Archaeological Institute of America

Let’s Talk about Ancient Apocalypse: It’s Inaccurate, Harmful, and the Real Story of Ice Age Peopling of the Americas is Far More Interesting Anyway!
2024-02-11 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Concordia University, Grimm Hall, 1530 Concordia, Irvine, CA, 92612, United States
Joukowsky lecture

Peabody Museum Tours Led by Harvard Students
2024-02-11 14:00 - 14:45, 2024-02-16 14:00 - 14:45, 2024-02-17 14:00 - 14:45, 2024-02-18 14:00 - 14:45, 2024-02-23 14:00 - 14:45, 2024-02-24 14:00 - 14:45, 2024-02-25 14:00 - 14:45 (America/New_York) | Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 2:00 pm October 1, 2023–April 21, 2024. See blackout dates.* Regular museum admission rates apply.
*Blackout dates: November 24–26, 2023; December 4, 2023–January 21, 2024; and March 9–17, 2024.
Tours by Harvard students connect visitors with the research, teaching, and Indigenous engagement surrounding the cultural heritage in the museum’s care. How do items come to the museum? Who accesses them and how do items return home?
Visitors may drop in at the scheduled times. No reservation is required. Tours meet in the lobby and last approximately 45 minutes.
Tours for groups of ten or more may be scheduled at these and other times, student schedules permitting.
Photo: EJSP Visual | Julieta Sarmiento

Body Ornaments and Communities of Practice in the Egyptian Predynastic
2024-02-11 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | ARCE Egyptology Lectures Room 20 Social Sciences Building, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States
The American Research Center in Egypt, Northern California chapter, and the UC Berkeley Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures invite you to attend a lecture by Maryan Ragheb, UCLA:
Body Ornaments and Communities of Practice in the Egyptian Predynastic
Sunday, February 11, 2024, 3 PM Pacific Time
Room 20, Social Sciences Building, UC Berkeley
This lecture will not be recorded.
About the Lecture:
Our bodies and body images are manufactured through one’s treatment of their body surface: Through clothing, jewelry, hairstyles, makeup, or tattooing, we create and recreate certain images that can be readable to others. These body accessories and modifications are not only to reflect identities, but also to be utilized as tools by the wearers to enact their social roles, which are prescribed and promoted by society. Body ornamentation is thus important for affirming social cohesion and shared ideologies of identities both in life and death. In Predynastic Egypt, body ornamentation of the deceased was practiced to varying degrees. This talk discusses the shared community practices in the making and use of Predynastic body ornaments to adorn the deceased’s body. Through a microscopic study of beaded ornaments, their manufacturing processes, and wear marks, I can reconstruct the technical and social processes that were invested in their making, and by extension, the making of the deceased’s image at the time of the funeral.
About the Speaker:
Maryan Ragheb is a PhD candidate in Archaeology at UCLA, with a special focus on ancient Egyptian archaeology. Her dissertation research is concerned with identity expression pre and post state formation in ancient Egypt, through the study of body ornamentation. Her research interests include identity expressions of different minority groups and the cultural entanglement between different ethnicities within Egypt. In addition to archaeological work in Egypt and Ethiopia, she is interested in community outreach and preservation of cultural heritage initiatives. As such, she is currently involved in the Waystation initiative and the voluntary return of cultural objects to China, while building a skillset in cultural heritage laws in the USA, and in provenance research.
About ARCE-NC:
For more information, please visit https://www.youtube.com/@NorthernCaliforniaARCE, https://facebook.com/NorthernCaliforniaARCE/, http://www.arce-nc.org, https://twitter.com/ARCENCPostings, and https://khentiamentiu.org. To join the chapter or renew your membership, please go to https://arce.org/join-arce/ and select “Berkeley, CA” as your chapter when you sign up.

Power of the Ancestors at Pylos, Greece presented by Dr. Joanne Murphy
2024-02-13 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Denver) | Eaton Humanities, CU Boulder Main Campus, 1610 Pleasant Street, Boulder, CO, 80309, United States
Over the past few decades, archaeologists have assigned ancestors significant roles in the supernatural orders of most ancient societies. They argue that ancestors, through their connection to the divine or supernatural, wielded a power that could transform society and grant exclusive rights over limited resources to those who could argue either for a familial connection to the ancestor or have access to the dead. These arguments are primarily derived from ethnographic research carried out on communal, formal burial areas that were used for long periods of time. Several scholars have argued that Mycenaean elites (16th-12th c. BCE) in Greece drew power from their ancestors and were reliant on that source of power for their continued success.
Based on a detailed examination of the dates of the tombs’ use, the wealth of the artifacts in them, and location of the tombs at Pylos, I argue that the metaphysical components and significance of the mortuary arena and ancestors at Pylos fluctuated and instead of having a constant static function the manipulation of the ancestors cycled in relation to the changing political economy at the palace.
The varied lengths of time during which individual tombs were in use, the different locations of the tombs at different periods in relation to the palace, the changing quantities and values of the objects deposited in the tombs during the burials, and the chronologically limited evidence for any non-funerary rituals at the tombs all indicate diachronic changes in the importance of ancestors among the elite groups at Pylos.

Mediterranean Marketplaces: Connecting the Ancient World - exhibit opening
2024-02-14 11:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East, 6 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
Much like today, ancient “consumers” were connected to distant markets. Both basic and precious goods from faraway lands “shipped” to royal palaces, elite estates—sometimes even rural households—and technological advances in craftsmanship and commerce transcended boundaries of language, religion, or culture to spread rapidly. Mediterranean Marketplaces explores how the movement of goods, peoples, and ideas around the ancient Mediterranean transformed the lives and livelihoods of people at all levels of society, driving innovations that had lasting impacts—even on the modern world. Audio tours available in English and Spanish.
image: EJSP Visual | Julieta Sarmiento

Socii and Sociability: Shopping for Status in a Roman Shop
2024-02-15 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Vancouver) | Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture (MAC), 2316 West 1st Avenue, Spokane, Washington, 99201, United States
Matson lecture

Jungle Kingdoms of the Ancient Maya
2024-02-16 - 2024-02-29
This tropical adventure provides the best-paced itinerary available to thoroughly explore ancient Maya sites in the lush jungles of Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. Maya art and architecture will “come alive” as you encounter enormous stelae (carved monoliths), painted frescoes, stucco friezes, carved lintels, and huge temple-pyramids that soar above the rainforest. Explore, in-depth, the sites of Palenque, Bonampak, Yaxchilán, Tikal, Yaxhá, Copán, and Quiriguá (four are UNESCO World Heritage Sites); with free time to go bird watching or simply relax, reflect, and enjoy our comfortable hotels and remote jungle lodges. Maximum of just 12 guests.
Highlights include:
• Visit La Venta Park to see a magnificent outdoor collection of stone sculpture that originally came from the Olmec site of La Venta.
• Explore Palenque’s many exquisite examples of 7th- and 8th-century Maya architecture, including the Temple of the Inscriptions, Palace, Temples of the Cross Group, and much more..
• Journey upriver and cross over into the heart of Guatemala, to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tikal.
• Join in on the optional, pre-dawn hike up the steep steps of Tikal’s Temple IV—the site’s tallest pyramid at 230 feet, and the largest Maya shrine built in the 8th century.
• Tour the Sepulturas Group, located a few miles from the site of Copán, which also housed a residential area for non-Maya (perhaps foreign merchants) around A.D. 800.
Travel and learn with Dr. Ben Thomas who after several years of fieldwork in the jungles and swamps of Belize and Guatemala has become a specialist in Mayan archaeology with specific interests in Ancient Maya settlements and architecture. He has travelled extensively throughout Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize.

Rhodora Vennarucci. “Socci and Sociability: Shopping for Status in a Roman Shop”
2024-02-16 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Walla Walla University, Admin Bldg 117, 204 S College Ave, College Place, WA, 99324, United States
Father Edward A. Bader, CSB Lecture in Mediterranean Archaeology
This talk applies a Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) and phenomenological approach to the Felt Shop of Verecundus (IX.7.5-7) from Pompeii. This shop sold fine footwear (socci, or soft-soled felted slippers) and other high-status textile products. We will explore how ancient consumers self-fashioned through public acts of consumption in the shop. An interactive 3D model of the shop in VR — reconstructed using the architectural remains and archival data from the shop’s excavation — facilitates this investigation, and has in turn contributed to the Virtual Roman Retail project.
Socci were a luxury item worn indoors and at dinner parties that only the more affluent in society could actually afford. Shopping for slippers on the street now called the Via dell’Abbondanza (Pompeii’s most heavily trafficked thoroughfare), was therefore a social act that involved the public performance of (aspirational?) power and status. This lecture discusses how shopping behavior conveyed sociocultural meaning in Roman society and highlights the social and communicative functions of a Roman shop-space.

Desert Kites—the Enigmatic Trap from the Air and on the Ground.
2024-02-16 14:00 (America/Chicago) | Spurlock Museum Auditorium, UIUC Campus, 600 South Greogory, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States
Kershaw lecture

Peabody Museum Tours Led by Harvard Students
2024-02-18 11:00 - 11:45, 2024-02-25 11:00 - 11:45 (America/New_York) | Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
Sundays at 11:00 am October 1, 2023–April 21, 2024. See blackout dates.* Regular museum admission rates apply. Free museum admission for Massachusetts residents every Sunday morning (year-round) from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Proof of residency required. Free museum admission is not available to commercial groups.
*Blackout dates: November 24–26, 2023; December 4, 2023–January 21, 2024; and March 9–17, 2024.
Tours by Harvard students connect visitors with the research, teaching, and Indigenous engagement surrounding the cultural heritage in the museum’s care. How do items come to the museum? Who accesses them and how do items return home?
Visitors may drop in at the scheduled times. No reservation is required. Tours meet in the lobby and last approximately 45 minutes.
Tours for groups of ten or more may be scheduled at these and other times.
Photo: EJSP Visual | Julieta Sarmiento

Archaeology, Museums, and War in the 21st Century
2024-02-19 18:00 (America/Chicago) | WEBINAR (Minneapolis – St. Paul), Minneapolis, MN
Santen lecture

Dignity and Social Control through Burial Practices in Ancient Rome
2024-02-22 16:30 (America/New_York) | WEBINAR (Pittsburgh), Pittsburgh, PA

Ancient Greek Magic with Dr. Jessica Lamont
2024-02-22 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Phoenix)
Ancient Greek Magic
Jessica L. Lamont, PhD
Assistant Professor of Classics & History
Yale University Department of Classics
This talk explores different types of archaeological and material evidence for the practice of magic in the ancient Greek world, from binding spells to curse tablets to incantations.
Zoom Registrations Link: https://asu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrcOyhpjIjHdKS0QhImhdu_R_d9QkeH7A7

The World of the Ancient Greek Potters: Skills, Spaces, Social Networks
2024-02-23 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | ARTS 1341, UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, 93106

Ruling Culture: Art Police, Tomb Robbers, and the Italian Model of Cultural Heritage
2024-02-23 17:00 (America/New_York) | Reuben-Cooke Building, Room 130, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, United States
Visitor parking is available. Parking Garage 4/Bryan Center lots are closest to Reuben-Cooke Hall, which is located on the southeast side of Davison Quad.

Status and Gender in Hawaiian House Complexes
2024-02-24 13:00 - 14:30 (America/Denver)
Abstract:
Exploring the material culture of Hawaiian house sites is vital for a better understanding of ancestral social structures. Traditional household spaces were designed around the the ‘ai kapu (taboo) system of sanctions that governed social interaction to accommodate daily subsistence and production activities. Results indicate a distinct post-1650 C.E. intra-site distribution of faunal remains that is concomitant with status and potentially gender food consumption. This patterning, however, does not ideally match the model derived from ethnographic descriptions.
Bio:
Michael J. Kolb (Ph.D. 1991, UCLA) is Professor of Anthropology at Metropolitan State University and Presidential Teaching Professor Emeritus at Northern Illinois University. His research focuses on ancient and historical household and political economies and the building of monumental architecture. He has published, amongst other things, on the labor energetics in medieval Sicily, prehistoric Europe, and Oceania. His most recent book is Making Sense of Monuments (London 2020).

Blood Antiquities: Tomb Raiders, Art Smugglers and the Black Market in Cultural Treasures
2024-02-25 11:30 (America/New_York) | Webinar (Long Island)
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Environmental Histories of the Ancient Mediterranean in Ten Objects
2024-02-25 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Sabin Hall Room G90 on the UWM Campus, 3413 North Downer, corner of Newport and Downer Avenues, Milwaukee, WI, 53211, United States

Fighting Processes Of Historical Erasure In Louisiana: Climate Change, Industrial Development, And Cultural Heritage
2024-02-27 17:00 (America/Phoenix) | Haury Building Rm 215, University of Arizona, Tucson, 85721, United States
Stone lecture

Archaeology-Hour Livestream: Nam Kim. “'Barbarians,' Bronzes, and the Legendary Capital of Ancient Vietnam"
2024-02-28 17:00 - 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Walla Walla University, Admin Bldg 116, 204 S College Ave, College Place, WA, 99324, United States
Vietnamese lore records that over two thousand years ago, the Red River Valley of northern Vietnam was home to powerful indigenous kingdoms, fortified capitals, and exquisite bronze craftsmanship. In contrast, the neighboring Chinese Han Empire claimed the region was inhabited by unsophisticated “barbarians” in need of “civilizing,” prompting imperial annexation of the region. This lecture explores the region’s archaeological record and what it means for scholarly debates, as well as for Vietnam’s national imagination, cultural heritage, and descendant identities.
Please join us for this livestream presentation.

AIA Archaeology Hour with Nam C. Kim
2024-02-28 20:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York)
Join the AIA for a fascinating evening as Nam C. Kim (University of Wisconsin-Madison) presents “Barbarians”, Bronzes, and the Legendary Capital of Ancient Vietnam.
This presentation will be given at 8pm Eastern/7pm Central/6pm Mountain/5pm Pacific.
Vietnamese lore tells us that over two thousand years ago the Red River Valley of northern Vietnam was home to powerful indigenous kingdoms, fortified capitals, and exquisite bronze craftsmanship. In contrast, the neighboring Chinese Han Empire claimed the region was inhabited by unsophisticated “barbarians” in need of “civilizing”, prompting imperial annexation of the region. This lecture explores the region’s archaeological record and what it means for scholarly debates, as well as for Vietnam’s national imagination, cultural heritage, and descendant identities.

Unmarked Grave Search of Dedan Kimathi Utilizing Archaeological Geophysical Techniques
2024-02-29 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | LOUICE LEAKEY AUDITORIUM, Address: Kipande Rd, Nairobi, Nairobi, county of nairobi, 40658- 00100. Nairobi,Kenya., Kenya
The “Unmarked Grave Search of Dedan Kimathi Utilizing Archaeological Geophysical Techniques” workshop, set to take place at the prestigious Louise Leakey Auditorium on February 29th, 2024, is a groundbreaking event aimed at leveraging advanced geophysical methods to uncover the final resting place of one of Kenya’s most revered freedom fighters, Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi.
This workshop represents a collaborative effort between leading experts in the fields of geophysics and archaeology, united in their quest to shed light on this historical mystery. Through a combination of theoretical discussions, practical demonstrations, and hands-on exercises, participants will delve into the intricacies of archaeological geophysical techniques and their application in locating unmarked graves.
The significance of this endeavor cannot be overstated. Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi played a pivotal role in Kenya’s struggle for independence, symbolizing the resilience and determination of the Kenyan people in the face of oppression. Yet, the exact whereabouts of his grave remain unknown, leaving an important chapter of Kenya’s history shrouded in uncertainty.
By harnessing the power of cutting-edge geophysical technologies such as ground-penetrating radar, electromagnetic surveys, and resistivity imaging, participants will embark on a journey to unravel this mystery and honor the legacy of Dedan Kimathi. Under the guidance of seasoned experts, attendees will learn how these techniques can penetrate beneath the earth’s surface, revealing hidden structures and anomalies that may indicate the presence of a gravesite.
Moreover, this workshop serves as a testament to the enduring spirit of collaboration and innovation within the scientific community. By bringing together professionals from diverse backgrounds, it fosters an environment of interdisciplinary exchange and collective problem-solving. Through shared knowledge and expertise, participants will explore new avenues for advancing the field of archaeological geophysics while paying homage to Kenya’s rich cultural heritage.
As participants engage in lively discussions and hands-on activities, they will gain valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities inherent in the search for unmarked graves. Ultimately, the “Unmarked Grave Search of Dedan Kimathi Utilizing Archaeological Geophysical Techniques” workshop represents a significant step forward in the quest to uncover the truth behind this historical enigma and ensure that the legacy of Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi endures for generations to come.

Unmarked Grave Search of Dedan Kimathi Utilizing Archeological Geophysical Techniques
2024-02-29 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | LOUICE LEAKEY AUDITORIUM, Address: Kipande Rd, Nairobi, Nairobi, county of nairobi, 40658- 00100. Nairobi,Kenya., Kenya
