This presentation focuses on the economic and political transformations that occurred in Ifugao, Philippines soon after contact with the Spanish. The investigation reported here is part of the Ifugao Archaeological Project, a collaborative...
The protection, preservation and conservation of archaeological resources has been a challenge in the Philippines all throughout the years given that there are various threats that endanger their scientific, cultural and educational value. As there are programs and measures the Philippine government carry on including state-enacted cultural/archaeological laws all throughout the country in order to safeguard these valuable resources, it is still the great task and effort to make the general public appreciate and value archaeology – to further educate the public and instill among them the...
The Izalcos region of colonial Guatemala was the heartland of a political and economic pre-Columbian dynastic state whose power and influence derived in part from its astronomical production of cacao, a tree seed, which Mesoamericans used as...
Radiocarbon dating has been challenged to address and resolve chronological problems below the 100 year resolution. The combined use of bones and short-lived charred organic remains, high-precision dating together with fine-scale stratigraphy...
The extensive remains of Monte Albán, an ancient city in the southern Mexican region of Oaxaca that thrived from roughly 500 BCE–700 CE, lie atop a mountain that affords a striking view of the surrounding valley. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 and one of Mexico’s top archaeological-tourist destinations, Monte Albán was among pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica’s premier capitals. Lindsay Jones will (re)conceptualize Monte Albán as an enduring work of architecture, one that provides a window into Mexico’s past while being a resource for ongoing economic development, literary and artistic...
Susa was under direct control of the Ur III state, at least from the second half of the reign of king Šulgi to the end of his grandson's reign. For a reconstruction of the political/economic relationship between Susa and Girsu-Lagaš in this period, we rely on the archival records from the latter city, rather than on the contemporary tablets from the former. Girsu-Lagaš, located in the southeast margins of the Ur III Babylonian provinces, was allowed a deep direct involvement in the exploitation of Khuzestan, especially Susa, This lecture will focus on four sets of...
Dating to the 7th century BCE, the extensive tomb complex of the grand steward Harwa is one of the largest ever built by a non-royal Egyptian. Located in ancient Thebes (modern Luxor), in the south of present-day Egypt, the site presents stylistic elements from the northern city of Memphis and decorations reminiscent of the mystery cult and resurrection rituals found at the enigmatic structure of Seti I at Abydos, known as the Osireion. Francesco Tiradritti will discuss recent discoveries in the tomb of Harwa, including the remains of ancient plague victims (3rd century CE) that...