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Welcome to the Austin Society of the Archaeological Institute of
America (AIA).
The AIA is dedicated to promoting interest in the archaeology of all
parts of the world.
The Central Texas (Austin) chapter of the Archaeological
Institute of America works closely with faculty and grad students of
the University of Texas at
Austin Classics and Art History Departments
to provide lectures and information on archaeological topics from all
periods. Our main program consists of a series of lectures given on the
UT campus each semester by archaeologists from all over the world.
AIA Spring 2008 Lecture series
all lectures will be held on Wednesdays at 8:00
p.m. in ART 1.110 unless otherwise noted
February 6
Dr. Jennifer Moody
Research Associate, University of Texas at Austin
That's the way the sherd crumbles! Working with
Survey Pottery from Crete
Drawing on many years
of pioneering field work and research in various
landscapes of Crete and the lab, Dr. Jennifer Moody, Research Associate
with The University of Texas at Austin, will discuss ceramic fabric
analysis and how it enhances our understanding of prehistoric
landscapes, cultures, and people.
Jennifer Moody, Harriet Robinson and Tracy Pilant
studying pottery from the Sphakia Survey, Khania Museum, July 1992.
March 5 -- CANCELLED
Dr. Douglas Edwards
University of Puget Sound
Frauds, Controversies, and Relics: Archaeology and
Early Christianity
Dr.
Douglas Edwards,
Distinguished Professor of Religion at the
University of Puget Sound, will discuss "Frauds, Controversies, and
Relics: Archaeology and Early Christianity."
Items and places
that some have associated with early figures in
Christianity have long proved irresistible. Pieces of the true cross,
various body parts of saints, and sacred sites dotted the ancient
landscape providing spiritual and economic sustenance for local,
regional, and even international communities. The height of such
veneration occurred in the Middle Ages but elements continue even to
the present day.
Archaeology and
science have added intriguing twists to the
fascination with relics. This lecture sorts through the claims and
counterclaims of those who use archaeology and/or science to determine
the legitimacy of several "relics"or "sacred sites" of early
Christianity. These include the Shroud of Turin, the supposed burial
shroud covering Jesus; the "James" ossuary, the burial vessel, which
some believe held the bones of the brother of Jesus; the house of
Peter, argued to have been located in the village of Capernaum in
Galilee; the tomb of Paul; and the purported tomb of the family of
Jesus.
April 2
Dr. Stephennie Mulder
University of Texas at Austin
On Molds and Markets: What Islamic Molded Ceramics
say about Medieval Trade and Taste
In Princeton University's
excavations at medieval Balis in Syria in the
summer of 2000, two beautifully decorated, 13th century ceramic molds
were discovered, each bearing a rare and illuminating feature: the
signature of their designer. Aside from the rarity of signed works of
art from the premodern Islamic world, these molds are remarkable for
being found within a rich archaeological context: a ceramic workshop
for the production of unglazed molded or relief-decorated ceramics,
along with hundreds of sherds from molded vessels and tools for their
manufacture. Produced for local consumption within a thriving medieval
domestic economy, these vessels provide an illuminating window into a
little-studied aspect of Islamic art: the manufacture and distribution
of common pottery, perhaps the most fundamental and ubiquitous of the
objects of daily life from the premodern Islamic world.
April 23
Dr. Nayla Kabazi Muntasser
University of Texas at Austin (Visiting Lecturer in
Department of Art and Art History;
Research Associate, Institute of Classical Archaeology)
Courting Rome: Lepcis
Magna Before Septimius Severus
April 24
Dr. Nikola
Theodossiev
American Research Center in Sofia and the Sofia
University St. Kliment Ohridski
The Monumental Late Classical and Hellenistic
Tholos Tombs in Ancient Thrace
Dr.
Nikola Theodossiev is an Assistant Professor
in Archaeology of Ancient Thrace and Southeastern Europe during the 1st
millennium B.C. at the Department of Archaeology, Sofia University St.
Kliment Ohridski and also holds the position of Assistant Director of
the American Research Center in Sofia. He is the Director of
archaeological excavations on different Thracian sites in Bulgaria:
near Dragodan, Kavarna, Shipka, Dermantsi, Tarnava, Vratsa, Krivoldol,
Dolna Kremena, and Pavolche. He is a member of the Editorial Board of
the international peer reviewed academic journal ‘Ancient West &
East’ and is the author of many articles and papers as well as the book
“North-Western Thrace from the Fifth to First Centuries BC. He received
his PhD in Archaeology of Southeastern Europe during the 1st millennium
B.C. from Sofia University.
The lecture will present
a general discussion on the monumental beehive tholos tombs in ancient
Thrace that appeared in the Late Classical period and became widespread
throughout the Hellenistic Age. Some of the funerary monuments display
remarkable painted decoration, e.g. the tombs at Alexandrovo and in
Kazanlak, while others have unique architectural design and decoration,
providing variety of combinations of the Greek orders. Although, with
only few exceptions, most of the tombs were looted in the past, some of
them contain grave goods that allow precise dating. The lecture will
present in details the question of the origins of the Thracian tholos
tombs, exploring the relationship with the famous Mycenaean beehive
tholoi, the Dark Age tholos tombs in continental Greece and on the
Aegean islands, the Archaic and Classical beehive tombs in Thessaly and
Crete. Other tombs that probably influenced the origin of the Thracian
funerary tholoi are certain burial monuments in Asia Minor, which date
from the late 2nd millennium BC down to the Hellenistic Age. Another
group of interesting parallels might be found in Italy, particularly
the Etruscan beehive tholos tombs of the 7th – 6th centuries BC. Other
questions related to the Thracian tholos tombs that will be presented
in the lecture are the problems of chronology, the specific
architectural features, and the possible cultic functions. At the end
of the lecture, selected Thracian tombs will be presented. Some of them
were recently excavated in Bulgaria and are not well known to the
foreign audiences, while others are among the most remarkable burial
monuments of the Late Classical and Hellenistic funerary architecture
in Southeast Europe.
Our lectures this spring will be held in two different
buildings: the ART building at Trinity and 23rd Street,
in room 1.110 and in the DFA building, in room 2.20.
The buildings are located on the University of Texas campus, across the
street from the Darrel K. Royal Memorial Stadium. Parking is available
in the stadium's parking lot. A brief reception, during which
refreshments will be served, will be held after each lecture.
These lectures are free and open to the public so spread
the word to anyone who would be interested in attending!
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If you have any questions about the lectures please contact
Leticia Rodriguez (Program Coordinator) by email at
lrod13@gmail.com.
We are constantly updating our mailing list so please contact
us if your address changes or if you are receiving duplicate mailings.
We are especially excited to welcome our current AIA members!
Please bring ideas and suggestions for any trips, programs, or
other activities you would be interested in. We also look for
volunteers to host and give the Austin "tour" to our visiting speakers
and to help with refreshments at our meetings. If you are interested in
helping out, call or email Leticia. We look forward to seeing you soon!
The University of Texas at Austin,
Department of Art and Art History,
Attn. Leticia Rodriguez
1 University Station, D1300,
Austin, TX 78712
email: lrod13@gmail.com.
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