Our first lecture of the academic year will be presented by Dr. Ömür Harmanşah, Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Illinois, Chicago, and director of the Yalburt Yaylası Archaeological Landscape Research Project.

What does it mean to practice archaeology in the new age of the Anthropocene? In “Ruined Gardens of Babylon: Dark Ecology and Heritage Politics in the Middle East,” Dr. Harmanşah will discuss his current research on the politics, ethics, and methodologies of doing archaeological fieldwork in the Middle East today, at the very critical moment of global ecological crisis, climate change, military conflict, mass immigration, and heritage violence. Recent military violence in the Middle East has led to unprecedented destruction of cultural heritage along with local settlements and habitats, and the displacement of their communities. The ecological-military crisis has a direct impact on how archaeology is practiced as a field science. The destruction of heritage sites, landscapes, and institutions demands archaeologists either work remotely or perform salvage work, as opposed to more conventional methods of working with scientific research questions.

The lecture will be held on Thursday, October 3 at 6 pm in Jepson Hall, room 103, at the University of Richmond (please note the change from our usual room). The building is #221 on and campus map; for GPS directions, use the following address: 221 Richmond Way, Richmond, VA, 23173. The lecture is co-sponsored by the University of Richmond Department of Classical Studies and will be free and open to the public.

On Thursday, March 28 at 6 pm in Jepson Hall room 103, Elif Ünlü (Department of History, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, and current Fulbright Scholar) will present “‘This round is on me!’ Commodification of agricultural products and elite consumption patterns in the Eastern Mediterranean during the third millennium BCE.” Co-sponsored by the Richmond Society of the Archaeological Institute of America and the UR Department of Classical Studies, the lecture will be free and open to the public.

AIA Richmond Society members are also invited to our executive board meeting on Saturday, March 23, 1 – 2 pm, Westhampton Center Living Room (#406 on the campus map).

Our first lecture of the spring semester will be held on Thursday, February 14 at 6 pm in Jepson Hall 118, University of Richmond. Terry Brock, Assistant Director of Archaeology at the Montpelier Foundation, will present “Exploring the Montpelier South Yard: Archaeology, Slavery, and Public Engagement at James Madison’s Montpelier.” Co-sponsored by the Richmond Society AIA and the UR Department of Classical Studies, the lecture will be free and open to the public.

Thurs., Feb. 14 – Terry Brock (Assistant Director of Archaeology, The Montpelier Foundation), “Exploring the Montpelier South Yard: Archaeology, Slavery, and Public Engagement at James Madison’s Montpelier”

Thurs., March 28 (note the date change) – Elif Ünlü (Boğaziçi University), “ ‘This round is on me!’ Commodification of agricultural products and elite consumption patterns in the Eastern Mediterranean during the third millennium BCE”

Thurs., April 18 (note the date change) – Deborah Carlson (Texas A&M University), “The Tektaş Burnu Shipwreck: Shedding New Light on Classical Ionia”

Lectures are free and open to the public and are held at 6 pm in Jepson Hall, Room 118, The University of Richmond.

On Thursday, November 8 at 6 pm, Dr. Morag Kersel (DePaul University) will present “The Politics of Public Display: Museums, Artifacts from the Holy Land, and the Public Trust” (the AIA’s 2018-2019 Martha Sharp Joukowsky Lecture). A lecture abstract is available here. The lecture will be free and open to the public and will be held in Jepson Hall, Room 118, on the campus of the University of Richmond (221 Richmond Way, Richmond, VA  23173).

Lectures will be held at 6 pm in Jepson Hall, Room 118, The University of Richmond, unless marked (*). Lectures are free and open to the public.

*Thurs., October 18, 6 pm – “Socrates on Death Row” movie in the Dome Theater at the Science Museum of Virginia, with introduction and Q&A discussion with filmmakers (Robert Garland and Joseph Eakin, Colgate University). Admission will be free, but space is limited so tickets will be required.

*Sat., October 20 – International Archaeology Day – We will join Friends of East End in the volunteer effort to reclaim and restore East End Cemetery, a historic African American burial ground in Henrico County. The work day will begin at 9 am, and volunteers usually stay until noon, but you may join us at any time. Wear long pants, long sleeves, and sturdy shoes. Gloves and tools will be provided.

Thurs., Nov. 8 – Morag Kersel (DePaul University), “The Politics of Public Display: Museums, Artifacts from the Holy Land, and the Public Trust” (Martha Sharp Joukowsky Lecture)

Thurs., Feb. 14 – Terry Brock (Senior Research Archaeologist at The Montpelier Foundation), “Exploring the Montpelier South Yard: Archaeology, Slavery, and Public Engagement at James Madison’s Montpelier”

Thurs., March 21 – Elif Ünlü (Boğaziçi University), “After the Collapse: Tarsus-Gözlükule in the Late Bronze Age”

Thurs., April 11 – Deborah Carlson (Texas A&M University), “The Tektaş Burnu Shipwreck: Shedding New Light on Classical Ionia”

*Thurs., May 9, International Center Commons, 6 pm – annual spring banquet with presentation of documentary film on ancient Ethiopian churches by Tim Reid (actor and filmmaker, Tim Reid Productions). Tickets will be required.