by addressing two areas where insights from Egyptology can offer perspectives and strategies for better understanding (and, as a result, dealing with) seemingly ‘new’ challenges in contemporary society, namely AI driven image production and expressions of political power.
Frederik Rogner has obtained his BA in Ancient Civilizations and his MA in Egyptology and in Classical Archaeology from the University of Basel. In 2019 he completed his binational doctoral studies at the University of Basel and the École Pratique des Hautes Études – Université Paris Sciences et Lettres. His PhD thesis deals with issues of visual narrativity and pictorial storytelling and their application in the ancient Egyptian New Kingdom. He was a member of the Graduate school of Eikones, the Center for the Theory and History of the Image in Basel. Rogner’s research interests include multimodal synergies of pictures and writing in ancient Egypt, the semantics of form and layout in two- and three-dimensional space, and the use of images as communicative tools throughout human history. He has conducted several research projects at the Netherlands Institute for the Near East (Leiden) and at the University of Geneva. He currently holds a position in the Austrian federal administration.
Contact Information:
Dr. Peter Feinman
President
AIA Westchester Society
Vice President
ARCENY Society
President
Institute of History, Archaeology, and Education
feinmanp@ihare.org

Book Talk with Sam Kean
2026-05-04 17:00 - 18:00 (America/Chicago) | Virtual Event, hosted by Nashville Parthenon & AIA-Nashville Society, TN, United States
Parthenon Symposium: Book Talk with Sam Kean Author of Dinner with King Tut
Monday, May 4, at 5:00 PM Central
Join author Sam Kean for a firsthand account of his adventures in experimental archaeology while writing Dinner with King Tut: How Rogue Archaeologists are Re-creating the Sights, Sounds, Smells, and Tastes of Lost Civilizations.
In his most recent book, Sam Kean joined experimental archaeologists across the globe to fire medieval catapults, perform surgery and tattooing with ancient methods, build Roman-style roads, play ball like an Aztec, and feast Egyptian-style. These eccentric-sounding adventures are part of a serious undertaking—an attempt to recreate the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of ancient cultures. The details of what it was like to live in other times are often forgotten when we study history through famous monuments. As the world’s only full-scale replica of the ancient building, Nashville’s Parthenon serves as a suitable backdrop for an immersive look at ancient cultures.
Registration on Zoom required: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rAnKC38dQfKMmGOSJo39JA#/registration
Following this talk there will be an in-person discussion (author joins virtually) on Monday, May 4, 6 PM.

Spectacles of Cultural Heritage Destruction in Global Media
2026-05-04 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | https://www.archaeological.org/event/spectacles-of-cultural-heritage-destruction-in-global-media-2/
Charles Eliot Norton Memorial Lectureship

Book Club: Dinner with King Tut
2026-05-04 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | Centennial Park Conservancy, Parks Permit Office at 2565 Park Plaza, Nashville, TN 37203., Centennial Park Conservancy, Parks Permit Office, 2565 Park Plaza, Nashville, Tennessee, 37203, United States
AIA-Nashville Society Book Club
Join us for a free Parthenon Book Club meeting on Monday, May 4, at 6 PM. This event is free and open to the public, with RSVP required. All are welcome. RSVP required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/parthenon-book-club-dinner-with-king-tut-tickets-1975611659656?aff=oddtdtcreator
*Due to HVAC renovation at the Parthenon, this event will take place at the Parks Permit Office at 2565 Park Plaza, Nashville, TN 37203.
THIS QUARTER’S BOOK SELECTION: We will be discussing Dinner with King Tut by Sam Kean. Reserve your seat with a free RSVP. Looking to purchase the book? Head over to Parnassus Books and mention the Archaeological Institute of America-Nashville Society book club at the Parthenon for a 10% discount.
ABOUT THE BOOK: Dinner with King Tut by Sam Kean
Description from Nashville Public Library:
From “one of America’s smartest and most charming writers” (NPR), an archaeological romp through the entire history of humankind–and through all five senses–from tropical Polynesian islands to forbidding arctic ice floes, and everywhere in between.
Whether it’s the mighty pyramids of Egypt or the majestic temples of Mexico, we have a good idea of what the past looked like. But what about our other senses: The tang of Roman fish sauce and the springy crust of Egyptian sourdough? The boom of medieval cannons and the clash of Viking swords? The frenzied plays of an Aztec ballgame…and the chilling reality that the losers might also lose their lives?
History often neglects the tastes, textures, sounds, and smells that were an intimate part of our ancestors’ lives, but a new generation of researchers is resurrecting those hidden details, pioneering an exciting new discipline called experimental archaeology. These are scientists gone rogue: They make human mummies. They investigate the unsolved murders of ancient bog bodies. They carve primitive spears and go hunting, then knap their own obsidian blades to skin the game. They build perilous boats and plunge out onto the open sea–all in the name of experiencing history as it was, with all its dangers, disappointments, and unexpected delights.
Beloved author Sam Kean joins these experimental archaeologists on their adventures across the globe, from the Andes to the South Seas. He fires medieval catapults, tries his hand at ancient surgery and tattooing, builds Roman-style roads–and, in novelistic interludes, spins gripping tales about the lives of our ancestors with vivid imagination and his signature meticulous research. Lively, offbeat, and filled with stunning revelations about our past, Dinner with King Tut sheds light on days long gone and the intrepid experts resurrecting them today, with startling, lifelike detail and more than a few laughs along the way.
2026 BOOK CLUB DATES: RSVP!
Monday, August 3, 2026 – Helen of Troy, 1993 by Maria Zoccola
Monday, November 2, 2026 – The Rescue Artist by Edward Dolnick

New on View: Islamic Figural Sculpture—Forbidden or Not?
2026-05-07 12:30 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
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.
This gallery talk is part of our New on View series, highlighting recent gallery installations and presenting new insights into recent acquisitions or old favorites.
Led 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.
Free admission

Film Screening: La Chimera
2026-05-07 17:30 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Whitman College, Kimball Theatre, 324 Boyer Ave, Walla Walla, WA, 99362, United States
Please join the local chapter of the AIA (Archaeological Institute of America) for a screening of the award-winning film, La Chimera (2023).
A 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.
There 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.

New Discoveries in the Anubis-Mountain Royal Necropolis at Abydos
2026-05-09 15:30 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Penn Museum, 3260 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States
Saturday, May 9
3:30 pm EST
In-person only at the Penn Museum, Anthro Classroom 345
No registration required
Speaker: Prof. Josef Wegner, Curator Penn Museum. Professor of Egyptian Archaeology, Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, University of Pennsylvania
Title: New Discoveries in the Anubis-Mountain Royal Necropolis at Abydos
Abstract:
The 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.
Ongoing 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.
Speaker Bio:
Josef 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.
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Lectures 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.
Light refreshments served starting at 3pm.
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The 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.

Book Talk with Mary Beard
2026-05-10 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Paschall Theater @ Montgomery Bell Academy 4001 Harding PikeNashville, TN, 37205United States, Paschall Theater, Montgomery Bell Academy, 4001 Harding Pike, Nashville, TN, 37205, United States
Parthenon Symposium: Book Talk with Mary Beard Author of Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old
Sunday May 10, 2:00 PM Central, at the Paschall Theater
AIA-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
In 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.
Talk 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.
RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-talk-with-mary-beard-tickets-1984904305209?aff=oddtdtcreator
About the speaker:
Mary 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.
About the book: Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old by Mary Beard
Why 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.
Confronting 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.”
Beard 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.

Egyptian Gardens and Greek Grids: The Middle Kingdom Funerary Garden at Dra Abu el-Naga, the Stele of Moskhion, and Greek Stoikhedon
2026-05-10 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | PA
The American Research Center in Egypt, Northern California chapter, invites you to attend a lecture by Dr. Patricia Butz, UC Riverside:
“Egyptian Gardens and Greek Grids: The Middle Kingdom Funerary Garden at Dra Abu el-Naga, the Stele of Moskhion, and Greek Stoikhedon”
Sunday, May 10, 3 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time
Live Oak Community Center (New venue!)
1301 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley
This is an in-person lecture, not virtual. The lecture will not be recorded.
About the Lecture:
Dr. 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.
About the Speaker:
Patricia 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.
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Live Oak location and parking:
This 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.
Useful links:
Live Oak Community Center – https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/parks-recreation/facilities/live-oak-community-center
Google map of vicinity – https://www.google.com/maps/@37.8838014,-122.2742405,16z?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDQxMy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
About Northern California ARCE:
For 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.

Online conference on worked shells in the ancient world. Material, use, typology, chronology and contexts in honour of Jean-Paul Descœudres, University of Sydney
2026-05-20 | Izmir, Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi, Edebiyat Fakültesi, Izmir, Buca, 35160, Turkey
Dear Colleagues,
We 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.
An 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. .
Ancient 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.
So 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.
It is also our intention to create a complete bibliography of previous publications on worked shells for several areas and chronologies.
We 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:
– 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,
– Graeco-Roman worked shells in comparison with the worked shells of the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic periods, Bronze and Iron Ages,
– Graeco-Roman worked shells in comparison with the Minoan and Mycenaean worked shells,
– Etymology of worked shells in ancient Near Eastern, eastern Mediterranean and Aegean languages,
– Ancient Greek, Latin and Byzantine textual sources on worked shells,
– Shell depictions on ancient Greek and Roman visual sources (for example on frescoes),
– Typological evolution and design of worked shells,
– Selection criteria for some certain animal genres for shell-working,
– Decoration of worked shells, as detailed chronologies should be established for both the produced forms and their decoration,
– Chronologies of these objects that can highlight the social spread of these products,
– Manufacturing techniques, manufacturing tools, major production centres and workshops of worked shells, their organisation and interactions.
– Distribution of worked shells, economic and social aspects: in what type of socio-economic context are they found?,
– Typological and functional features of worked shells: what might the utilitarian, social and/or symbolic functions or practices of these objects have been?
– Identification of the economic factors that contributed to the standardization in the shell-working,
– Commodities and their trade through worked shells,
– 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?
– Conservation of worked shells, especially excavated finds: current strategies and future approaches,
– Archaeometric analyses of these objects,
– Miscellanea.
A 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.).
Another 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:
1. Selection and acquisition of the raw material;
2. Preparation of the raw material, including cleaning, drying and cutting into pieces;
3. The appropriate working processes using instruments like knives, chisels, files, lathes and bow-drills;
4. Finishing the worked objects by grinding, polishing and colouring.
The 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.
We 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?
Our 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.
All 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.
We 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
For 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.
We hope that you will be able to join us on Zoom, and look forward to seeing you!

Exhibition Tour: Celtic Art Across the Ages
2026-05-21 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
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.
Led by: Paul Russell, Margaret Brooks Robinson Professor of Celtic Languages and Literatures, Department of Celtic Languages and Literatures, Harvard University
In “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.
This is a free event.
Image: Page with Ad Dominum in Psalm 119 (folio 73v) from the Blickling Psalter, c. 730 CE. Ink and paint on vellum, folio: 30.6 × 23cm. Morgan Library & Museum, New York, Purchased in 1932, MS M.776.

Why Has African Archeology Been Ignored
2026-05-23 12:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | PA
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.
While 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.
From 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.
Join 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.
What to Expect:
1. The Logistical Landscape: An overview of the unique challenges of archaeological research on the continent.
2. Beyond the Surface: A look at sophisticated ancient African innovations in metallurgy, urban planning, and trade.
3. The Tech Revolution: How new technologies like satellite imaging and 3D mapping are revealing sites that were previously inaccessible.
4. Future Directions: A discussion on the importance of diversifying the global archaeological record for a more complete understanding of history.

Archaeological Field Sampling and Material Selection for Radiocarbon Dating
2026-05-28 11:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom, Virtual, FL, 33155, United States
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.
What you’ll learn:
– Radiocarbon dating in the archaeological context
– Building a robust site chronology: multiple samples, replication, and stratigraphic logic
– Best practices for sample selection & Field sampling strategy: charcoal, bone, seeds, carbonates, sediments, and mixed materials
– Key assumptions & challenges: old wood effect, reworking, intrusive material, reservoir effects, and preservation biases.
– Case studies
– Sample submission

Walter Farmer collection and Akenaton
2026-05-30 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | PA
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.

2026 archaeological investigations with the Scouts at Fort Brewerton
2026-06-06 10:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Fort Brewerton & Oliver Stevens Blockhouse Museum, Box 392 9 US Route 11, Brewerton, 13029, United States
Join us for a day of archaeological investigations at Fort Brewerton!
This year we will be spending an additional day on the ditch feature found last year on the north side of the location of barracks building we call blockhouse # 4. Previous excavations in this area over the last 5 years have yielded many interesting artifacts and features, giving us clues about its layout and use. Our plan is to excavate and test for nitrates at different levels. Scouts will be participating to earn their archeology merit badges, learning proper archaeological fieldwork techniques from Dr. Timothy Abel. Our first excavation on the 6th will be followed up by our second excavation on the 13th.
Current Fort Brewerton Historical Society members are welcome to assist in the excavation, members of the public are welcome to observe. Please message us if you plan on volunteering to assist in the excavation. The blockhouse museum may not be open for tours.
Additionally, members of the New York State Archaeological Association are welcomed to participate with written permission from their chapter representative. Please contact us for more information.

Gallery Talk: Celtic Art Across the Ages
2026-06-06 12:30 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
Join Harvard graduate student Anthony Ortega for a discussion of an elite Iron Age burial site called Kleinaspergle tumulus. Discovered in southwestern Germany, it contained an assemblage of both imported and locally produced objects. Ortega will focus on a selection of objects on display in the special exhibition Celtic Art Across the Ages, while exploring the history of the tumulus (burial mound) itself and the questions raised by the archaeology of the site.
Led by:
Anthony Ortega, Ph.D. candidate in the History of Art and Architecture, Harvard University
In 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.

2026 Day 2 of archaeological investigations with the Scouts at Fort Brewerton
2026-06-13 10:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Fort Brewerton & Oliver Stevens Blockhouse Museum, Box 392 9 US Route 11, Brewerton, 13029, United States
Join us for a second day of archaeological investigations at Fort Brewerton!
Following our first excavation on the 6th of June , this day will be used to excavate a new radar anomaly found last year during our survey. Ground penetrating radar seems to indicate 2 intermittent linear features in that area. Like dashed or dotted lines, these do not match Fort Brewerton’s plans and may be old fence lines.
Scouts will be participating to earn their archeology merit badges, learning archaeological fieldwork techniques with supervision from Dr. Timothy Abel.
Current Fort Brewerton Historical Society members are welcome to assist in the excavation, members of the public are welcome to observe. Please message us if you plan on volunteering to assist in the excavation. The blockhouse museum may be open for tours.
Additionally, members of the New York State Archaeological Association are welcomed to participate with written permission from their chapter representative. Please contact us for more information.

Materials Lab Workshop: Celtic Knotwork Design
2026-06-14 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-06-14 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
Knotwork has long been associated with Celtic art; it has decorated illuminated manuscripts, been tooled into fine metalwork and jewelry, and been carved into wood and stone. The methods of construction—passed down from master to apprentice for over a thousand years—were nearly lost until rediscovered in the late 20th century.
Join Celtic illuminator Michael Carroll for a hands-on knotwork workshop organized in connection with the exhibition Celtic Art Across the Ages (March 6–August 2, 2026). The artist will reveal the ancient secrets of the structure underlying this traditional design and guide participants in various drawing exercises that apply to even the most complex designs. Following the workshop, we’ll visit the special exhibition galleries for a short curatorial tour to observe the application of such patterns.
Pre-registration required.
Fee: $15, paid at registration (materials will be provided)
Image: Michale Carroll, Serpentine, 2009. Detail of an illuminated manuscript. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Accessing Abydos: Excavating Bricks and Archives for Answers About Early Kingship
2026-06-14 15:00 (America/New_York) | Redwood City Woman’s Club, 149 Clinton Street, Redwood City, CA, 94062, United States
About the Lecture:
The site of Abydos is critical for understanding the rise of Egyptian kingship and the foundations of the pharaonic state. The earliest kings built their tombs far in the desert at Abydos, ringing them with sacrificial burials. But the largest monuments built by these kings were not tombs but temples, also at Abydos, and also often provided with sacrificial burials. Built much closer to the floodplain and settlement site, these structures, known to archaeologists as funerary enclosures, remain somewhat enigmatic.
One such funerary enclosure still stands today, its mud-brick walls looming over the landscape some 4700 years after it was built. The standing monument is the last of the line; its predecessors are present only as foundations, no longer visible except when archaeologists clear the sand from them. Why are all earlier funerary enclosures mere stubs? Published explanations have focused on deliberate destruction, arguing that each building “died” as its king did, leaving only one standing at a time. However, recent work in the unpublished archives of the past 30 years of excavations held in New York suggest that neither the evidence nor its interpretation is nearly so straightforward.
In this talk, we will look first at the history of archaeology at the Abydos funerary enclosures and what knowledge has been produced there. We will then dive into the excavation of an archive, the work being done to bring unpublished material to light, and how this is reshaping thoughts about early kingship. In doing so, we will confront important matters not only about the ancient past, but about how archaeologists work, and how exciting it can be to confront evidence that makes us change our minds.
About the Speaker:

Dr. Laurel Bestock is the Joukowsky Family Associate Professor of Egyptology and Archaeology at Brown University, as well as a visiting professor and director of excavations at Abydos at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. A field archaeologist with longstanding interests in kingship and monumentality, she has directed projects at Abydos and at the Middle Kingdom fortress of Uronarti in the Sudan. She is part of a team that is developing Kiosk, archaeological recording software that is used by excavations around the world. Though a native Californian, Laurel left to pursue degrees in the cold way back in 1995 and has missed the West Coast ever since. In her spare time she spins yarn, and is preparing to bring her obsessions together in the classroom next semester by teaching a course on the Archaeology of Textiles.

Redwood City Woman’s Club location and parking:
This month, we’re meeting on the Peninsula, in the Redwood City Woman’s Club, two blocks off Broadway in central Redwood City. The 1911 bungalow, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, dates from the year women won the vote in California and worked in groups like this one to secure their roles in public life. The club is fully ramped and wheelchair-friendly. For users of public transit, it’s walking distance from Caltrain. Best freeway access is from Highway 101’s Whipple Avenue exit. Parking is along the street, though given advance notice, we can set up a couple of disabled spots on the north side of the building.
Useful links:
Redwood City Woman’s Club
Google map of vicinity
About Northern California ARCE:
For 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.

America’s First Egyptologist and the Creation of the ISAC Museum
2026-06-20 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | The Historic Longview Farm House, 13525 Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO, 63141, United States
Dr. Kate Ayres (Institute for the Study of Ancient cultures at the University of Chicago) will deliver her lecture entitled “America’s First Egyptologist and the Creation of the ISAC Museum.” A reception and chance to talk with the speaker will be held afterwards.

Different Eyes—Abstraction in Celtic Coins
2026-06-25 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
Have you ever wondered why some ancient cultures do not seem as “skilled” as later societies in representing the natural world? If so, you are not alone. Many people assume that early art history is a story of technical progress toward better reproductions of reality. But what if it is less a matter of skill than of interest? Celtic coins offer a perfect opportunity to explore this idea. Join coins curator Laure Marest for this hands-on session with 2,300-year-old coins and discover the ancient Gallic fascination with abstraction.
The seminar is held in conjunction with the special exhibition Celtic Art Across the Ages (March 6–August 2, 2026).
This seminar is part of Gray Area, a series that features members of our curatorial staff exploring artworks that capture the complexities of humanity, political landscapes, ethics, ideologies, power dynamics, and critical thinking in our times. Through this series, we hope to encourage people to observe and consider their own individual gray areas, and to think about how their unique experiences guide the choices they make.
This is a free event. Registration required.
Image: Quarter stater of the Parisii, uncertain mint in Northern Gaul, 1st century BCE. Gold, 1.86g. Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Loan from the Trustees of the Arthur Stone Dewing Greek Numismatic Foundation, 1.1965.38.

Gray Area: Different Eyes—Abstraction in Celtic Coins
2026-06-25 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
Have you ever wondered why some ancient cultures do not seem as “skilled” as later societies in representing the natural world? If so, you are not alone. Many people assume that early art history is a story of technical progress toward better reproductions of reality. But what if it is less a matter of skill than of interest? Celtic coins offer a perfect opportunity to explore this idea. Join coins curator Laure Marest for this hands-on session with 2,300-year-old coins and discover the ancient Gallic fascination with abstraction.
The seminar is held in conjunction with the special exhibition Celtic Art Across the Ages (March 6–August 2, 2026).

Exhibition Tour: Celtic Art Across the Ages
2026-06-25 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
Join Christian Dupont, Boston College’s Burns Librarian, for a tour of the special exhibition Celtic Art Across the Ages. He will discuss the re-emergence of Celtic mythologies and motifs in literature and art during the 18th and 19th centuries. The so-called Celtic Revival was nourished by Romanticism and achieved visual expression through the Arts and Crafts movement.
Led by: Christian Dupont, Associate University Librarian for Scholarly Resources and Burns Librarian, Boston College
In 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.
This is a free event.
Image: Eva McKee, Celtic spiral design with bird, c. 1920s. Print on paper. John J. Burns Library, Boston College.

Exhibition Tour: Celtic Art Across the Ages
2026-07-23 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
Go behind the scenes to learn more about the design, production, and installation of the special exhibition Celtic Art Across the Ages, with exhibition designer Robert Checchi.
Led by: Robert Checchi, Assistant Director for Exhibitions
In 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.
This is a free event.
Image: Installation view of Celtic Art Across the Ages. Photo: Robert Checchi

Highlands, Islands & Fjords
2026-07-25 00:00 (America/New_York) | PA
Archaeological Institute of America lecturer and host COLLEEN BATEY has excavated widely at several major Viking sites, including Jarlshof in Shetland, Orphir in Orkney, and Hofstađir in Iceland. Colleen’s main research interests lie in
the field of Viking and Late Norse archaeology, particularly in the Northern Isles of Scotland; Caithness, Scotland; and the North Atlantic region. Most recently, she published a major book on her work at the Earl’s Bu, Orphir, Orkney, where a Norse
horizontal mill was identified as part of the Earl’s Hall and round church complex. This work provides indications of local farming as well as international and national trading connections. In addition, Colleen is actively involved in the research of Viking
pagan graves in Scotland. Colleen has spent nearly 30 years working with small expedition ships, undertaking visits to the main UNESCO site in Orkney, for example, in addition to those in Greenland, Newfoundland, and the Baltic region. This has included seven prior AIA-sponsored cruises in the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea. She now lives in Orkney permanently. In early 2026, Colleen was appointed Honorary Inaugural Professor for the World Heritage Site in Durham, England. She also holds Fellowships in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Durham (from where she graduated as both undergraduate and Ph.D.) as well as at the University of the Highlands and Islands in Scotland.
Join us on the Hebridean Sky which has 59 exceptionally spacious and well-designed suites. Each suite has ocean views, and several suites have private balconies. All suites feature a sitting room, ensuite bathroom, flat screened TV, spacious wardrobes, a dressing table, and beds that can be configured as twins or a double. After a major refurbishment in 2016, and further enhancements since, the Hebridean Sky now boasts beautifully designed public spaces including a large lounge, elegant club and bar with piano, library, and two outdoor seating areas. An elevator services all passenger cabin decks. Onboard chefs prepare international and regional cuisine served at a single open seating in the Restaurant or on the Lido Deck, weather permitting. A friendly crew provides exceptional service with a 1:2 crew to passenger ratio. The ship features advanced satellite navigation and communication equipment, roll stabilizers, and a fleet of Zodiacs to access remote shorelines and islands.
Also offered:
PRE-TOUR EXTENSION
June 26–30, 2027
THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
POST-TOUR EXTENSION
July 11–14, 2027
ART & ARCHAEOLOGY IN OSLO
