Cotsen Institute of Archaeology

Preserving the Wreck of an Intact 17th-century warship – the Challenging and Rewarding Conservation Work at the Vasa Museum
2022-02-18 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Malin SahlstedtConservator, Vasa Museum, Swedish National Maritime and Transport MuseumsRegister hereSince the raising of 17th-century warship Vasa in 1961 after333 years on the seabed of Stockholm harbour, two generations of preservation staff have had the task to safeguard this mighty piece of maritime cultural heritage for the future, a task perhaps as monumental as the ship itself. Contrary to what was thought when the Vasa Museum opened in 1990, namely that the conservation project was finalised and there would be little further need for lab facilities and specialised staff, the gradual development of acidic precipitates on the surface of the ship over the coming decade signalled on-going degradation processes,which called for action and wide expertise. Through a number of interdisciplinary research projects, new knowledge has been built and implemented in museum practice. I will present some of the experiences made and lessons learned over the years, where the securing and maintaining of broad preservation competence have become increasingly important and likewise challening.Malin Sahlstedt studied Conservation of Cultural Property at Gothenburg University and has aMSc in Archaeological Science from Stockholm University (2000). After working in archaeological conservation with the focus on the treatment of waterlogged wood and a research projecton alum-treated archaeological wood at the Swedish National Heritage Board (2002-2009),she is currently conservator at the Vasa Museum in Stockholm, Sweden (2009-present). Here, in the continuous effort to improve the long-term preservation conditions for 17th-centurywarship Vasa and associated wooden artefacts, her work is concentrated on testing methods and implementing research results in the museum context. She also worked as a conservator in the research project Saving Oseberg at the Cultural History Museum in Oslo, Norway (2017-2018), investigating the preservation status of and re-treatment options for the alum-treated wooden objects of the Viking Ship Museum collection.

All about Field Schools
2022-02-17 17:00 - 18:00
Over ZoomGoogle slides linked

How to Build a Career and Life in Archaeology: Tips from the Hired and Hirers for BIPOC Archaeologists
2022-02-17 12:00 - 14:00
Willeke Wendrich, MODERATORDirector, Cotsen Institute of Archaeology & Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, University of California Los AngelesAngela McArdleSenior Historic Preservation Specialist, Department of Veterans AffairsAlbert Gonzalez Associate Professor of Anthropology & Director of the C.E. Smith Museum of Anthropology, California State University, East BayKristina DouglassAssistant Professor of Anthropology, Penn State UniversityStephen AcabadoAssociate Professor of Anthropology & Director, UCLA Center for Southeast Asian StudiesSarah HerrPresident, Desert Archaeology Inc. Julie SteinExecutive Director of the Burke Museum & Professor of Anthropology, University of WashingtonRegister here

Mucho más que un puente terrestre
2022-02-17 08:00 - 09:00
A book release seminar sponsored by STRI, Panama and the Panamanian ministry of culture. This new book, written in Spanish, presents recent archaeological research in Panama. The book is the first tome devoted to Panamanian archaeology published in Spanish in Panama.

Archaeology in the Popular Black Press: African History in Ebony Magazine
2022-02-08 18:00
Dr. Justin Dunnavant, Assistant Professor, UCLA Department of AnthropologyDarartu Mulugeta, Undergraduate, UCLARegister hereAs increasing calls for science communication encourage archaeologists to convey their research to diverse public audiences, we found it necessary to explore how such research was disseminated in the past. Delving into the archives of Ebony Magazine and the Johnson Publishing Company, we examine the manner in which archaeological research was communicated in the Black popular press from the 1950s into the present. The articles, authors, and subjects provide unique insight into the topics of interest to Black America and speak to the power of the Black press at educating and exciting the public about ground-breaking archaeological research. Engaging Ebony Magazine as a historical archive, we uncover little-known figures and moments in the history of African and African diaspora archaeology and offer suggestions for future directions in science communication research.View the recording here!Dr. Justin DunnavantDr. Justin Dunnavant is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at UCLA. His current research in the US Virgin Islands investigates the relationship between ecology and enslavement in the former Danish West Indies. In addition to his archaeological research, Justin is co-founder of the Society of Black Archaeologists and an AAUS Scientific SCUBA Diver. In 2021, he was named a National Geographic Emerging Explorer and inducted into The Explorers Club as one of “Fifty People Changing the World that You Need to Know About.” He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. His research has been featured on Netflix’s “Explained,” Hulu’s “Your Attention Please” and in print in American Archaeology and Science Magazine.Darartu MulugetaDarartu Mulugeta is a Political Science and Psychology student at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is specializing in methods and computing with the primary goal of studying African communities and history. She is currently part of the African Diaspora Archaeology Lab as a Bunche Research Fellow. Outside of school, she volunteers at the Oromo Legacy Leadership and Advocacy Association as an Oromo language teaching assistant. Download the flyer here

ReVisioning the Future of Archaeology - Graduate Archaeology Research Conference
2022-02-04 16:00 - 2022-02-05 16:00
The UCLA Graduate Student Association of Archaeology, an affiliate of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, invites you to attend our 9th UCLA Graduate Archaeology Research Conference. This two day virtual event will take place February 4th (4-5pm PST), and February 5th (9am-4pm PST) 2022.Titled “ReVisioning the Future of Archaeology,” we ask: who is archaeology for, and what tools will we use to (re)design its future? The keynote speaker and graduate presenters will explore topics that consider various questions about archaeology’s role in the present. Topics that bring new ideas, new resources, and new approaches together into an interdisciplinary dialogue.“ReVisioning the Future of Archaeology” seeks to engage with the greater community, and take into consideration artistic visions, collective and community memory, and diverse points of view in order to produce more inclusive practices and an equitable discipline.On the first day, Friday February 4, we will have our keynote speaker, Dr. Uzma Rizvi speak. On Saturday, we will hear from our graduate student presenters., who will present for 20 minutes each, followed by a Q&A and discussion.View the conference website here. Schedule of EventsFriday, February 4th: 4-5pm PSTKeynote address, “The Future Was ___________: A time outside this time” by Dr. Uzma Z. Rizvi, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Urban Studies at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY; and Visiting Faculty in the Department of Archaeology, Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, PakistanWith nearly two decades of work on decolonizing methodologies, intersectional and feminist strategies, and transdisciplinary approaches, Rizvi’s work has intentionally pushed disciplinary limits, and demanded ethical decolonial praxis at all levels of engagement, from teaching to research.Saturday, February 5th: 9am-4pm PST9:00am -10:45am, Session 1: “Multivocal Perspectives on Heritage and Belonging”11:00am -12:45pm Session 2: “Technological Futures in Archaeology”2:00-3:45 pm Session 3: “Performing Archaeology: Re-Engaging with Materials and Their Stories”Register for the conference here.

UCLA/Getty Program’s Distinguished Speaker Series featuring Sarah Sutton: Cultural Heritage and Climate Change
2022-02-04 11:00 - 12:00
Click to RSVPSpeaker: Sarah SuttonDate: February 4, 2022. 11:00amTitle: Cultural Heritage and Climate Change: D(d)iplomacy for Neighbors and NationsCultural heritage has been undervalued as a community and national resource in addressing climate change. Historic landscapes are critical waterline buffers and biodiversity habitats. Structures are refuges and examples of resilient construction. Human-made objects and art hold our identities and the collective knowledge we depend upon for well-being. And our traditions have lessons for sustainability and resilience. These are valuable resources for neighbor-to-neighbor and nation-to-nation relationships that underlay the cooperative action necessary for creating a world where everyone and everything may some day thrive.Presenter Sarah Sutton will share how those who care about cultural heritage have been taking important steps to protect it and to embed it in climate change response as a core component, not an add on. Historic structures and retrofitted modern buildings are increasingly efficient, low-carbon solutions that double as safe spaces for community resilience planning in stable times, and refuges in disturbed times – if left standing. The Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative is a coalition protecting astonishing amounts of land as habitat and a buffer against riverine flooding. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will now include cultural heritage in its reports to the UN. And when President Biden rejoined the Paris Agreement, he named cultural institutions as valuable partners in tackling climate change. Across the US and now as part of United Nations-level discussions, cultural heritage is critical to domestic and national practices and agreements that create shared solutions.Bio:Sarah Sutton is CEO of Environment & Culture Partners (ECP), a non-profit accelerating cultural institutions’ leadership in climate action. ECP manages the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative, a grant program supporting museums’ energy efficiency and clean energy projects, and an IMLS National Leadership Grant creating energy efficiency tools for museums. Sutton is the Cultural Sector Lead for America is All In supporting the Paris Agreement. She is co-author of The Green Museum and author of Environmental Sustainability at Historic Sites & Museums.Sutton is a Steering Committee member and Climate Change co-chair, for Held in Trust, a special program of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Institute for Conservation that is shaping the future of the preventive conservation profession. Sutton is a member of the American Psychological Association’s Climate Change Task Force, and was a selected participant in the International Co-Sponsored Meeting on Climate Change with the IPCC, UNESCO, and International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). Please submit your questions in advance of the webinar via email to:hnadworny@support.ucla.edu by Wednesday, February 2 at 12:00 p.m.

Símbolos, Rituales y Paisaje Durante el Formativo en los Andes Centrales
2022-01-31 13:00
Miguel Guzmán JuárezDepartment of Architecture and Urbanism, Universidad Ricardo de PalmaRegistration Link: http://tinyurl.com/AndArchTalkMGNote: This talk will be delivered in Spanish.Sponsors: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology and UCLA Latin American Institute

Making and Selling Drinks and Other Ways to Study Marginalized Ethnic Groups in Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century Cuzco
2022-01-24 13:00
Leo GarofaloDepartment of History, Connecticut CollegeA discussion of how to study the social history of ethnic groups viewed as marginal in the colonial Andean cities of the 16th and 17th centuries. Studies cases of: indigenous migrants to cities like Lima and Cuzco, including those from Central America and Chile; African and African descendants, including Afro-Iberians, in both cities and present in rural areas production; and people arriving to Peru from in early trans-Pacific diaspora. These constitute three challenging cases for historical study, requiring extra work to detect their traces in the archives and other period sources.Registration Link: https://tinyurl.com/AWGTalkSponsors: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology and UCLA Latin American Institute

Regional Distinctions of Traditional Palestinian Embroidered Dress, 1850-1948
2022-01-21 11:00 - 12:00
Wafa GhnaimRegister hereEmbroidery in the Holy Land has existed for centuries, showcased in the decorated garments created and worn by Palestinian women for generations, as well as documented by the many international visitors who travelled to Palestine for pilgrimage or tourism. By the mid-nineteenth century, each region of historic Palestine had developed their own distinct styles, through variation of fabric, thread color, motif, and ensemble. Some cities, such as Bethlehem, Ramallah, Yaffa and Gaza, became famous for their unique ensembles, however there are dozens of villager and bedouin styles that exist across historic Palestine. Each style and regional variation speak a language of their own, transformed by the political, economic and social events that occurred at the turn of the century and continue to be cherished by Palestinians today.Wafa Ghnaim is a Palestinian-American artist, researcher, writer, educator, and businesswoman who began learning Palestinian embroidery from her mother, award-winning artist Feryal Abbasi-Ghnaim, when she was two years old. Her first book, “Tatreez & Tea: Embroidery and Storytelling in the Palestinian Diaspora” (2018), documents the traditional patterns passed to her by her mother. Wafa has since become a leading educator in the field as the first-ever Palestinian embroidery instructor at the Smithsonian Museum, and an artist-in-residence at the Museum of the Palestinian People in Washington, D.C. In addition to her extensive scholarship, Wafa continues her mother’s educational legacy through Tatreez & Tea, a global arts education initiative she began in 2016. Wafa has been featured in major media outlets, most recently in Vogue Magazine, naming her and her mother “the world’s leading guardians of tatreez”. Wafa currently resides in Washington, D.C. To learn more about the Tatreez & Tea project, go to www.tatreezandtea.com or follow on Instagram @tatreezandtea.Photograph/Headshot Credit: Carlos Khalil Guzman, 2020

Fun with Pots
2022-01-18 18:00 - 19:00
Over ZoomMentor-led workshop on a particular method (Carly Pope on ceramic analysis)

Embodied Knowledges within Cultural Collections
2021-12-10 11:00 - 12:00
Sven HaakansonPh.D., Curator, Burke MuseumAssociate Professor in Anthropology at the University of WashingtonRegister hereOver the past three decades, in collaboration with my community from Kodiak, Alaska, I have researched museum collections from around the world to learn about and return the embodied knowledge of our cultural history. From masks, clothing, baskets to boats we have systematically taken knowledge that was taken out and brought it back to our communities to use once again. The angyaaq (open boat) from our region was set aside in the 1800’s after contact with Europeans, but thanks to collections we were able to learn about this vessel and reverse engineer the models in order to build a full size angyaaq at the Akhiok Kids Camp in 2016.Sven Haakanson is Sugpiaq from Old Harbor, Alaska. He is a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship (2007), the Museums Alaska Award for Excellence (2008), the ATALM Guardians of Culture and Lifeways Leadership Award (2012), and his work on the Angyaaq led it to be inducted into the Alaska Innovators Hall of Fame (2020). He joined the University of Washington in 2013. He engages communities in cultural revitalization using material reconstruction as a form of scholarship and teaching. His projects have included the reconstruction of full-sized angyaaq boats from archaeological models, as well as halibut hooks, masks, paddles, and traditional processing of bear gut into waterproof material for clothing. He has and continues to collaborate with the community of Akhiok at their Akhiok Kids camp since 2000.

Buddhist Wall Paintings in Ladakh – Painting Technique, Conservation and Ethical Considerations
2021-11-19 11:00 - 12:00
Sreekumar MenonPaintings Conservator, (Partner) Art Conservation SolutionsRegister hereWall paintings in Ladakh, the earliest specimens of which date from the eleventh century, mirror the development of Buddhism and Buddhist Art in the region.The materials and technique of these paintings,and their iconographic schemes, are complex and have transformed overtime. Many of these paintings have undergone damages due to various intrinsic and or extrinsic factors. Their conservation is a challenge, especially when they are housed in structures that are still being used by the religious community. A wholistic study of these paintings is vital to better-understand their original technologies, and prevent the inadvertent loss of original materials during conservation interventions.This talk intends to discuss the painting technique of the early period wall paintings of Ladakh, their significance, and ethical issues involved while dealing with their conservation.Sreekumar Menon is a paintings conservator based in India. He did his Master’s in art conservation from the National Museum Institute, New Delhi before undertaking internships in paintings conservation at the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage(INTACH), New Delhi, Hamilton Kerr Institute, Cambridge and Stichting Restauratie Atelier Limburg(SRAL), The Netherlands. He is currently his completing PhD at the Courtauld Institute of Art, London. As a partner inthe firm Art Conservation Solutions, Sreekumar has managed and executed various conservation projects in India. He also worked with the Courtauld Institute of Art in wall painting conservation projects in India and Bhutanand has been a programme manager of the Leon Levy Foundation Centre for Conservation Studies at Nagaur, India from 2015-2019.Sreekumar is a fellow of the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC)and a guest lecturer to leading conservation programmes in India.

Benin Royal Art and Questions of Restitution
2021-11-12 11:00
Dr. Glenn WhartonChair, UCLA/Getty Program in the Conservation of Cultural Heritageinvites you to attendUCLA/Getty Program’s Distinguished Speaker SeriesfeaturingDr. Ndubuisi EzeluombaFrançoise Billion Richardson Curator of African ArtNew Orleans Museum of ArtFriday, November 12, 2021 at 11:00am PDTLive streaming via ZoomRegister hereInstructions to join the webinar will be provided once your registrationhas been confirmed.Please submit your questions in advance of the webinar via email to:hnadworny@support.ucla.edu by Wednesday, November 10 at 12:00 p.m.About the program: Dr. Ezeluoma will discuss the restitution of Benin cultural patrimony. In 1897, the British government acted on a request from the Royal Niger Company to remove the Benin Oba (king), who was seen as an obstacle to trade. A British force of about twelve hundred men supported by several hundred African auxiliaries besieged Benin City. The raid (British Punitive Expedition), as the colonial force was called, bombarded the city and looted five hundred years’ worth of bronze, brass and ivory sculptures. This was a national treasure that constituted the royal archive of Benin’s history. Oba Ovonramwen (ruled 1888-1914) was deposed and sent to die in exile and the Benin kingdom was incorporated into the colonial nation of Nigeria. Conversation on the repatriation of this cultural patrimony rages on today. Dr. Ezeluona will point to current progress and speak to the important role American cultural institutions are playing in the process.

The Joys and Blunders of 25 Years of Work at the 9000 Year-old Town of Çatalhöyük
2021-11-06 11:00 - 12:00
The Teen Friends of Archaeology is excited to invite you to a lecture on the extensive site of Çatalhöyük by Dr. Ian Hodder:The joys and blunders of 25 years of work at the 9000 year-old town of ÇatalhöyükRegister at https://bit.ly/3BBWF0NIan Hodder is the Dunlevie Family Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Stanford, and Director of the Stanford Archaeology Center. He previously taught in the Cambridge Archaeology department. Professor Hodder has also been conducting the excavation of the 9,000 year-old Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük in central Turkey since 1993. He is a well-published author who is known for his numerous books and papers on a wide variety of archaeological subjects. Photos by Jason Quinlan, courtesy of the Çatalhöyük Research Project.

Archaeology Research Support Workshop
2021-11-01 18:00 - 19:00
Over Zoom

New Evidence on a Spartan Religious Center: The Sanctuary of Apollo Amyklaios at Sparta and the Current Research Project
2021-10-23 10:00
UCLA SNF Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture | UCLA Cotsen Institute of Archaeology | Archaeological Institute of America–LA County Society | Pan-Laconian Federation of United States and Canada presentStavros Vlizos Associate Professor, Ionian UniversityVicky Vlachou Université Libre de Bruxelles, BrusselsRegister hereAfter registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.The Sanctuary of Apollon at Amyklai (Sparta) was inextricably associated in antiquity with the celebrated festival of the Hyakinthia. Ancient literary sources describe salient aspects of the festival and the cult that was centered around the tomb of the hero Hyakinthos and the altar of Apollo in two succeeding stages that never overlapped each other. Material evidence from the sanctuary area demonstrates the early beginnings of the cult and ritual, already since the mid-10th century BC. By the late 8th to early 7th century BC, the formal delimitation of the sanctuary area, the quantity and quality of the material deposits support the importance of the sanctuary and its festival within the formal institutions of the Spartan polis. It can be argued that the importance of the sanctuary may be related with the seniority of the shrine and the continuity of the ritual activities in this area over the centuries. The lecture shall focus on shifts in use and function of material culture that are parallel to transformations and changes of the social, political, and religious landscape of Sparta. Furthermore, the connection of the cult site to neighboring areas in proximity, further away, and parallel trajectory to the rest of the Spartan sanctuaries shall be discussed.After completing his studies at the University of Ioannina and the Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich (Dr.Phil.), Stavros Vlizos first worked as a contract archaeologist at the Ministry of Culture (1997-2001) and then as a researcher and scientific associate at the Benaki Museum (2002-2013). As an Associate Professor, he teaches a wide range of courses in Museology and Archaeology in the Department of Archives, Library Studies and Museology at Ionian University. He is director of the Amykles Research Project, associate of the Athens Archaeological Society, corresponding member of the German Archaeological Institute, and co-founder of the Athens “Roman Seminar.” His research interests and publications refer to issues of promotion and management of cultural heritage and archaeological goods, as well as topics highlighting the material culture of Ancient and Roman Greece and the importance of ancient sanctuaries diachronically.Vicky Vlachou studied History, Archaeology and History of Art at the University of Athens. She is currently a scientific member (Belgian) at the École française d’Athènes (EfA, membre). She is a scholar of the Early Iron Age Aegean (ca. 1000-600 BC). Her doctoral thesis (2010) was awarded the G.P. Oikonomos prize of the Class of Letters and Fine Arts of the Academy of Athens. She is a member of fieldwork and publication projects at Xobourgo on Tenos (Cyclades), Amykles (Sparta), Itanos, and Anavlochos (Eastern Crete). She is the editor of the collective volume Pots, Workshops and Early Iron Age Society: Function and Role of Ceramics in Early Greece (Études d’archéologie 8, Brussels 2015).

Conservation & Revitalisation of Rajbagh Silk Factory, Srinagar, India – Connecting Memory & Material Culture Towards Building a Future.
2021-10-22 11:00 - 12:00
Gurmeet S RaiMs. Director, CRCI (India) Pvt LtdRegister hereThe Rajbagh Silk factory is a strand of the cultural legacy of Kashmir. Silk from Kashmir finds references in ancient, medieval and modern period narratives. In the 19th-20thC the bivoltine silk and crafts such as pashmina shawls from the valley were much in demand across the globe.Embedded in the legacy of silk are also memories of pain. Kashmir has been embroiled in geo politics for decades which has caused much suffering in the valley. Further it was in 2014 that a massive flood hit the valley that devastated many lives and properties. The Rajbagh Silk factory was inundated with flood waters for over four weeks. Not losing hope, the workers managed to repair about 10 of 150 looms and several preloom machines and work at the factory resumed.The Government is supporting conservation and revitalisation of the factory under a flood recovery program. The conservation plan seeks to use this opportunity as a trigger to conserve the built heritage, revitalise silk and handicraft based economy using innovation and creativity to enhance lines of communication between artisans and entrepreneurs across the nation and abroad, thus ushering in opportunities and hope for the artisans in the valley.Gurmeet S Rai is an architect with specialisation in heritage conservation and management. She is among the first generation conservation architects in India and has undertaken projects across India related to architectural conservation, management plans for world heritage sites, urban conservation and development strategies for historic settlements, sustainable cultural heritage tourism plans, preparation of advisory and policy documents. Gurmeet was awarded ‘Award of Distinction’ by UNESCO under the Asia Pacific Architectural Heritage Awards in 2002 and 2004 following which she has been on their jury for over 15 years. In 2011, UNESCO appointed her as the lead consultant for preparation of ‘Cultural Heritage policy for Punjab’. She has also undertaken international assignments in Nepal and Myanmar and has been an advisor to UNESCO in heritage sector in several countries in South East Asia. She is currently a member of the Steering committee of TERRA2022, World Congress on Earthen Architectural Heritage (Getty Conservation Institute).

Marija Gimbutas: A Magnificent Vindication
2021-10-22 10:00 - 11:30
Join us for a virtual Round Table to celebrate Marija Gimbutas (1921–1994), UNESCO’s 2021 Centennial honoree. Marija Gimbutas was a professor of archaeology at UCLA and internationally renowned for her study of the arrival of the Proto-Indo-European languages and culture in Europe. One of her most original (and controversial) contributions has been validated recently by aDNA: the Kurgan Hypothesis and the arrival into Europe of the Proto-Indo-European speakers around 3500 BC. Introduced by Ernestine S. Elster, the participants include James Mallory, David Anthony, and Dorcas Brown with Willeke Wendrich as moderator.Register to attend here James Mallory was born in 1945 in California and educated at Occidental College (AB, 1963) and UCLA where he received his PhD in Indo-European Studies (European Archaeology) in 1975. In 1977 he joined the Archaeology Department at Queen’s University Belfast from which he retired as Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology in 2011. He has specialized in both Indo-European archaeology where he has published In Search of the Indo-Europeans (1989), The Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture (1997), and The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European World (2006) and Irish Archaeology (The Archaeology of Ulster, 1991; The Origins of the Irish, 2013; and In Search of the Irish Dreamtime, 2016). He is a member of the Royal Irish Academy. David Anthony is an archaeologist of the Eurasian steppes (esp. Russia, Ukraine, & Kazakhstan), known for his interdisciplinary research on the origins and spread of Indo-European languages, combining evidence from archaeology, ancient human DNA, linguistics, and comparative mythology. His most significant book, The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World, won the Society for American Archaeology prize for best scientific book in 2010. His entry into the Indo-European debate was facilitated by Marija Gimbutas’s groundbreaking English-language syntheses of eastern European archaeology. He is an associate in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, working in David Reich’s ancient DNA lab; and an emeritus professor at Hartwick College, Oneonta, NY. Dorcas Brown was co-director of grant-supported studies of museum collections in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Hungary (her advanced degree is in Museum Studies); and later of archaeological excavations in the steppes near Samara, Russia and Razdolnoe, Ukraine. Singly or together, Brown and Anthony have published 70+ articles and chapters, including since 2015 three co-authored in Science and three in Nature on a variety of related topics: Bronze Age migrations out of the steppes proven by ancient DNA, with profound implications for the Indo-European debate; the domestication of the dog, from ancient wolf & dog DNA; the domestication of the horse, from ancient horse DNA; the origin of dairying in the steppes, based on dairy peptides preserved in dental calculus; and male adolescent initiation-into-warrior rituals, connected with their discovery and excavation of a Bronze Age boys’ initiation site in the Volga steppes. She is retired from Hartwick College.Introductions by Ernestine S. Elster. Elster was a graduate student of Gimbutas and participated in four of her archaeological expeditions. She is currently the director of the Mediterranean Laboratory at the Cotsen Institute. Moderated by Willeke Wendrich, Professor, UCLA Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, is the Director of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology.

Welcome Event
2021-10-21 17:30 - 19:30
In person with pizzaGeneral introduction to the program and experimental archaeology with Dr. Wake demonstrating and teaching cordage makingOur first ever in person event

The Sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidauros: New Finds Rewrite the Function and History of the Most Important Sanatorium in Antiquity
2021-10-16 10:00
UCLA SNF Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture | Embassy of Greece in USA | UCLA Cotsen Institute of Archaeology | Archaeological Institute of America–LA County Society | presentVassilis LambrinoudakisProfessor Emeritus of Classical ArchaeologyUniversity of AthensRegister hereAfter registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.The unexpected finds during recent excavations in the sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidauros shed new light on the origins, cult, and function of Asclepius, the main Divine Healer of the Graeco-Roman world. An amazing ground-floor building that features α peristyle and basement hewn into the rock was excavated at the Tholos, the famous classical circular building with underground, meander-like passages. It defines the highly debated and mysterious function of the Tholos as the cult place of chthonic Asclepius, and explains his presence in Epidauros in the 7th century BC. A small portico, found under the later Abaton, preceded the latter as a primitive dormitory hall. It provides evidence for healing through incubation already in early archaic times. An ash altar and accommodations for ritual meals around it explains the parallel magic cure through the consumption of sacred food from the very beginning of the cult. The new finds enrich our knowledge of the sanctuary’s history and general healthcare in antiquity.Her Excellency Alexandra Papadopoulou, Ambassador of Greece to the United States, will provide introductory remarks.Vassilis Lambrinoudakis is professor emeritus of the University of Athens; corresponding member of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, Paris; and the Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna. He studied History and Archaeology at the Universities of Athens, Munich and Bonn. He is member of the German Archeological Institute and the Austrian Archaeological Institute. He excavates mainly in Epidauros/Argolid and the island of Naxos in the Aegean See. He also conducted excavations on the island of Chios, in Marathon/Attica and in Palaiomanina/Acarnania. He directs projects of enhancement of archaeological sites in Naxos and Epidauros. In 2003, he earned the first prize of Europa Nostra for the excavation and the enhancement of the sites Yria and Sangri/Naxos. He has published 14 books and monographs, as well as 186 papers on ancient Greek architecture and art, ancient topography, ancient Greek religion, epigraphy, theory of Archaeology, and management of monuments. He was co-editor of the Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (LIMC I-VIII) and of the Thesaurus Cultus et Rituum Antiquorum (ThesCRA I-VIII). In 2003, he was honored by the President of the Hellenic Republic “for promoting the Archaeology and the History of Greece throughout the world.”

Documenting Diversity in Thessaloniki and Its Hinterlands: Three Archaeological Stories
2021-10-09 10:00
UCLA SNF Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture | UCLA Cotsen Institute of Archaeology | Archaeological Institute of America–Los Angeles County Society presentDr. Anastassios C. AntonarasHead of Exhibitions, Communication and Education Department Museum of Byzantine Culture, Thessaloniki Register hereAfter registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.This lecture examines the diverse population that lived in Byzantine Thessaloniki and the surrounding area through three case studies: a young girl with African religious beliefs who lived in the late 3rd century, a Slavic lady of the late 8th century, and a group of archers from the 14th – 15th century who were trained in the east. The first case study is a young girl who was buried in a simple pit tomb in the eastern necropolis of Thessaloniki. She wore two amulets: a wooden one, probably of ebony, in the shape of a male head with strong African features, and an amber one in the shape of feline bust. A Slavic lady, the second case study, is identified by a special bead that was found during excavations in the castle of Rentina, east of Thessaloniki. Such beads are characteristic of the Slavic tribes and similar examples have been found from the Volga region and Germany to Greece. A special type of men’s utilitarian jewelry, the ring of an archer, presents the third case study. This is a type of ring that initially had the sole purpose of protecting the thumb when the reflective bow’s string was released. These case studies demonstrate that among the population that lived in Byzantine Thessaloniki were a number of foreigners whose identity is only revealed through the careful examination of excavated objects.Dr. Anastassios C. Antonaras, a specialist in the history of glass, jewelry and textiles, is an archaeologist and curator. He is Head of the Exhibitions, Communication and Education Department at the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki. His books include: Glassworking, Ancient and Medieval: Terminology, Technology and Typology (2008); Roman and Early Christian Glassworking: Vessels from Thessaloniki and Its Region (which received a prize from the Academy of Athens in 2010); Fire and Sand: Ancient Glass in the Princeton University Art Museum (2012); Artisanal Production in Ancient and Byzantine Thessaloniki: Archaeological, Literary and Epigraphic Evidence (2016; repr. 2019); Glassware and Glassworking in Thessaloniki: 1st Century BC – 6th Century AD (2017); and The Art of Glass. Works from the Collection of the Museum of Byzantine Culture (2019). He is currently researching different aspects of glass production and glassware in Byzantine and Ottoman Empire and publishing the rich and diverse, ancient and Islamic glass collection of the Getty Villa Museum.

Virtual Pizza Talk: Human remains in Tibetan material religion: Conservation as research methodology
2021-06-02 12:00 - 13:00
Ayesha FuentesStride Lecturer in Arts ConservationNorthumbria UniversityRegister hereAyesha Fuentes will discuss Tibetan and Himalayan religious use of ritual objects made with human skulls and femurs. Fuentes incorporates conservation methods, documentation, and interpretation of the material knowledge and techniques used to select, prepare, activate, maintain and exchange these objects. This project combines the technical examination of objects in museum collections with interviews and observations made across the Himalayan region and investigations of historical sources and cultural narratives. Her research highlights the longevity, function and value of these ritual instruments within diverse communities.Ayesha Fuentes, Stride Lecturer in Arts Conservation at Northumbria University, is an objects conservator and technical art historian specializing in Asian material heritage. She is a graduate of the UCLA/Getty MA program in Conservation of Ethnographic Materials (2014) and a former employee at the Fowler Museum at UCLA. She recently submitted her doctoral dissertation on the use of human remains in Tibetan ritual objects at School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, where she was a Neil Kreitman and Overseas Research Scholar.

Virtual Pizza Talk: Ancient Andean Houses: Making, Inhabiting and Studying
2021-05-26 12:00 - 13:00
Jerry MooreDepartment of AnthropologyCalifornia State University Dominguez HillsRegister hereMoore’s principal expertise is on the prehistoric architecture and cultural landscapes in the Andes. Archaeologists typically view architectural features of dwellings and other domestic architecture as built projects in which materials are modified according to a preconceived design in the builders’ minds. Although archaeologists usually acknowledge the different processes that transform buildings into archaeological features and sites, they tend not to understand how different buildings and construction methods inherently shape the archaeological record. This has direct implications for archaeological inferences about ancient households. Dr. Moore will discuss these issues referencing select case studies from Mesoamerica and the Andes.

Comparing Conservation Between Countries
2021-05-21 11:00 - 12:30
Tessa de Alarcon, Grace Jan, Almoatz-bellah ElshahawiFriday May 21st, 11:00am – 12:30pm (PT)Register hereTessa de AlarconHow working in the US and Guatemala has Influenced the Way I Think About ConservationI will briefly discuss my experiences working in Guatemala as compared to working in the United States and reflect on how those experiences have impacted the way I work as a conservator. I am a Guatemalan American, I was born and raised in the US but have lived and worked in both the US and Guatemala. My introduction to conservation occurred in Guatemala and my first pre-program internship was there, as well. As a result, my introduction to best practices, ethics, and material evaluation all occurred in Guatemala. I then returned to the US for graduate school. Since obtaining my degree, I have worked on site in Guatemala and taught workshops there, in addition to working at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia as a project conservator. My exposure to different approaches, challenges, and issues in cultural heritage preservation has shaped me as a conservator. It has given me a unique perspective on decision making. In particular, I think it has helped me challenge assumptions and reflect on the way that a single problem can have many different possible solutions.This is not intended to be a formal presentation and will be very much based on my personal experiences and perspective.Tessa de Alarcon has been a project conservator at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia since 2012. She was born and raised in the US but has lived and worked both in the US and Guatemala. Her introduction to conservation occurred while working as an intern at Casa Santo Domingo in Antigua,Guatemala. During her time at the Penn Museum she has worked on a variety of different projects including condition assessments, and gallery renovation projects. She has also worked as an archaeological field conservator.The bulk of her field work has been in Guatemala,but most recently she had the opportunity to work in Azerbaijan. She has also taught workshops on documentation and archaeological conservation at the Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnologíain Guatemala City.She received her MA from the UCLA/Getty Program in the Conservation ofArchaeological and Ethnographic Materials in 2012.Grace JanThe Cross-cultural Evolution of Chinese Painting ConservationFreer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian ArtMy ten-year career in Chinese painting conservation has provided cross-cultural experiences and insights into this evolving field. This talk will discuss this evolution in Chinese painting conservation education and training, culturalinitiatives, and techniques.Chinese painting conservation requires specialized skills that were traditionally passed down through apprenticeship training. But over the last twenty years, significant changes to access and knowledge of Chinese painting conservation haveled toprogress and challenges in the field, impacting its practice domestically and within China.This evolution is reflected in U.S. initiatives by the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art,and theAndrew W. Mellon Foundation. In 2000, the Freer and Sackler established the Chinese Painting Conservation Program, an initiative to train young professionals and develop cooperative projects promoting the care of Chinese paintings.In 2012, the Mellon Foundation furthered support of trainingand exchanges among conservators, and helped to endow a Chinese painting conservation position and fellowship program. These efforts helped establish a training pipeline of conservators.Concurrently in China, I have observed a shift in training, from a traditional apprenticeship model to formalized degree programs. This has occurred alongside a nationwide prioritization of Chinese culture and heritage resulting in new museums and state-of-the-art conservation facilities. In addition, conservators have increased exposure to the diversity of conservation approaches across different regions of China.My cross-cultural career has provided perspective on how the field could integrate Western and Chinesemethods. Shortened formalized training could be integrated with the apprenticeship model, ensuring the sustainability of Chinese traditional conservation. Implicit in all this is the merging of these cultures. In response, domestic and international collaboration and networks are crucial to advancing the field and leveraging knowledge and resources across the field.Grace Jan is the Yao Wenqing Chinese Painting Conservator at the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art. Since 2009, she has worked on the museum’s Chinese painting and calligraphy collection and supported the museum’s Chinese Painting Conservation Program to promote domestic and international exchange and collaboration. She is active in facilitating the Andrew W. Mellon supported initiative to develop and promote this specialization across the U.S. Ms. Jan received anMAin Art History and Advanced Certificate in Conservation from the Institute of Fine Arts Conservation Center, New York University. Shetrained at the Shanghai Museum, Beijing Palace Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.Almoatz-bellah ElshahawiAn Ancient Egyptian Ptolemaic Coinage: History and Preservation MethodsAncient coins are one of the most important sources of information from which archaeologists and historians can interpret the past. Through the study of coins, we can obtain valuable information about the culture of that time since most coins can be easily dated. This is partly because, unlike most other ancient artifacts, they are often stamped with text and images of rulers from a specific period in time. Coins also shed light on which countries were trading partners. Additionally, the materials used for minting coins, such as bronze, silver, gold, has further helped historians date the coins and reveal the affluence of that culture. My presentation will focus on the study a group of Ptolemaic coins in the antiquities collection of the Grand Egyptian Museum and Karnak temple. I will discuss the history of the coins, their documentation process and conclude with treatment, cataloguing and storage recommendations.Almoatzbellah Elshahawi a PhD candidate in the conservation at Cairo University, specializing in ancient Egyptian works on Metals and Coins. He is a graduatedintern at the J. Paul Getty Museum for one year(2019-2020). For the dissertation, he is researching on the evaluation of the efficiency of environmental inhibitors with Nano-reinforcement for the protection of archaeological bronze. He received a Master’s degree in Conservation, Cairo University, 2017. AlmoatzbellahElshahawi was a 2013-2017 Cairo university Fellow. A 2005-2009 Abou-Qir high conservation institute Fellow and most recently, an objectconservator at the Grand Egyptian Museum-Conservation Center (GEM-CC).

Virtual Pizza Talk: Archaeological and Biometric Perspective on the Diversity and Origin of African Chickens
2021-05-19 12:00 - 13:00
Helina WoldekirosAssistant Professor, Department of AnthropologyWashington UniversityRegister hereDomestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus L. 1758) are one of the most valued farm animals in the world today. Chickens are economically and socially significant in Africa. They are often associated with cuisine and identity as well as their ability to generate income for poor rural communities. Despite their importance, little is known about the nature of their introduction and subsequent integration into African economies. In this paper I present archaeological and biometric perspective on the introduction and development of chicken landraces in the Horn of Africa.Dr. Helina Woldekiros is an assistant professor at the Department of Anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis. Woldekiros completed her Ph.D. at Washington University in St. Louis and her MA at the University of Florida. After completing a postdoctoral research at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany, Woldekiros joined the Department of Anthropology at WU in 2015.Woldekiros’s research interest includes state formation, the origin of food production, agriculture, pastoralism, salt trade, caravan archaeology, and livestock biodiversity in the Horn of Africa. Her upcoming book entitled “The Boundaries of Ancient Trade” re-conceptualizes state formation in the Horn Africa by looking at not only hierarchical political models but also heterarchical political models. She is also an expert in the domestication and spread of chickens globally.

Spirituality and Diaspora: Considering Yoruba and Kongo Objects in Museums
2021-05-18 10:00 - 11:00
A conversation between Bárbaro Martínez-Ruiz and José Bedia,Moderated by Manuel JordánMay 18th, 10am – 11am PSTRegister hereThis program follows an exciting interdisciplinary seminar on African Objects in Museums, where students examined a series of objects including painted Yoruba drums and Kongo minkisi. To continue discussions, the Fowler Museum, the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, the UCLA/Getty Conservation Program, UCLA Information Studies, and the UCLA Africa Studies Center are hosting a program where we will engage three specialists who are artists, scholars, and/or practitioners. The two speakers are members of the Afro-Cuban and Cuban diaspora, respectively.

Senses of Autonomy in the Los Angeles Basin Colonial Hinterlands
2021-05-14 11:00 - 12:00
Nathan Acebo, MA, PhDUniversity of California, Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Scholar and Critical Mission Studies Postdoctoral ScholarAnthropology & Heritage StudiesUniversity of California, MercedRegister hereThe study of the written history of Indigenous communities continues to evolve following new contributions from collaboration-based research partnerships committed to practicing Indigenous Archaeology. As a form of archaeology practiced with, by, and for Indigenous peoples, Indigenous Archaeology is reshaping our understanding of North American colonization by providing new perspectives on the vibrancy of Indigenous cultures and enduring political traditions. This talk showcases how Indigenous Archaeology was practiced in partnership with Tongva, Acjachemen and Payómkawichum communities in southern California to illuminate forms of political and economic autonomy beyond the reach of Spanish and Californio colonial authorities in the southern Los Angeles Basin hinterlands (1770-1848 CE). I present how the Black Star Canyon Archaeology Project’s (BSCAP: 2013-2021) analyses of orphan collections were specifically guided by Indigenous collaborators’ concept of “thrivance”—a condition of existence focused on political and economic dimensions of Indigenous autonomy—to yield said history and use archaeology as a tool for Indigenous storytelling on said peoples’ terms.Dr. Nathan Acebo is the University of California Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow in Critical Mission Studies for the 2020–2021 year at the University California, Merced and holds the position of Assistant Professor of Anthropology-Native American and Indigenous Studies at University of Connecticut beginning in August 2021. Dr. Acebo received his Ph.D. at Stanford University and was a fellow in the Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education Doctoral Program (EDGE: 2013-2020), Institute for Research in the Social Sciences (IRiSS: 2019-2020), and Mellon Humanities Program (2019-2020). His research in southern California and Hawaii focuses on Indigenous networks, subaltern resistance, and decolonizing practices.

Virtual Pizza Talk: Recording the Inscribed Spaces of Wadi el-Hudi: Challenges and Promises of Digital Rescue Archaeology in a Uniquely Inscribed Archaeological Landscape
2021-05-12 12:00 - 13:00
Bryan KraemerEgyptologist at the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of ArtCalifornia State University, San BernardinoRegister hereSince 2014, the Wadi el-Hudi Expedition has been surveying archaeological sites in Egypt’s Eastern Desert connected with ancient amethyst and gold mines. The ancient activity was concentrated in two periods, Egypt’s Middle Kingdom (circa 2000 -1700 BCE), and the Early Roman Period (late 1st century BCE to 2nd century CE). During the first period, the ancient miners, guardians, and administrators left an abundant epigraphic record of their activities. To date, 270 separate inscriptions have been recorded at Wadi el-Hudi. These show a wide range of formality in inscriptional technique between carefully crafted monumental stelae with long hieroglyphic texts on one hand to rock-pecked petroglyphs on the other. Partially published by Ahmed Fakhry in 1952 and Ahmed Sadek in 1980-85, the inscriptions of Wadi el-Hudi have contributed significantly to our understanding of how ancient Egyptian desert mining expeditions operated. The Wadi el-Hudi Expedition has now for the first time recorded these inscriptions within their archaeological context using a photogrammetry-based epigraphic methodology. This record is fully integrated into the 3-dimensional survey of the entire Wadi el-Hudi topography and archaeological remains. It therefore allows us not only to record but also to present the inscriptions in a digital reproduction of their original context. This detailed 3D record is especially important since modern gold mining threatens the existence of archaeological sites in this remote area of the desert.In this talk, I will present a selection of the current results of the Wadi el-Hudi Expedition’s epigraphic and archaeological survey. Taking from interpretive theories of Geosemiotics, I will present case studies from the results of the epigraphic working understanding how the inscriptions at Wadi el-Hudi were embedded in a nexus of social and linguistic actions that contributed to their meaning and defined the local versions of what one might call an epigraphic habit. Additionally, I will outline how we have incorporated 3D capture into every aspect of recording at Wadi el-Hudi and show the results and challenges of using this methodology.The Wadi el-Hudi Expedition works under the auspices of California State University, San Bernardino and in compliance with the Ministry of Antiquities in Egypt. The expedition has conducted fiveseasons since 2014from which Iwill draw these results.Bryan Kraemer is an Egyptologist at the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art (California State University, San Bernardino -CSUSB),where he is in charge of developing content related to the museum’s collections of artifact’s from Ancient Egypt. He is also a lecturer in the History Department at CSUSB. Bryanhas a Masters in Egyptology from the University of Chicago and a Masters in Archaeological Computing from Southampton University. He is also working on finishing his Ph.D. in Egyptology at the University of Chicago. Bryan’s research interests are in Ancient Egyptian religion and ritual, Ancient Egypt and the Classical World, Ancient Egyptian language, art, and archaeology, digital humanities, GIS, and digital frontiers in museums. He has worked and studied in Egypt over the last twenty years and taught Ancient Egyptian language and archaeology at University of Chicago, Princeton University, and California State University, San Bernardino. Bryan is currently working on a monograph on his work with the festival of Osiris at Abydos and a 3D archaeological atlas of maps from his work as co-director of the Wadi el-Hudi Expedition (www.wadielhudi.com).

Virtual Pizza Talk: The Construction and Deconstruction of Authenticity in Chinese Art
2021-05-05 12:00 - 13:00
David A. ScottDistinguished Professor EmeritusUCLA Department of Art HistoryRegister hereChinese Art presents especially challenging problems in terms of authenticity of monuments, sites, and artefacts of all kinds. Professor Emeritus David A. Scott will examine the conceptual framework of authenticity, a metonymy, where the vagaries of the word can be replaced with intangible authenticity, material authenticity and historic authenticity. Authenticity can also be regarded as contested, debated and performative, particularly in terms of its social and political signification. At the same time, it is important to remember that authentication is a necessary attribute of material authenticity. Scott examines how different conceptions of authenticity can be applied to a discussion of hanging scrolls on paper and silk, bronze artefacts, and monuments and sites. The works of the most famous Chinese artist, copyist and forger, Zhang Daquian, will be briefly discussed. The nature and extent of copies in Chinese art and how they are perceived or valorized is an important issue and one of philosophical interest. Philosophical debates concerning how instances of copies are regarded, and how the intention of the original artist impinges on the reception and appreciation of copies will be discussed.
