Pizza Talk: “Macroscale multimodal imaging and spectroscopy reveals raw material selection and production technology of Fayum Portraits”

Speaker: Dr. Ioanna Kakoulli, Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, UCLAFayum portraits are paintings mainly on wooden support reflecting Greek painting traditions and Egyptian funerary practices. These paintings are naturalistic portraits of the deceased and provide a snapshot of Greek civic life and customs in Egypt during the Ptolemaic and Roman rule. Non-invasive and […]

Friday Seminar: January 19, 2018

This will be a series of two 30-minute lectures"Perception in Palatial Architecture: The Example of the Tupkish Palace at Tell Mozan" by Dr. Federico BuccellatiSpace, as an expression of the architectural volumes expressed in Mesopotamian palatial architecture, can seem an abstract, distant concept, visible but not understood, and lacking interaction. These volumes, however, carry a deeper meaning: […]

Pizza Talk: “Achaemenid Stone Towers and Recent Excavations at Pasargadae, Iran”

Speaker: Dr. Ali Mousavi, Lecturer, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, UCLAThe World Heritage site of Pasargadae, in southern Iran, is the first dynastic center of the Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century B.C. Pasargadae’s palaces, gardens and the mausoleum of Cyrus the Great are outstanding examples of the first phase of royal Achaemenid […]

Critical Archaeological Gaming Workshop

This workshop focuses on the design of archaeological games that entice users to engage with archaeological skills, methods, questions and results. What are possible goals of such games, and how can these be reached through narratives, interactive mechanics and visual, aural and motive stimulants.Beyond providing exercises in archaeological approaches, can emergent gameplay have a significant […]

Friday Seminar: “Data Games: Cognitive Mapping in Ancient Pompeii”

Speaker: Dr. David Fredrick, Associate Professor, Department of Classical Studies, University of Arkansas3:00pm -- Panel Discussion on Critical Archaeological Gaming with Chris Johanson, Demetri Terzopoulos, Eddo Stern, and Lisa Snyder4:00pm -- Reception5:00pm -- David Fredrick Lecture: Data Games: Cognitive Mapping in Ancient Pompeii

Pizza Talk: “Interpreting the Idiom of Urban Display in Architectural Relief Sculpture at the late Roman Villa of Chiragan (Haute-Garonne, France)”

Speaker: Dr. Sarah Beckmann, Visiting Lecturer, Department of Classics, UCLAOver the last generation, scholarly attention towards the production of sculpture in the late antique period (ca. 250 – 550 CE) has rekindled interest in the villa of Chiragan (Haute-Garonne, Aquitaine). Since its excavation in the 19th century, Chiragan has been heralded for its statuary collection, […]

Pizza Talk: “The Manufacture and Use of Metallurgical Ceramics at Mayapan, Yucatan, Mexico”

Speaker: Dr. Jennifer Meanwell, Lecturer, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, MITCopper and copper alloy artifacts were valued commodities at the Postclassic period (AD 1150-1500) Maya capital of Mayapán, and are found as a variety of luxury items, most commonly small ornamental bells. Due to the lack of ore deposits near Mayapán, metal must have […]

Friday Seminar: “The Past, Present, and Future of Space Archaeology”

Speaker: Dr. Justin Walsh, Associate Professor, Department of Art History and Archaeology, Chapman UniversityThe archaeology of human activity in space has been conceptualized since the 1990’s. Early work included definition of the parameters of the field, identification of subject material and sites, development of methodologies, and integration of common terrestrial archaeology activities such as cultural […]

Pizza Talk: “Burning Rings of Fire: Prehispanic Maya Lime Production and Environmental Resource Management”

Speaker: Dr. Kenneth Seligson, Lecturer, Department of Anthropology, USCBurnt lime was one of the most significant materials in the daily lives of the Prehispanic Maya, and yet archaeologists have uncovered relatively little evidence of production methods or locales prior to the Spanish Conquest. This talk presents the investigation of a series of pit-kilns in and around […]