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The Aram Society for Syro-Mesopotamian Studies is hosting a series of conferences in July of 2024. Information on the different conferences can be found below

Alcohol in the Ancient Near East 3000 BC – 700 AD

Dates: June 3o – July 2, 2025

Transmission and Innovation: Scientific, technological and religious thought in the Ancient Near East (3000 BC – 700 AD), and its Fifty-Seventh International Conference, Part I, will study the theme of Alcohol in the Ancient Near East on 30th June – 2nd July 2025, at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, the University of Oxford, UK. The theme will include many disciplines, such as the alcohol industry, medicine, physics, chemistry, history, archaeology, art, religion, and mythology.

The conference will start on Monday 30th June at 9am, finishing on Wednesday 2nd July at 1pm. Each speaker’s paper is limited to 45 minutes, with an additional 15 minutes for discussion. All papers given at the conference will be considered for publication in a future edition of the ARAM Periodical, subject to editorial review. If you wish to participate in the conference, please contact the ARAM Society, the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Oxford, Pusey Lane, Oxford OX1 2LE, UK. Tel. 01865-514041 Email: aram@ames.ox.ac.uk

Religious Offerings and Sacrifices in the Ancient Near East 3000 BC – 700 AD

Dates: July 2 – July 4, 2025

ARAM Society for Syro-Mesopotamian Studies is organizing its Fifty-Seventh International Conference, Part II, on Religious Offerings and Sacrifices in the Ancient Near East 3000 BC – 700 AD, 2nd -4th July 2025, at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, the University of Oxford, UK.

The conference will start on Wednesday 2nd July at 4pm, finishing on Friday 4th July at 6pm. Each speaker’s paper is limited to 45 minutes, with an additional 15 minutes for discussion. All papers given at the conference will be considered for publication in a future edition of the ARAM Periodical, subject to editorial review. If you wish to participate in the conference, please contact the ARAM Society, the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Oxford, Pusey Lane, Oxford OX1 2LE, England. Tel. 01865-514041 Email: aram@ames.ox.ac.uk

The Armenians BC: History and Archaeology

Dates: July 14 – 15, 2025

ARAM Society for Syro-Mesopotamian Studies is organizing its Fifty-Eighth International Conference (Part I) on the Aramaeans BC: History and Archaeology, to be held at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Easter Studies, the University of Oxford, on 14th – 15th July 2025.
The conference will start on Monday, July 14th at 9am, finishing on Tuesday 15th July at 6pm.

Each speaker’s paper is limited to 45 minutes, with an additional 15 minutes for discussion. All papers given at the conference will be considered for publication in a future edition of the ARAM Periodical, subject to editorial review. If you wish to participate in the conference, please contact the ARAM Society, Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Oxford, Pusey Lane, Oxford OX1 2LE, UK. Tel. 01865-514041 Email: aram@ames.ox.ac.uk

JIAAW PhD Candidate Liza Davis’ Work Highlighted on The Brown Daily Herald

In In the News

Liza Davis, a PhD candidate at the Institute, has had her work highlighted by The Brown Daily Herald! The article discusses her summer fieldwork at Antiochia ad Cragum, Rome; while there, she excavated a structure called East Church and found a cistern containing the remains of two individuals. The article may be read on The Brown Daily Herald website, and to learn more about Liza Davis’ work visit her profile on the Institute’s website.

World Neolithic Congress | Logistics

In News and Events

The World Neolithic Congress is hosting their 2024 Annual Meeting in Sanliurfa, Türkiye. Individuals interested in registering and attending the event may see information on how to apply for a travel visa to Turkey, as well as ensure accommodations, at this link.

Information on the full program may be viewed here.

Hybrid Lecture | Forever Is Now: Contemporary Art at the Pyramids of Giza

In News and Events

Forever Is Now: Contemporary Art at the Pyramids of Giza

Wednesday, November 13, 6:00–7:00 pm ET | Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA

Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, Founder & Curator, CulturVator|Art D’Égypte

Forever Is Now is a contemporary art exhibition at the 4500-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Pyramids of Giza. Against the backdrop of ancient Egypt’s cultural heritage, the contemporary installations are a testament to the continual evolution of art, the transformative power of storytelling, and cross-cultural exchange. Join Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, founder of CulturVator|Art D’Égypte, to explore how contemporary art intersects with ancient history, and how artists from diverse backgrounds use this historical space to celebrate humanity’s timelessness and the search for meaning and connection in art.

Advance registration recommended for in-person and online attendance. Free admission. Free event parking at the 52 Oxford Street Garage.

Presented by the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East and the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture.

Geoarchaeological Courses Offered by the Wiener Lab

In Fieldwork Opportunity

The Malcolm H. Wiener Laboratory for Archaeological Science at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens is offering two independent programs in training in geoarchaeology. Dr. Panagiotis (Takis) Karkanas, Director of the Wiener Laboratory, and Dr. Paul Goldberg, Senior Visiting Professor, Institut für Naturwissenschaftliche Archäologie (INA), University of Tübingen will lead both courses.

Archaeological Soil and Sediment Micromorphology Course (May 19 – 23)

The program will primarily focus on deciphering site formation processes and micro-stratigraphy. Students will receive instruction in optical mineralogy, description, and interpretation of micromorphological thin sections based on analysis of soil fabrics and sedimentary microstructures.

Training will include the study of: Soils and pedogenic processes; Natural processes in archaeological sites (e.g. water and debris flows, wind-blown sediment, standing water sediment); Biological sediments (e.g., dung, coprolites, guano); Anthropogenic processes (e.g., burning, stabling, living and constructed floors, dumping and filling, trampling, raking, building materials); Post-depositional alterations (e.g., chemical diagenesis, bioturbation).

A maximum of 9 students will be accepted for the course. Preference is given to advanced students with a background in geoarchaeology, and preferably some exposure to optical mineralogy as well. Training fee is 500 euros for the entire week. Accommodation is not provided, but we will offer recommendations and assistance to course participants in order to arrange accommodation themselves.

The course will take place from May 19-23, 2025. Applications should be submitted via the online application form.

International Field School on Site Formation, Stratigraphy, and Geoarchaeology in the Athenian Agora (May 31 – June 7)

Registered students will be involved in interdisciplinary field research in the Athenian Agora primarily focused on archaeological context, geoarchaeology, and material sciences. Through field observations, laboratory analysis, and lectures, students will receive instruction in the study and analysis of archaeological sediments and deposits, as well as gain experience in the recording of stratigraphy and the understanding of site formation processes.

A maximum of 12 students will be accepted for the course. Preference is given to advanced students and post-docs with a background in archaeology, and preferably some exposure to the natural sciences. Training fee is 450 euros for the entire week. Accommodation is not provided, but we will offer recommendations and assistance to course participants in order to arrange accommodation themselves. The course will take place from May 31 – June 7, 2025. Applications should be submitted via the online application form.

Application Information

Applicants will complete an online application for their desired course(s) by the deadline, January 15, 2025. Applications will include a brief cover letter outlining the candidate’s background and interest in participating in the course, a CV, and names and email addresses of two referees. Referees might be contacted for references after the application deadline, if necessary. Applications for the International Field School will also submit a list of grades (unofficial transcript) as part of the application. Applicants will be notified before the end of February.

Participants who successfully complete a course of instruction will receive a certificate detailing the content of the course.

For more information on the courses and how to apply, please visit the applications webpage or email at application@ascsa.org.

Hispanic Heritage Month at the Institute | An Interview with Dr. Jordi Rivera Prince

On October 18, 2024

In Interviews

Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15) at the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World: An Interview with Dr. Jordi Rivera Prince

Note from the author: We recognize that the identities that make up “Latinidad” are complex. For the purposes of this interview, individuals who may identify as Latino/Latine/Latinx are referred to as “Latino(s)” unless otherwise specified by themselves. For more information on the origin of terms such as “Latinidad” and “Latinx,” please see this source by the University of Missouri’s Cambio Center.

For Hispanic Heritage Month the Joukowsky Institute had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Jordi Rivera Prince (she/her/ella), a Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow in the department of Anthropology and a Faculty Fellow at the Joukowsky Institute. Rivera Prince is a bioarchaeologist and mortuary archaeologist with a specialty in the coastal Andes. Her research specialties include fishing communities, social inequality, critical knowledge production, and equity in archaeological practice. However, she did not start out wanting to be a bioarchaeologist: when she started her first semester of undergrad at University of Pennsylvania, she immediately declared a degree in Biological Anthropology.

“I grew up when [the tv show] Bones was really popular, and I wanted to be Temperance Brennan [a forensic anthropologist],” Rivera Prince said, and recounted that she nearly finished all but one of her required credits by sophomore year. “I very much went into it!” When she graduated from UPenn, she received an internship with the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History working in their Physical Anthropology Section. It was on one of her first days on the job that she discovered a love for bioarchaeology; when present for the opening of individuals in cast iron coffins from Congressional Cemetery with the permission of their families, one of the Institution’s specialists who had done genealogical work showed Rivera Prince a photograph of the individual whose remains they were studying.

“That blew my mind,” Rivera Prince said, “[with bioarchaeology] I liked it because you are asking questions about people and exploring those questions through human remains,” the material remains of the people themselves. She pursued a Fulbright Open Research Fellowship after her year-long work at the Smithsonian, traveling to Perú to work with the Facultad de Arqueología de la Universidad Nacional de Trujillo. In 2020 she got her Masters in Anthropology from University of Florida, where she eventually got a PhD. Her dissertation was a bioarchaeological study of Salinar cemetery in Huanchaco, Moche Valley, Perú (ca. 400-200 BCE). She documents the life of Salinar fishing communities following the collapse of the Chavín sphere of influence, and the emergence of social inequality in Peru.

When asked about what drew her to this research, she reflects on how her childhood and culture impacts her work. Growing up ten minutes from the coast of Lake Michigan in the small town of Holland, Michigan, Rivera Prince’s life “has always been oriented towards water.” Her grandfather was a fisherman and taught her how to fish, and her family in the port city Acapulco, Mexico had instilled in her an appreciation for “how intimate water is in shaping worldviews.”

Her upbringing affirmed her passion for “[making] sure what I do is legible to the communities I am researching.” As a part of this mission, she publishes work in both Spanish and English, and pursues community-based archaeological projects such as her work on the North Coast of Perú. Furthermore, knowledge sharing and visibility of archaeologists of color is an important tenet of her archaeological practice. Rivera Prince had “never met an archaeologist” until she was in college, and realized that the inequality of who gets to conduct archaeological research goes deeper than in the present. “You cannot understand inequality in the past without understanding how inequality in the present [impacts the discipline].”

In the United States, approximately 5% of all doctorates awarded in archaeology go to individuals self-identified as Latino and US Citizens/residents, regardless of gender and race. (Rivera Prince 2024a; Rivera Prince 2024b) For Rivera Prince, a Mexican American woman of color, this lack of visibility in the discipline is something she is working to change. In her class ARCH 0500, Introduction to Anthropological Archaeology, she places an emphasis on teaching work by marginalized voices within the academic field. She exposes students new to the discipline to Indigenous Archaeologies, Black Feminist Archaeology, community archaeology, and much more. When asked why this is important to her, Rivera Prince replied: “I taught…all the things I wished I would have found sooner, I treated all of them as equal within the canon … if we want the discipline to grow and change for the better, this is something we can do within the classroom.”

“I do really love teaching,” Rivera Prince said, stating one of the proudest moments of her career has been reading the reflections of students from her ARCH 0500 class. Many students expressed “they understood how archaeology could be used to help their communities, and [that] they see themselves in archaeology in a way they couldn’t beforehand.” To her, that is a rewarding aspect of being an archaeologist.

Currently, Dr. Rivera Prince is conducting a series of community based projects, such the North Burial Ground Documentation Project being co-run with the Director of North Burial Ground Annalisa Heppner. For more information on Dr. Jordi Rivera Prince’s current research, please visit her personal website.

Written by Christina Miles (`25), Records and Collections Assistant at the JIAAW, and student of Anthropological Archaeology (A.B.) at Brown University. Christina studies mortuary landscapes and placemaking in Freedom Colonies of East Texas.

Position Announcement | Assistant Professor of Archaeology, tenure-track

In Position Announcements

Work type: Faculty Full-Time
Location: Denver, CO
Categories: Faculty
Division: Arts & Humanities/Social Sciences

The Department of Anthropology at the University of Denver invites applications for an assistant professor tenure-track position with an anticipated starting date of September 2025. They seek a candidate with specialization in North American Archaeology or Latin American Archaeology whose work addresses one or both of the following departmental priorities:

Archaeology: digital/emergent practices, and non-invasive archaeological methods. For example: lidar, drone-based data collection, integration with GIS, bridging heritage management and technology with descendant communities.
Heritage studies: Traditional ecological knowledge, folklore, oral history, digital archives/mapping, migration and mobility, critical heritage studies, natural resource use, or the application of heritage-based technologies or frameworks to archaeological practice.

The successful candidate will be encouraged to integrate the extant archaeological collections housed in the University of Denver Museum of Anthropology (DUMA) into their teaching and/or research. To do so, they may need to collaborate with faculty and staff outside the department for shared university resources (e.g., material analysis laboratories, GIS).

The successful candidate will teach five courses per year over three quarters (fall, winter, spring). The ideal candidate, in addition to courses in anthropology and their regional area of specialization, should be able to offer courses that are accessible and appealing to undergraduate students who represent a broad range of majors. They will also teach courses that provide methodological, analytical, and/or theoretical training for students in the MA program. Some upper-divisional courses will be open to a mix of advanced undergraduate and entry-level MA students. Interest in and the ability to teach community engaged and/or service learning courses would be welcomed. Candidates may also be asked to establish and teach an archaeological or applied field school.

Essential Functions

Teach five courses per year over three quarters (fall, winter, spring) that reflect candidate’s area of specialization.
Teach courses that serve the University’s common (general education) curriculum.
Contribute to the Department’s MA programs in archaeology, cultural anthropology, and/or museum and heritage studies.
Mentor and advise undergraduate and graduate students.
Work effectively with DUMA staff in making use of collections and other museum resources (such as the gallery).
Demonstrate knowledge of and ability to work effectively with diverse populations; implement inclusive excellence principles in the classroom.
Serve as a good academic citizen within the Department of Anthropology, the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, the University of Denver, the profession, and community beyond.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Advanced scholarly expertise (PhD level) in the field of archaeology or related field
Successful publication of peer-reviewed scholarship
Field experience in archaeological research, cultural heritage, and resource policy and management
Excellent skills in oral and written communication
Excellent teaching skills
Ability to interact constructively with a diverse population of faculty, staff, and undergraduate students.

Required Qualifications

Ph.D. in anthropology or other closely related field
Evidence of active research agenda and record of publication
Proven record of successful teaching experience

Preferred Qualifications

We seek qualified candidates who can contribute to our diversity and to the advancement of inclusive excellence through their teaching, research, and service.
The Department is particularly interested in candidates whose teaching and research focus on North America or Latin America. Must have demonstrated interest in and the ability to teach community engaged and/or service learning courses would be welcomed. Must have a strong commitment to department and university service

Application Deadline

For consideration, please submit your application materials by 4:00 p.m. (MST) October 25, 2024.

Candidates must apply online through jobs.du.edu to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted.

Salary Grade

The salary grade for this position is UC

Salary Range: The salary range for this position is $75,000-$80,000

The University of Denver has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The University may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information, but not based on a candidate’s sex or any other protected status.

Benefits: The University of Denver offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO pass. The University of Denver is a private institution that empowers students who want to make a difference. Learn more about the University of Denver.

Application Materials

Please include the following documents with your application:

Letter of application (including a statement of areas of research and teaching interest)
Curriculum Vitae
Teaching Philosophy
Separate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) statement – The University of Denver and the Department of Anthropology are committed to building a diverse and inclusive educational environment.
Applicants are requested to include in their cover letter and supporting materials information about how they will advance this commitment in their teaching.
Names and email addresses of three recommenders.

Uncovering Stars in an Egyptian Temple: The New Sky over Esna

Uncovering Stars in an Egyptian Temple: The New Sky over Esna

In News and Events

Free Hybrid Lecture

Wednesday, September 18, 6:00–7:00 pm ET.

Christian Leitz, Director of the Department of Egyptology, Institute for Ancient Near Eastern Studies (AINES), University of Tübingen, Germany

The pronaos of Esna is one of the last examples of ancient Egyptian temple architecture. In 2018, the University of Tübingen, in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, launched a complete restoration of the soot-covered pronaos. Six years later, the colorful astronomical ceiling and columns have been cleaned, uncovering nearly 200 ink inscriptions previously undescribed.

This lecture will give an overview of the astronomical ceiling, including the path of the sun and moon, stars used for keeping time, known and unknown Egyptian constellations, and the twelve signs of the zodiac.

Free admission. Free event parking at the 52 Oxford Street Garage. Presented by the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East and the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture.

Call for Applications | 2025-2026 Getty Scholar Program at the Villa

In Funding & Fellowships, Uncategorized

The J. Paul Getty Museum is pleased to announce the research theme for the 2025 – 2026 Getty Scholars Program at the Villa, “Religious Experience in Antiquity.” Applications for residential scholar grants are due on 1 October 2024 by 5pm PDT.

Annual Theme: Religious Experience in Antiquity

A multitude of religions flourished in the Mediterranean and beyond from the second millennium BCE through the Late Roman era. Addressing the diversity of faiths and rituals, scholars will consider the consequences of contact between the Greek and Roman worlds and neighboring civilizations of the Near East, Africa, and transalpine Europe. The intersection of religions entailed continuity and coexistence as well as intolerance and conflict. Conquest, commerce, migration, and the foundation of “international” sanctuaries facilitated new forms of worship. These interactions, which both reflected and shaped religious experience, were widely manifested in art and material culture. Engaging systems of belief that range from state-sponsored religion and local cults to private devotion, researchers will investigate how communities reconciled the spiritually charged and socially fluid landscapes around them.

The Getty Scholars Program at the Villa focuses on the Classical World in Context, a multi-year initiative to explore the interconnectivity between the ancient Mediterranean region and the cultures of Africa and Eurasia. Priority will be given to research projects that apply interdisciplinary, comparative, transregional, and diachronic approaches to art, material culture, literature, and other sources for the study of antiquity.

Deadline: 1 October 2024 by 5pm PDT

How to Apply: The research theme statement, as well as detailed instructions, eligibility requirements, and a link to apply are available online.

Eligibility: Residential grants are available for established scholars who have attained distinction in their fields and received their PhD more than 5 years ago.

Address inquiries to:

Attn: (Type of Grant)

The Getty Foundation

Phone: 310.440.7374

E-mail: VillaScholars@getty.edu; researchgrants@getty.edu

Position Announcement | Assistant Professor of Archaeology of the Ancient Greek World