January 15, 2012-Dr. Elspeth R. M. Dusinberre: Power and Authority at the Edge of Empire in Ancient Persia

Submitted by AaronVATheis
on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 21:41

Sunday, Jan 15th, 2012, 2:00

Elspeth R. M. Dusinberre, University of Colorado 

Power and Authority at the Edge of Empire in Ancient Persia 
  
From c. 550-330 BCE, the Achaemenid Persian empire stretched from the Aegean to the Indus, from Egypt to the Central Asian Republics -- the largest sociopolitical entity the world had ever seen, only brought to its knees by the conquest of Alexander the Great. What was the impact  of the empire on the peoples of Anatolia (modern Turkey) at the western edge of its reaches? This talk examines imperially significant behaviors such as government strategies, controlling and protecting the western reaches of the empire, drinking and dining, dealing with the dead, and worshiping the gods. Intensive investigation of archaeological and literary sources shows that the Achaemenid administration, with its seats in Iran, exerted tremendous authority over particular aspects of living in Anatolia while allowing great autonomy in other aspects. The talk illuminates Persian might and imperial strategy as well as local culture and resistance.
 

Sunday, Febuary 26, 2012-James C. Miller: When it’s Hot, it’s Hot: Changing Climates and Shifting Prehistoric Populations in Western Colorado

Submitted by AaronVATheis
on Mon, 09/12/2011 - 14:02

 

Sunday, Febuary 26, 2012
 
James C. Miller
Research Director, Dominguez Archaeological Research Group
Grand Junction, Colorado
 
When it’s Hot, it’s Hot: Changing Climates and Shifting Prehistoric Populations in Western Colorado
 
Recent excavations and environmental studies at the Jeanne Site (5GF741), a rock shelter near Loma, Colorado, have provided a record of periodic use by hunter-gatherers as well as a detailed account of past climates from about 10,000 years ago to present. The small northwest-facing overhang was a satellite site for sheltering groups involved in hunting as well as seed and other plant gathering.  Features used for cooking and producing heat and others used for plant food processing and storage are prevalent.  In addition, a series of post holes in 6500 to 5000 year old deposits suggests the construction of a protective barrier against the elements or simply a wall to isolate one area of the interior space for special use.  Comparison of the frequency of occupations at the Jeanne Site with the frequency of occupations on three other western Colorado sites (5GF1323, the Indian Creek Site [5ME699], and 5ME15398) suggests episodic use of the area by prehistoric people. Past climate reconstructions using pollen and geo-climatic interpretations of aeolian and alluvial deposits suggest heavier use of the area by prehistoric inhabitants during cooler, concomitantly moister climatic conditions.  Similar to human use of the area, accumulated data on bison in the archaeological record over a wider region suggest a pattern of bison population reduction during long term droughts. 
 
 
Tags: 
Dominguez Archaeological Research Group
Jim Miller
Loma
Colorado
Climate Change
Lecture
Archaeology

April 1, 2011-Dr. Brian Billman: Saving the Past by Investing in the Future: Archaeological Preservation on the North Coast of Peru Through Community Action

Submitted by AaronVATheis
on Wed, 08/03/2011 - 18:33

 

April 1, 2012, 2:00
 
Dr. Brian Billman
 
Associate Professor, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
President and co-founder MOCHE, Inc
 
Saving the Past by Investing in the Future:
Archaeological Preservation on the North Coast of Peru Through Community Action
 
Peru is one of the richest archaeological regions in the world.  Despite the importance of these ancient sites and the wealth generated through tourism, the archaeological heritage of Peru is being destroyed at an unprecedented rate.  Dr. Billman will discuss how MOCHE, Inc., a nonprofit organization, is working to protect the 10 most endangered archaeological sites on the north coast of Peru within the next five years. 
 
Dr. Billman writes:  To solve the intertwined problems of looting, poverty, and lack of heritage education, we form partnerships with poor communities in Peru.  We provide communities with heritage education programs and funding for development projects, such as schools, health clinics, potable water and sewage treatment systems, roads, and parks.  In exchange for our assistance, communities agree to create and defend archaeological reserves.  We fund these community partnerships by offering archaeological tours, field schools, and volunteer programs in Peru.  Through these programs we unite communities in Peru with socially committed people in the US.  In our view, the best way to save archaeological sites is by investing in the future of communities.

 

 
Tags: 
Peru
Moche
Dr. Brian Billman
Lecture
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