April 2024 – Archaeology News and Announcements

On April 23, 2024

In Fieldwork Opportunity

The Past to Present Archaeology Group is hosting a summer field school at Bondi Cave in Georgia. Bondi Cave is a Palaeolithic cave located in the basin of the Rioni-Kvirila Rivers, in the Imereti region in north-western Georgia, and is one of few cave sites which documents the transition between the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic, cataloguing the demise of the Neanderthals and their replacement by Homo sapiens between 45 and 35 ka BP. To date, the cave has only received limited attention with the excavation of a single trench recording deposits back to the Later Middle Palaeolithic. The Caucasus possesses numerous examples of similiar sites that contain much older artefacts and deposits such as Tsona and Kudaro in Georgia, and Azykh in Azerbaijan. Therefore, it is hypothesised that Bondi Cave may date further back in time to the Lower Palaeolithic.

Situated 10km south west of Bondi Cave, lies an open plateau that following a programme of test-pitting in 2021 has produced numerous Lower and Middle Palaeolithic artefacts including Levallois cores, flakes, tools and handaxes. The area of recovery is quite extensive and possesses multiple outcrops of good quality volcanic raw materials. The site has the potential to be extremely rich, which will be extremely important for helping archaeologists understand how hominins exploited and occupied this fascinating landscape.

This summer, Past to Present Archaeology alongside Dr Niko Tushabramishvili and Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia, launch a new research initiative to undertake excavations at both Bondi Cave and Kakheti open site to expand on previous excavations, to explore and document Neanderthal evolutionary history, discover evidence for the Lower Palaeolithic and study extensive artefact bearing deposits in a beautiful open landscape. This is an exciting fieldschool opportunity to excavate rich Palaeolithic deposits and contribute to the understanding of human evolution in the Caucasus. Participants have a choice of site and even have an opportunity to receive expert archaeological training by industry professionals.

Students will learn:

Single-context excavation and recording
Maintaining accurate site records
Archaeological photography
Archaeological interpretation and sequencing
Drawing archaeological plans and sections to appropriate scales
Archaeological survey
Artefact retrieval and finds cataloguing
Lithic identification and typological analysis
Environmental sampling strategies
Site conduct and health and safety considerations

Students may choose to be a part of the the project for one to four weeks, allowing the field school to be financially flexible. For more information on how to join this field season, follow this link.

Field School | Methods and Practices of Archaeological Excavation

In Fieldwork Opportunity

Are you interested in hands-on experience in archaeological research or Greek archaeology? This summer, the American College of Thessaloniki (ACT) is hosting a 2024 Summer Field School course “Anthropology 215: Methods and Practices of Archaeological Excavation” in Thessaloniki, Greece/ It will offer a survey of methodological approaches to the investigation and interpretation of past societies with an emphasis on excavation practices.

In 5 weeks, students will earn 5 credits, while having the ability to immerse themselves in the inspiring city of Thessaloniki. The class breakdown will have a three-week in-class teaching component and then two weeks of outdoor excavation and laboratory practicum opportunities at the site of Toumba.

The application deadline for the Summer 2024 semester is Friday, May 17th. Students can submit their application/ learn about the process here. To apply, please see your home institution’s internal deadline and application process first.

If you have any additional questions about the program, reach out to Dr. Maria Kyriakidou, Chair of Humanities and Social Sciences (markyria@act.edu); if you have questions about the application process, reach out to the Associate Director of Enrollment for North America, Angel Elvin (elvin@act.com), or Keshon Kindred, the regional Admissions Counselor and Coordinator (keshon@act.edu)

To see a video testimonial on last year’s field season, follow this link!

Call for Papers | Collecting Her Thoughts: Lightning Talks on Women Art Collectors Across Time

In CFP

10 Buildings to Know at Boston U - OneClass Blog

Boston University’s departments in History of Art & Architecture and Archaeology are currently open for submissions for their conference entitled “Collecting Her Thoughts: Lightning Talks on Women Art Collectors Across Time.”

In his introduction to 19’s 2021 issue on women collectors, Tom Stammers writes that “the renewed study of female collectors promises to reconfigure the history of art and the history of gender alike.” Across time, women’s access to the social and financial resources necessary to collect art has been different from that of their male counterparts, often more limited. Both because of and in spite of these limitations, women have served as art patrons, developed ideologically and materially expansive collections, and promoted art in public arenas. Yet, women collectors have been systematically excluded from museum and curatorial studies, perhaps in part because their collections and practices may manifest differently.

For this graduate student colloquium, we seek brief, 10-minute lightning talks that take up the theme of women art collectors. How does the study of female collectors challenge and expand existing museum studies scholarship? Who were these women, and why did they collect? How might a private or domestic collecting practice differ from a public-facing curatorial project?

Possible subjects include, but are not limited to:

Women collectors, women archaeologists, women’s collecting circles
Women’s roles in taste-making and national identity formation
Museum formation, overlooked contributions to museum studies
Domestic collecting and decoration, revisiting the “separate spheres” phenomenon
Women’s philanthropy, collecting as activism
Feminist curatorial practice
Intersectional perspectives of women collectors and museum practice
Barriers or opportunities for women’s art acquisition
New methodologies or approaches to collection, revising gendered collecting terminology

The coordinators welcome submissions from graduate students in the disciplines of art history, archaeology, literary studies, queer and gender studies, history, English, cultural studies, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, museum studies, and related fields. Projects at all stages, including works in progress are welcome, as this will be a space for community and conversation.

Submission Information

Submit a 150-word abstract and a current CV to dadonato@bu.edu by April 26, 2024. The organizers will be in touch by May 3. Unfortunately, they are not able to provide financial support for travel.

This colloquium is organized by Danarenae Donato, Ilaria Trafficante, and Toni Armstrong at Boston University. It is supported by Boston University’s History of Art and Architecture Department, Archaeology Department, and the Women’s and Gender Studies Department.

Providence Preservation Society | Hacking Heritage UnConference

Providence Preservation Society is excited to announce that the 6th Annual Hacking Hertiage UnConference is returning this Saturday, April 13. This one-day, participant-led gathering is open to anyone with an interest in exploring questions about community history, heritage, and preservation together with neighbors. Pop-up conversations invite questions and debate about how and why we protect, interpret, manage, and market our cultural heritage that may be uncomfortable, provocative, critical, or, as one of our steering committee members put it, just plain weird. It is a place to gather and talk together about things like experimental preservation, marginalized stories, historic houses, monuments, sites of conscience, and digital heritage.

Never been to an unconference before? All of the sessions are proposed and led by participants and don’t need to follow any particular format. They can be discussions, but they can also be a space for collaboration on a new project with new partners, or a community art-making workshop. All participants are welcome to submit session proposals in advance or at the event.

April 13 // 9:30 am – 1:00 pm

$10 suggested donation

ARIT Hybrid Lecture: Art and Archaeology in Turkey

The American Research Institute in Turkey is hosting a series of hybrid lectures entitled Art and Archaeology in Turkey. See information below on the upcoming lecture.

“The Flavian Building Programme in Asia Minor: The Age of Vespasian” | A hybrid lecture by Deniz Berk Tokbudak [Karamanoğlu Mehmet Bey University, Karaman
Turkish American Association (TAA) / Türk Amerikan Derneği (TAD) in Ankara]. Monday, April 15, 2024, 7:00 pm, 12:00 EDT. Register for the lecture here.

Exploring Central Anatolia (Galatia and Phrygia) On the Road with The Byzantine Legacy | A hybrid lecture by David Hendrix [Turkish American Assocation (TAA) / Türk Amerikan Derneği (TAD) in Ankara]. Monday, April 29, 2024, 7:00 pm, 12:00 pm EDT. Register for the lecture here.

For more information on the American Research Institute in Turkey, see their website here.

Virtual Book Discussion: Coptic Culture and Community

The American University in Cairo (AUC) Press is hosting a virtual discussion of their new publication, Coptic Culture and Community: Daily Lives, Changing Times. Edited by Mariam F. Ayad, this volume brings together leading experts from a range of disciplines to examine aspects of the daily lived experiences of Egypt’s Coptic Christian minority from late Antiquity to the present. In doing so, it serves as a supplement and a corrective to institutional or theological narratives, which are generally rooted in studying the wielders of historical power and control.

Coptic Culture and Community reveals the humanity of the Coptic tradition, giving granular depth to how Copts have lived their lives through and because of their faith for two thousand years. The first three sections consider in turn the breadth of the daily life approach, perspectives on poverty and power in a variety of different contexts, as well as matters of identity and persecution. The final section reflects on the global Coptic diaspora, bringing themes studied for the early Coptic Church into dialog with Coptic experiences today. These broad categories help to link fundamental questions of socio-religious history with unique aspects of Coptic culture and its vibrant communities of individuals.

The virtual book talk will take place on Tuesday April 16, 2024 at 8pm Cairo Time (7pm London, 2pm NY EST) on zoom. To register for the book discussion, please follow this link. It will also be streamed live on Facebook at this link. Browse the catalog of other publications at AUC Press here.

Society of Black Archaeologists | April Newsletter

The Society of Black Archaeology (SBA) has released their April newsletter! See below for some highlights from their announcements, as well as more information on how to get involved.

Updates

2024 Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology | The 89th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology will take place on April 17-21, 2024. Many members of the SBA will be attending and are planning to get together for dinner! Email Jordan Daivs [secretary@societyofblackarchaeologists.com] to let them know if you are interested in attending or will be in town!

African American Burial Grounds Preservation Program | The SBA is asking for your help in getting the African American Burial Grounds Preservation Program S.3667 and H.R.6805) approved appropriation from Congress to implement the program! The program establishes a $3 million annual grant program to aid preservation and research of African American burial grounds across the country, protecting invaluable sites of community and memory. The SBA asks for you to contact your Congressperson to approve the $3 million dollar budget and visit the National Trust for Historic Preservation page to write a letter of support that will be sent immediately to your State Representative.

Opportunities

The University of Missouri Research Reactor’s Archaeometry Laboratory | This workshop is to provide historical archaeologists with fundamental skills in archaeological sciences. It will take place from August 5th-8th, 2024. The workshop is open to graduate students and early career researchers in historical archaeology; attendees do not need previous experiences with archaeological science. The workshop is in person, and will be held in Columbia, Missouri. Each attendee will be reimbursed for up to $600 in travel and housing expenses. To find out more information, as well as how to apply to the workshop, please see this link. Questions may be sent to Matt Greer at mcgkkb@missouri.edu.

For more information on opportunities exclusive to SBA members, as well as how to get involved with the Society of Black Archaeologists, please visit the SBA website here.

Call for Papers | The Connected Past: Religious Networks in Antiquity

On April 3, 2024

In CFP

The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada is currently open for paper submissions for their October 2024 conference entitled The Connected Past: Religious Networks in Antiquity. The organizing committee, comprised of The Connected Past, The Society for Ancient Mediterranean Religions, and researchers at The University of British Columbia, invites scholars to submit abstracts for 20-minute papers that explore the intersections of network science, social network analysis, network theory, archaeology, and ancient religions.

Network approaches are used by archaeologists and historians as tools to model relational ties between individuals and groups in the past as key predictors of historical outcomes. The growing uptake of these approaches comes in an era recently dubbed the “Third Science Revolution” (Kristiansen 2014), where the advancement of Big Data and computational techniques have revolutionized the types and amounts of information at our fingertips and our means of analyzing and visualizing its patterns. This workshop and conference aim to build bridges between often divergent disciplinary skillsets: the quantitative and computational side of network analysis and the qualitative questions and explanations that undergird network theory alongside historical and archaeological work.

A special area of focus for the conference will be the application of network perspectives to the emergence and spread of religious beliefs and practices, positioning these phenomena as deeply intertwined with the human and material connections that comprised the ancient world. Religion has often been regarded as both an intensely local and intensely transcultural force for ancient communities. Now, at the digital frontiers of the twenty-first century, the resurgent interests in large-scale questions on human development have opened up new opportunities to study religion from relational and quantitative perspectives combined with deep qualitative and historical approaches developed in the humanities. Possible themes to investigate include:

Modeling religious diffusions
Networks and religious identities
Networks and collective memory
Networking myth
Religion, networks, and social complexity
Networks and materiality
Communities of (religious) practice
Knowledge networks and religious practice
Networks, rituals, and power
Network science techniques and humanities pedagogy

Specifics: Please submit abstracts of 300-400 words to connectedpast2024@gmail.com by March 24th April 5th 2024. Notification of acceptance will be in mid-April 2024. Please direct any questions to the above email address or email megan.daniels@ubc.ca. Please see this link for more information.

Conference registration will open in May, with more detailed information on the workshop that will precede the conference. We endeavour to provide fair and accessible registration fees. Registration costs will range from $50-100 CAD (concessionary, regular).

Optional workshop on network science to take place prior to the conference on UBC Vancouver Campus, Oct. 2nd-3rd 2024. Schedule and registration TBA. Workshop seats will be limited.

This workshop and conference is sponsored by The Connected Past, The Society for Ancient Mediterranean Religions, UBC Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies, The UBC Centre for Computational Social Sciences, Green College UBC, The UBC Centre for Migration Studies, The UBC Public Humanities Hub, UBC History, UBC Anthropology, the Vancouver Chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America, and UBC Advanced Research Computing

Institute for Advanced Study | Unearthing the Past at IAS

On April 3, 2024