General Archaeology and Anthropology

Trash Can Detective
The person who sat at a desk and used this trash can is missing.  Luckily, the trash can hasn't been emptied for a week.  Who is this person and what can we learn from the trash? To answer these question students excavate the trash can and in the process learn how archaeologists deal with similar problems. When archaeologists excavate a site they work back in time. The first level of artifacts is the most recent. The artifacts have to be carefully recorded and removed before the next level can be excavated.  As an excavation unfolds it is difficult to tell how levels and artifacts relate to each other. It is only when the earliest level is uncovered that the development of the site over time is revealed and its history can be written. Make sure to record all the objects otherwise you will miss the clues. Once the trash can is empty, the excavation is over and all that is left are the records. If the records are clear the mystery can be solved. Ann Guinan

Ritual Tattoo:  Marks of Cultural Identity and Change

This illustrated lecture explores the subject of ritual tattoo and its significance in various cultures such as the Maori of New Zealand and the Nuba of the North African Sudan.  The presentation also addresses the recent revival of body modification practices in the United States and Western Europe, and the relevance of ritual marks among changing cultures today. Klare Scarborough

Innovation and Forms of Ancient Glass
Tracing the origins of glass-making to the Near East and Egypt, this lecture examines the technological processes and mythological mysteries behind one of mankind’s most enduring innovations.  From Herodotus’s explanation of its invention, to the rise of Egyptian faience, to the spread of material trade across the Mediterranean, the causalities leading to changes in technology will be visited.  Why was most Egyptian faience blue?  How did glass-blowing come about and how did it almost spell disaster for the glass-making industry?  Has glass technology really progressed in the past 2000-years?  This lecture offers the ability to study one particular material across different cultures and time, connecting modern window glass to Phoenician sailors, drinking glasses of today to Roman symposiums, and the world we live in to a diverse, yet connected, cultural past.  (Suitable to children 10+ to adults) John Kuehne

The Trials and Tribulations of Becoming an Archaeologist: From the Perspective of a Current Student

Who didn’t want to be an archaeologist when they were young? Inundations of unrealistic images of popular archaeologists (Indian Jones, Lara Croft) have swept through our culture. How do students really know what archaeology is like before they choose this profession? How is archaeology actually different from these pop images? This lecture will explore the process of figuring out exactly what archaeologists do and the steps a current student is taking to become an archaeologist. Both a formal and an informal education are involved in learning how to do archaeology. A current PhD student from the University of Pennsylvania will explain the trials and tribulations all archaeologists have to go through before their career really begins. This lecture will provide an insiders view to pursuing a profession you have to love in order to be successful at. Kristen Fellows

Australian Aboriginal Art -- The World’s Oldest Unbroken Art Tradition

Dating back at least 30,000 years, Australian Aboriginal art is a continuing tradition, contemporary examples of which are appreciated and appreciating on the international art market today. (Swatch commissioned Australian aboriginal artist B. Mutji to create a design for its "Limited Edition Artist's Collection.") The hundreds of tribes have quite distinct art traditions, all relating to "The Dreaming" and are adopting diverse mediums and a wide range of materials to express their relationship to the past and to their present social situation. Slides taken by the lecturer on a six-week trip in Australia will illustrate some of the richness and diversity of this art. Archaeological and ethnographic information will provide a context for understanding and enjoying this tradition. Ms. Jean Adelman

Blue and White on Three Continents:
Indigo-Dyed Textiles in West Africa, Japan, and Scandinavia

Traditional arts have long included the decorating of cloth in many ways in diverse parts of the world. This slide-illustrated lecture will focus on indigo dying and various decorative techniques including tie-dying, paste-resist, and ikat in three distinct geographical regions. The production and uses of these blue-and-white fabrics will be put in cultural/ethnographic context. And a few examples will be available for the audience to enjoy. You may even be able to smell the indigo! Ms. Jean Adelman

Home Sweet Home: Houses Around the World
More than any other aspect of a culture, housing defines and embodies the cultural values and beliefs that define everyday life. What is it like to live in a Bedouin tent, a Venetian palazzo or an igloo? Join us on a journey through the communal centers, living rooms and bedrooms of dwellings throughout the world. We'll take you to the Amazon rainforest to look at the construction of grass houses, to the Middle East to look at houses made of mud brick, to Paros, an Aegean island where bedrooms can be on one side of the street and living rooms on the other. This illustrated talk will make use of the descriptions by anthropologists who have worked and lived in some of the world's most unusual houses. Ms. Ann Guinan

Libraries of the Ancient World
Libraries concentrate the knowledge and scholarship of a culture in one place. This talk will look at the libraries of ancient peoples such as the Assyrians and the Romans. How were ancient libraries used and what did they contain? It will also consider the politics and philosophy that inspired the construction of libraries and the acquisition of their documents. Ms. Ann Guinan

Masks, Make-Up & Mystery
On every continent and in every age, man has devised ways to cover his face. Masks of wood, feathers, shell and paint are often works of great beauty and power. This slide lecture looks at different functions of masks in many cultures and asks why these creations are made up and continue to haunt us. Mr. Steve Abrams

Someone Else's Shoes

Folk dance is part of our cultural heritage with roots in ancient rites. Costumes, footwear, geography, and politics all contribute to the unique form of each dance. Slides and music from all over Europe will be presented and demonstrations of gestures and steps are all combined in this program. Mr. Steve Abrams

Digging Up the Past
As detectives into the past, archaeologists uncover the lives, mysteries and achievements of people who lived hundreds or thousands of years ago. Archaeological method and professional archaeology are included in this discussion. (Suitable for ages 10 and up.) Ann Guinan

Rich and Poor: Everyday Life in the Ancient World

From the twisted alleyways of Babylon to the gracious houses of Pompeii, we will tour the streets, houses, courtyards and kitchens of the ancient world. What was it like to live in ancient cities? Museum exhibits of archeological treasures introduce us to the material goods of the wealthiest segment of society. As a result, it is easier to envision the lives of the "haves" and ignore lives of the "have-nots." In this visit to the ancient world, we will look at poverty as well as privilege. Ms. Ann Guinan

What Bones Tell and Archaeologist: Forensic Anthropology at an Excavation
Human Bones are one of the most common classes of artifacts found at an archaeological site. Excavators often find skeletons in formal burial sites as well as in a variety of other contexts. Even the skeletons in ancient cemeteries are come in a variety of types; each with needs to be decoded by conducting an anthropological study of the bones. Determining the age and the sex of the individual in a cemetery is the basic to interpreting how the living understood their own society, and how the passage to the afterlife is part of the life cycle itself.
Human bones also appear in many ritual contexts, either as intact specimens or as objects that have been fashioned from fresh bones. Bits and pieces of human skeletons can appear anywhere at an archaeological site. Their identification, and the evaluation of how these pieces got there, helps us to decode the archaeological record and reconstruct the ancient society. Dr. Becker's experience with skeletal analysis at over 100 excavations around the world is condensed into a brief, slide illustrated review of what a "bone man" does and what excavators should do until the doctor arrives. Dr. Marshall Becker

Prema Deshmukh Program Manager
(215) 898-4065

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.