If you participated in Finding Medina I (or even if you didn’t), you’ll want to read on.  We ran the musket balls and a few other artifacts from our second survey site through an XRF machine at Texas State University.  Three of them came back to be spot-on metallurgic matches with the Blue Wing burial ball! 

Some of you know that the so-called Blue Wing burial featured the partial remains of a young male with a 1.18″ lead ball embedded in his neck (so not a musket ball).  Based on the date of the buttons, the size of the ball, and the burial location these remains have been associated with the Battle of Medina or at least the wider campaign since they were excavated in 1968.  We had a lot of discussions in the field at Finding Medina I about whether or not the musket balls we found were from the battle…this may have given us our answer.  The results from the first season have got us very excited about what Finding Medina II might reveal! 

The first season of fieldwork benefited from the historical expertise (and fundraising!) of Brandon Seale, the vast field experience of consultant Kay Hindes, and a strong partnership with the Center for Archaeological Research, University of Texas at San Antonio.  All of these will remain in place for Finding Medina II.  For a great summary of where we are and how we got here, check out Brandon’s podcast referenced here.

The Getty Villa Scholars program will examine relations between the Greek cities of western Asia Minor and Anatolian civilizations from the 2nd millennium to the Roman Imperial period. In the Late Bronze Age, diplomatic ties linked the Hittite and Luwian kingdoms with the Mycenaeans at Miletos. During the 7^th and 6^th centuries BCE, the eastern Greeks were at the forefront of revolutionary advances in the arts, monumental architecture, poetry, philosophy, history, and the natural sciences. This “Ionian Enlightenment,” however, culminated within a dynamic cultural and political setting alongside Phrygia, Lydia, Caria, and Lycia, which had already emerged as regional powers over the previous two centuries. Subject to Persian rule after 547 BCE, Greek and Anatolian communities redefined their own identities until the conquest of Alexander the Great and the advent of Roman rule once again transformed the cultural landscapes of the entire region. 

The 2023–2024 Getty Villa Scholars Program launches a two-year initiative on the interconnectivities that conditioned relations between East Greeks and their Anatolian neighbors, and the consequent impact on the wider Mediterranean. Priority will be given to research projects that explore multidisciplinary approaches to art and material culture, texts, and other sources. 

Deadline: 1 November 2022 

How to Apply: 

Research theme statements are available online at : https://www.getty.edu/research/scholars/

Detailed instructions, eligibility requirements, and application forms are available online at: www.getty.edu/foundation/apply. 

Residential grants and fellowships are available for scholars at all stages of their careers: 

❖ Getty scholar grants for established scholars who have attained distinction in their fields 

❖ Getty postdoctoral fellowships  

SASA Virtual Conference (August 14 & 15, 2022)

The Save Ancient Studies Alliance’s (SASA) Virtual Conference, titled “Opening the Ancient World: ‘Who Has the Power? Leaders and Leadership in the Ancient World,” will take place virtually on Sunday, August 14 through Monday, August 15th (10:00AM to 6:00PM EDT).

To register, please visit the conference website and RSVP.

Questions can be directed to conference@saveancientstudies.org.

Black Southern Studies Working Group Virtual Meet and Greet (August 15, 2022)

There is still time to register to join the Black Southern Studies Working Group, a new collaborative space for scholars across disciplines working on/in the “Black South,” broadly.

To join or ask questions, please email kam@dslprojects.org.

A Virtual Meet & Greet for the working group will be held virtually this upcoming Monday, August 15 at 11:00AM EST.

We are less than a 100 days away from celebrating the centennial of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb!

Grab your seat by registering now to ARCE’s “Transcending Eternity: The Centennial Tutankhamun” conference in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities taking place in Luxor from the 4th to the 6th of November.

In this 3-day conference, the keynote speech will be delivered on the evening of November 4 by renowned Egyptologist and former Minister of Antiquities, Dr. Zahi Hawass. The first session will include presentations by Lord George Carnarvon and Lady Fiona Carnarvon, the descendants of Lord George Herbert the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, who sponsored Howard Carter’s excavation of the tomb of Tutankhamun. The aim of this conference is to celebrate the centennial of this iconic discovery by contextualizing it and presenting the latest research on Tutankhamun, his tomb, and its contents.