September 18, 2024
Investigate southwestern Europe’s most extraordinary prehistoric caves, including Lascaux IV, a new, exact reproduction of one of the most remarkable prehistoric sites ever discovered; Altamira II, a precise replica of the original that is often called the “Sistine Chapel of Prehistoric Art”; Atapuerca, the most significant early human site in western Europe; Las Monedas Cave and Cueva del Castillo, where 455 animal likenesses were painted and engraved some 22,000-14,000 years ago, but other motifs such…
September 20, 2023
Travel with world-renowned archaeological author Paul Bahn, a gifted and popular lecturer who regularly leads tours to study the prehistory of Spain and France, including this program. Dr. Bahn will enhance your understanding of the sites with lectures and informal discussions. Investigate southwestern Europe’s most extraordinary prehistoric caves, including Lascaux IV, a new, exact reproduction of one of the most remarkable prehistoric sites ever discovered; Altamira II, a precise replica of the original that is…
June 11, 2027
Join an expert-led journey around Easter Island (Rapa Nui) and through northern Chile to explore Polynesian and pre-Columbian archaeology and history, guided by renowned prehistorian and longtime AIA tour leader Paul Bahn. Marvel at some of the most remarkable reminders of the local ancient cultures—such as moai (monumental statues) and geoglyphs (figures etched into or built on the Earth’s surface)—in person, with expert insights that bring their contexts to life. We will mull over the…
May 21 @ 1:00 pm
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…
March 1 @ 2:00 pm
Speaker: Paul Caetano Further details to come
March 31 @ 7:30 pm
About the lecture: Five extensive seasons of archaeological fieldwork have yielded a veritable treasure trove of new information about the long, complex history of the city of Bukhara, which was once a key node along the fabled “Silk Roads.” This presentation will introduce new data derived from finds and observations made at a series of fortifications, various kinds of dwellings, workshops, and burial contexts. They speak to a wide range of historical phenomena and problems,…
A professor of ancient art history and a classical archaeologist, Prof. Jenifer Neils is an expert on the ancient Mediterranean. An indefatigable lecturer and traveler, she has served as study leader for more than a dozen trips to ancient sites across the Mediterranean, from North Africa to Turkey. Prof. Neils traveled extensively throughout Crete, the Greek islands, and mainland Greece in her role as the first woman Director of the American School of Classical Studies…
November 15 @ 2:00 pm
Speaker: Odette Boivin (University of Toronto) - focuses on archival, everyday Babylonian documents and historiographic sources. Robert Koldewey and his team excavated in Babylon between 1899 and 1917, carrying out foundational work for our understanding of the city of Babylon and contributing to develop and establish archaeological standards in the early days of the discipline. As an Assyriologist, Dr. Odette Boivin had the opportunity to work on a few hundreds of cuneiform tablets from the…
October 18 @ 2:00 pm
From the 5th through the 8th centuries, the Nebo region became the home of numerous religious and secular communities. The region was dotted with both ascetic and communal monasteries that were interspersed with larger urban centres and smaller rural villages. By focusing on the results of the 2026 field season of the Town of Nebo Archaeological Project, this lecture will explore how these different communities may have interacted with and benefitted from each other. Speaker:…
January 19, 2027 @ 6:30 pm
Paul Duran (City of Santa Fe, Historic Preservation Division) In 1986, the City of Santa Fe established the archaeological ordinance in support of preserving the past for the future. Public education and preservation were hallmarks of the ordinance. Today, the archaeological ordinance is tied to construction permits and development of Santa Fe's infrastructure. Given the recent Santa Fe Forward initiative, how will archaeologists continue to preserve the past for the future while meeting today’s needs?…
Seth Pevnick is the Alexander Durn Curator of Greek and Roman Art and Chair of Art of the Ancient Mediterranean, Africa, and Europe to 1800, and Decorative Art at the Cleveland Museum of Art, where he has worked since 2019. His primary responsibilities include researching, presenting, and augmenting the collection of art of the ancient Mediterranean world, including Greece, Rome, Egypt, and the ancient Near East. Pevnick has curated numerous exhibitions, including Poseidon and the…
October 9
Travel with us beyond classical Türkiye, with its monumental, Greco-Roman ruins and Aegean sea backdrops. Find more history–and prehistory–amid the beauty of southeastern Türkiye, on a route less traveled, between Tarsus, the birthplace of St. Paul, and Diyarbakır, set along the banks of the famous Tigris River that helped form the cradle of civilization. Along the way you will see the world’s earliest monumental temples, dating back over 10,000 years; explore excellent archaeological and mosaic…
January 18 @ 2:00 pm
Speaker: Chelsea A.M. Gardner (Acadia University) The Mani peninsula is the literal (geographical) and metaphorical “end of the world”, since it occupies the southernmost point of mainland Greece and the mythical entrance to Hades, the ancient Greek underworld. Mani’s occupation history includes being home to the earliest hominid caves in Greece up to modern tower-houses and intergenerational feuding. I have been working in Mani since 2012, and this talk will introduce Mani, its liminality, and…
Sharon R. Stocker has worked on archaeological projects in the U.S. and Greece and, since 1996, has been directing archaeological excavations at Pylos and in Albania. Since 2011 she has lived year-round in Pylos, where she is an honorary citizen, initially to direct a U. of Cincinnati team collaborating with the Greek Ministry of Culture in improving touristic facilities at the Palace of Nestor. That collaboration resulted in the construction of the magnificent shelter that…
February 8 @ 2:00 pm
Speaker: Laura Banducci – Carleton University This project involves the re-studying and digitization of artefacts from several assemblages from Lake Leamy Park, at the confluence of the Ottawa and Gatineau Rivers. This was a central meeting place from the earliest days of human occupation of the region, yet the materials are not well-published or easily accessible. National Capital Commission archaeologists and members of Carleton University are working together to bring decades of archaeological investigation in…
November 9, 2025 @ 2:00 pm
Speaker: Susan Downie – Carleton University The ancient Greek city-state of Sparta has never really left the imagination of western civilization. From political philosophers like Plato and Aristotle to modern political parties such as Greece’s Χρυσή Αυγή “Golden Dawn”, the Spartan state and its citizens have represented an ideal for which to strive. What elements of the ancient Spartan state and society have made it the poster-child for modern Totalitarianism? Given the significant problems with…
Zominthos was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in July 2025. The ancient Minoans are best known as seafarers, but excavations at the site of Zominthos, nestled in a plateau on Mt. Ida, Crete’s highest mountain, have shown that they were also highlanders. This important second-millennium B.C. site, located about 1,200 meters (nearly 4,000 feet) above sea level, lies on the ancient route between the palace at Knossos, the Minoans’ primary administrative center, and the…
Travel with us beyond classical Türkiye, with its monumental, Greco-Roman ruins and Aegean sea backdrops. Find more history–and prehistory–amid the beauty of southeastern Türkiye, on a route less traveled, between Tarsus, the birthplace of St. Paul, and Diyarbakır, set along the banks of the famous Tigris River that helped form the cradle of civilization. Along the way you will see the world’s earliest monumental temples, dating back over 10,000 years; explore excellent archaeological and mosaic…
January 26, 2025 @ 2:00 pm
Professor Crist will demonstrate how AI-driven play, when combined with traditional archaeological methods, can provide new insights about ancient games. Contact AIA Ottawa for Zoom code at aiaottawachapter@gmail.com.
November 18, 2024
For the first time, the Polychromy Round Table will take place outside Europe, in the United States, where ancient polychromy studies have a long history. Building upon the encouraging experiences in Berlin (2020) and Rome (2022), this meeting will explore considerable developments, focused research projects, and a growing interest in the topic that characterize the field. Interdisciplinary collaboration within the humanities, conservation science, and natural sciences over recent decades have been of decisive importance and…
