Archaeological Institute of America

Native America: Archaeology & Anthropology in the West
2021-09-18 | PA
Join us on an American adventure, from the plains of North Dakota to the pueblos of New Mexico, as we explore Native American archaeological and historical sites as well as expansive National Parks. Experience this part of the country in a different way, gaining new perspectives and learning about the histories of indigenous peoples, in the company of AIA lecturer and host María Nieves Zedeño, a North American archaeologist, plus local guides and your tour manager.
Highlights:
* Gain first-hand knowledge from members of Native American tribes who meet with us at their cultural centers and historic sites.
* Travel and learn with your AIA lecturer and host, María Nieves Zedeño, an expert in northern Plains archaeology who has worked collaboratively with many Native American tribes across North America.
* Explore the cultural histories and landscapes of seven National Parks:
* Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, North Dakota, where we learn about the history and culture of the Hidatsa people and see the remains of the Awatixa Xi’e Village and the Awatixa Village;
* Badlands and Wind Cave National Parks, South Dakota;
* Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, which contains some of the oldest-known archaeological sites in the U.S.; and Mesa Verde National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the Ancestral Pueblo people lived from A.D. 600 to 1300, in Colorado;
* Chaco Culture National Historic Park (a.k.a. Chaco Canyon) and Aztec Ruins National Monument, together a UNESCO World Heritage Site; and Pecos National Historical Park, where we visit the ruins of Pecos Pueblo; in New Mexico.
* Visit Standing Rock Reservation, home to the Lakota and Dakota people, where we visit the original burial site of Sitting Bull; and also pay our respects at the infamous site of the 1890 Massacre of Wounded Knee.
* Go off-the-beaten-path to Huff Indian Village State Historic Site, a classic prehistoric Mandan settlement dating to about A.D. 1450; and Chimney Rock, an archaeological site where we see the excavated Great Kiva (circular ceremonial chamber), pit house, and several other unexcavated structures.
* Follow the hiking loop in the Tsankawi (Ancestral Pueblo village) section of Bandelier National Monument to the Tyuonyi pueblo, Talus House, and Long House cliff dwellings, viewing petroglyphs along the way.
* Travel in a small group of no more than 12 guests.

France: The Reach of the Romans
2021-09-18 | PA
Join archaeologist Patrick Hunt on this exciting new itinerary from Turin to Nice and discover how the ancient Gauls and Romans interacted with the landscapes and shaped the history and cultures of northern Italy and southern France. Together we will cross the Alps by high-speed train, from Turin to Lyon.
Highlights:
*Travel with award-winning archaeologist and author Patrick Hunt, who has been doing fieldwork in the Alps since 1994
*Visit several outstanding museums, including the Egyptian Museum in Turin, the only museum outside of Cairo solely dedicated to Egyptian art and culture; and the new Musée de l’Arles Antique, housing the world’s second finest collection of sarcophagi after the Vatican’s
*Marvel at six UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Roman and Romanesque monuments of Arles, the Roman theater and Arc de Triomphe of Orange, the Roman aqueduct at Pont du Gard, the historic center of Avignon, the historic city of Lyon, and the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy in Turin
*Explore the archaeological site of Saint-Romain-en-Gal, also called “little Pompeii,” and take a guided tour of its museum with the curator in charge of the mosaic restoration
*See the village of Vaison la Romaine, the largest archaeological site in France; and take a behind-the-scenes tour inside the aqueduct at Pont du Gard (pending confirmation)
*You will be accompanied by excellent local guides plus an expert tour manager who will handle all of the logistics so you can relax, enjoy, and learn
*Savor fine cuisine at carefully-chosen restaurants for included lunches and dinners, and enjoy the flexibility of independent meals as well. Your tour manager can assist you with restaurant recommendations and reservations.

Reflecting on Experience: Materiality and Memory in Late Fourth Century Gold Glass
2021-09-17 17:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | PA
Dr. Susan Ludi Blevins will speak on “Reflecting on Experience: Materiality and Memory in Late Fourth Century Gold Glass.”

“Feeding Cahokia”
2021-09-16 19:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | Warren County History Museum, 238 S. Sunny Lane, Monmouth, IL, 61462, United States
James Godde, Professor of Biology, Monmouth College (jgodde@monmouthcollege.edu)
Every year, the Biology Department at Monmouth College teaches a half-semester course entitled Topics in the History of Biology. This past fall, the specific focus was “Feeding Cahokia: Agricultural Technology of Native Americans during the Mississippian Period”. The class focused on a book written by Gayle J. Fritz, emeritus professor of anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis. Lectures typically took place outdoors at the Monmouth City Cemetery, with trips to LeSuer Nature Preserve, the Monmouth College garden, as well as the Monmouth College farm. Sometimes the class met indoors in the CSB Nutrition Lab where we cooked some of the dishes that Cahokian peoples may have eaten. The class culminated with a trip to Cahokia itself in order to see the location that we had studied for the preceding 7 weeks.
Thursday, September 16, 2021, 7:30 pm at the Warren County Historical Museum, 238 S. Sunny Lane, Monmouth, IL 61462
This event is both in-person and virtual. To attend virtually, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6071788810?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID 607 178 8810
Passcode 3xQ8D4

Dying to Explore: The Archaeology of Sir John Franklin’s 3rd Arctic Expedition
2021-09-16 18:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | WEBINAR (Spokane 1), Spokane, WA
Bass Lecture
Meeting ID: 859 2849 7857; Passcode: [REDACTED]

The Lost Valley of the Crescent Moon: 30 years of research in Petra, Jordan
2021-09-16 17:30 (America/New_York) | WEBINAR (Ann Arbor 1), Ann Arbor, MI
Joukowsky Lecture

Archaeology Abridged: The Secrets of an Ancient Indian City
2021-09-16 13:00 (America/New_York) | PA
Join us for this Archaeology Abridged talk by Monica Smith.
The Indian subcontinent is home to a number of the world’s great civilizations and religious traditions. About two and a half thousand years ago, a tremendous synergy of urbanism, rulership, writing systems, and the advent of Buddhism and Jainism was expressed in hundreds of archaeological sites. Among these was the magnificent city of Sisupalgarh on India’s eastern coast, where an international team of researchers from the University of California and Deccan College have focused their efforts to learn about the monumental architecture and daily lives of a thriving ancient metropolis. Tune in to learn about how archaeologists see under the surface without digging, how a fortification wall isn’t just for defense, and why a little “bling” explains the irresistible pull of urbanism past and present.
Monica L. Smith is Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Professor in the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at the University of California, Los Angeles. She holds the Navin and Pratima Doshi Chair in Indian Studies and is the director of the South Asian Archaeology Laboratory at the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology. She received her B.A. in Classical Civilizations (ancient Rome and Greece) at the University of California, Santa Barbara; M.A. in Archaeology from UCLA; and Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Michigan. Her field experience includes participation on projects in England, India, Italy, Egypt, Madagascar, Bangladesh, Tunisia, and with the National Park Service in the American Southwest. With her colleague R.K. Mohanty she has co-directed a long-running archaeological research project in eastern India at the sites of Sisupalgarh, Talapada and Ostapur and their environs, supported by funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation, the National Geographic Society, the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, and the American Institute of Indian Studies. Her books include Cities: The First 6,000 Years; A Prehistory of Ordinary People; and with R.K. Mohanty, Excavations at Sisupalgarh. She is in her third term as an Academic Trustee on the AIA’s Governing Board.

Foreigners as Symbols in Ancient Egyptian Tombs (1550-1372 BCE)
2021-09-14 19:30 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Davidson College, 315 North Main Street, Semans Auditorium, Belk Visual Arts Center, Davidson, NC, 28036, United States
A lecture by Dr. Flora Brooks Anthony, Kennesaw State University
AIA Central Carolinas Society 333 and Davidson College, Davidson, NC, welcome the public to join us for a free virtual lecture by Dr. Flora Brooks Anthony of Kennesaw State University, Georgia. THIS LECTURE WILL BE HELD ON ZOOM ONLY, not in person. https://go.davidson.edu/AIA-lecture
Dr. Flora Brooke Anthony, “Foreigners as Symbols in Ancient Egyptian Tombs (1550-1372 BCE)”
About the lecture:
During the 18th dynasty (1550-1372 BCE), the height of Egyptian imperial expansion, images of foreigners bearing tribute became popular in the tombs of the Egyptian elite. This lecture will explore the significance of these images, arguing that they not only show the Egyptian state’s ability to impose order on foreign lands, but also symbolize the tomb owner’s ability to overcome the chaos of death and achieve a successful afterlife.
About the speaker:
Dr. Anthony, an Assistant Professor of Art History, Kennesaw State University, is the author of Foreigners in Ancient Egypt: Theban Tomb Paintings from the Early Eighteenth Dynasty (1550-1372 BC), published by Bloomsbury Academic 2017). She can currently be seen on the show Egypt: The Unexplained Files, airing on the Science Channel, as for example in this episode: https://www.sciencechannel.com/tv-shows/egypts-unexplained-files/full-episodes/tuts-curse-the-new-evidence?

Sicily: Archaeology, Art & Cuisine
2021-09-14 | PA
Travel with our engaging AIA lecturer and host, archaeologist Gerry Schaus. Discover and learn about many of the most impressive archaeological monuments found anywhere in the Mediterranean, such as Agrigento, Selinunte, Segesta, and Syracuse. Admire spectacular, sunlit landscapes of undulating vineyards and Mediterranean Sea vistas. See two of the finest examples of Norman architecture: Monreale Cathedral and the Royal Palace of Palermo (Palazzo dei Normanni). View extensive archaeological collections at several excellent museums. Savor fine cuisine, with wine included at group dinners. Feel pampered with seven nights at 5-star hotels and two nights at a four-star hotel, all chosen for their generous comfort and prime locations. Relax and enjoy traveling with a maximum of just 16 guests plus your expert lecturer, trip manager, and local guides.
Choose to extend your trip for three nights to discover Malta’s renowned and extraordinary prehistoric monuments.

BYU's Museum of Peoples and Cultures: Utah Valley Exhibit Opening
2021-09-10 15:00 - 18:00 (America/Boise) | Museum of Peoples and Cultures, 2201 N Canyon Rd., Provo, UT, 84604, United States
Come celebrate the opening of our new Utah Valley exhibit at this education-focused open house event! The new exhibit features artifacts from the four main groups that have inhabited Utah Valley, many of them excavated by archaeologists at BYU. Activities at the event will include demonstrations of our educational resources, guided tours, refreshments, and more!

World War II on America’s Doorstep! U-boats Off the Mid-Atlantic Coast
2021-09-08 19:00 (America/New_York) | WEBINAR (Cleveland 1), Cleveland, OH
Laing Lecture

Reports from the Field
2021-09-07 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | PA
UC Berkeley graduate students kick off the academic year at our annual Reports from the Field event, reporting on their summer research and excavation experiences at various sites across the globe. Alec Apodaca will be discussing a Native American archaeological site in the San Vicente Redwoods that was damaged during post-fire work related to the CZU Lightning Fire complex of 2020. The damage exposed previously unknown portions of this ancient habitation site that can be studied to learn about how Native people stewarded sources of food, raw material, and habitats in the interior areas, which can be compared to coastal areas and is directly relevant to ongoing historical ecology project between Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and UC Berkeley researchers. Jordan Brown will discuss The Erbil Plain in northern Iraq, which lies at the edge of the rainfall farming zone. Here, five millennia of intensive settlement have seen diverse approaches to water management. Some of these strategies appear to have affected the hydrology of the Plain in lasting ways, mitigating or exacerbating the impact of climatic shifts and constraining the options available to subsequent inhabitants. By utilizing remote-sensing tools and computer-aided analytical techniques, which facilitate the collection and systematization of such data and form the building blocks of a “telescoping” approach to regional geoarchaeology, Jordan will discuss the large-scale and long-term interactions between social and natural forces. David Wheeler will share his experience doing fieldwork and museum research in Greece for the last 18 months in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic. During that time, he excavated a palatial tholos at Pylos during Greece’s first national lockdown, helped supervise rescue excavations at the Mycenaean cemetery of Aidonia, and initiated several 3D scanning projects for Berkeley’s Nemea Center for research, outreach, and classroom use in the post-Covid era.

Ireland’s Ancient East
2021-08-31 | PA
This journey takes you through the archaeology, history, and landscapes of “Ireland’s Ancient East” from north to south along the east coast of Ireland. After a few gentle days in Dublin, where you will visit the National Museum of Ireland and explore the city, you will head north to explore the various landscapes of Northern Ireland, including Slieve Gullion, the medieval town of Carrickfergus and the UNESCO World Heritage Site at the Giant’s Causeway. From here, journey south to the Boyne Valley, where you will visit, amongst other sites, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Brú na Bóinne (Newgrange and Knowth), staying in the heart of the valley in the beautiful village of Slane. The next stop on the journey will be inland to the medieval city of Kilkenny. As well as the castle and medieval streetscape of the city, this will serve as a base to explore the wonderful scenery and amazing hidden archaeological gems of the region. Our journey south ends in Wexford and Waterford, where you will enjoy a day at the Irish National Heritage Park and visit your host’s on-going excavation project. Travel in a small group of no more than 12 travelers and enjoy the personal attention and service of a highly respected Irish academic lecturer/host and a charming tour manager/guide, plus several specialist guest experts.

Virtual Symposium: Underwater Archaeology
2021-08-18 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Nashville Parthenon, 2500 West End Ave, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States
Join the Nashville Parthenon Virtual Summer Symposia series! This is the last of three Symposia. All three support the new exhibition ‘The Antikythera Mechanism’ at the Nashville Parthenon through September 26.
Dr. Anne Duray will introduce underwater archaeological practice that helps experts interpret our human past. Specifically, Dr. Duray will explain the training and methodology of underwater archaeology to help the virtual audience understand how archaeologists begin to approach underwater sites, and share her personal experiences and anecdotes in underwater and field archaeology. Her talk will include images to explain underwater archaeology tools, methods, and practices, and share how archaeologists map, study, and catalog artifacts. The symposium will help the public understand the dedicated work of archaeology, and preparation needed to undertake archaeological projects. After the presentation, there will be time for questions and discussion.
Dr. Duray holds a Ph.D. in Classics with an Archaeology track from Stanford University and is an Editorial Assistant for the American Journal of Archaeology, and served as a Lecturer at the Archaeology Center at Stanford University.
Sponsored by Humanities Tennessee, Centennial Park Conservancy, Archaeological Institute of America- Nashville Society, and Metro Nashville Parks and Recreation.

Historical Fiction: An End-Product of Archaeology?
2021-08-11 15:00 (America/New_York) | PA
Online Lecture by Steven Saylor about his new book, Dominus, the long-awaited capstone to Saylor’s bestselling novels of Ancient Rome. His books include the long running Roma Sub Rosa series featuring Gordianus the Finder, as well as the New York Times bestselling novel, Roma and its follow-up, Empire. He has appeared as an on-air expert on Roman history and life on The History Channel. Saylor was born in Texas and graduated with high honors from The University of Texas at Austin, where he studied history and classics. He divides his time between Berkeley, California, and Austin, Texas.
In their engagement with the ancient world, archaeology and historical fiction may be considered to reside at two ends of a spectrum, one engaged in tactile, hands-on contact with artifacts, invariably involving cooperation between colleagues, workers, and authorities, the other entirely imaginative and verbal, drawing on many sources but created in solitude. But archaeology and historical fiction have in common a desire to make an authentic connection with the past, and to find ways to share that connection with others. The author has spent the last thirty writing fiction set in ancient Rome, frequently drawing inspiration from archaeological publications and exhibits. His latest novel, Dominus, completes a trilogy (begun by Roma and Empire) that follows the fortunes of a family from prehistoric Rome to the reign of Constantine the Great. In this talk he will attempt to share insights into a creative process that may represent an end-product of archaeology, citing the case of a recently-discovered artifact that finds its way into the pages of Dominus.
