A webinar from the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) to get up to speed with the archaeology component of the 2026 Collaborative Summer Reading Program (CSLP) theme: “Unearth a Story.” Learn archaeology basics and the cool things archaeologists can reveal about the past. We’ll give you the inside scoop on pseudoarchaeology (which you are sure to run into this summer) and the influence of Indiana Jones. In the second half of our presentation, a panel of experts from the AIA’s Outreach and Education Committee will answer popular questions to help you and your library patrons “dig in” to archaeology this summer. More resources for librarians are available at: https://www.archaeological.org/programs/educators/unearth-a-story/

Join the AIA as Justin Dunnavant (UCLA) presents the final AIA Archaeology Hour talk of the 2025-2026 season: "Ecology and Slavery in St. Croix." This presentation was originally given on April 22, 2026 at 8pm Eastern. The development of plantation slavery radically transformed societies and environments in the Americas. In this talk, Dunnavant will delve into the colonial practice of coral mining and its environmental impacts in the Danish West Indies. Drawing from archaeological, historical, and environmental data, Dunnavant reveals how the use of coral as the dominant construction material for colonial buildings left a lasting legacy on the landscape and seascape that is still evident today on the island of St. Croix.

Take a virtual trip Down Under with the AIA as we catch up with Helen Green (University of Melbourne) as she presents the March edition of AIA Archaeology Hour: "Dating Australia’s Oldest Rock Art." This talk was originally given 3/25/26 at 8pm Eastern Time. Australia hosts the world’s oldest continuing culture, and Aboriginal rock art represents one of its most significant records of knowledge. These paintings and engravings remain of deep importance to Aboriginal people today and provide valuable evidence for researchers seeking to understand long-term human-environment interactions. Yet one of the greatest challenges in rock art research is determining age. Without knowing how old the paintings and engravings are, it is difficult to understand how the artworks relate to past changes in climate, environment, or culture. In this talk, Dr. Helen Green will outline the latest scientific techniques used to establish the age of Australia’s oldest rock art, and the innovative, multi-disciplinary projects that bring together traditional Indigenous knowledge and Western science to deepen our understanding of these remarkable cultural records and how we might protect them into the future.

Join the AIA for a virtual trip to West Africa as Akin Ogundiran delivers the February AIA Archaeology Hour talk "Metropolitan Walls of the Ọyọ Empire." Enclosures and perimeter walls, built of lateritic clay and stones, are the most visible monuments and evidence of public works in the archaeological landscape of the Ọyọ Empire (West Africa). What purposes did these walls serve as markers of separation and connection? Join us to find out!

Society Sunday 2026 - February 22, 2026 Find your local AIA Society and see what they're up to: https://www.archaeological.org/programs/societies/find/ Join us as the AIA Societies Committee presents a virtual presentation and Q&A with Jessica Tilley. This presentation was given live at 1pm on February 22, 2026. Often deemed the ‘mysterious’ Etruscans, this pre-Roman civilization of early Italy has fought a hard-won battle in finding its place in the field of Classical Archaeology. Various titans of American Etruscology, including this year’s AIA Gold Medalist Nancy de Grummond, have dedicated decades of research to highlighting the value of Etruscan material in answering larger questions related to ritual practice, cross-cultural interaction, and Mediterranean trade networks. In recent years, Etruscan material has been at the foreground of widely publicized repatriation cases and cultural heritage protection conversations. This buzz culminated in the globally acclaimed 2023 film "La chimera" about a band of Etruscan tomb robbers. Looking ahead, Etruscology is primed for engaging in the development of current archaeological theory, with ongoing research relevant to our multi-cultural, interconnected world. In this lecture, Dr. Jessica Tilley outlines the dynamic history of the Etruscan civilization’s modern reception and highlights the ways in which it is uniquely positioned to contribute to ongoing dialogue around decolonialism, queer theory, globalization, and network theory in Mediterranean archaeology.

This webinar brings together archaeologists and scholars to discuss the preservation of Egypt’s cultural heritage in light of the upcoming CPAC meeting. Panelists will examine the role of bilateral agreements in preventing the illegal import of cultural objects and protecting irreplaceable archaeological resources. Photo credits: Thebes, Luxor, Egypt, Deir el-Medina, © Vyacheslav Argenberg Top left to bottom right: Temple of Hathor, Dark interior, Dendera, Egypt, © Vyacheslav Argenberg Abu Simbel temple (35054418285), Paul Grach, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Templo funerario de Hatshepsut, Luxor, Egipto, 2022-04-03, DD 06, Diego Delso, delso.photo, License CC BY-SA Great Sphinx and Kafra Pyramid, Radosław Botev, CC BY 3.0 PL, via Wikimedia Commons; The econonomic copyrights belong to Nomos Foundation (Fundacja Nomos). The Foundation shares this material under a free licence as part of its statutory goals. Knossos Minos's Palace, Silar, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The AIA is excited to announce a webinar on preserving Greece’s cultural heritage. Hosted by Ömür Harmanşah, the AIA’s Vice President of Cultural Heritage, please join our panel of American and Greek archaeologists and scholars for a discussion on preserving Greece’s cultural heritage in light of the upcoming Cultural Property Advisory Committee meeting on renewing the bilateral agreements to prevent cultural objects from being imported illegally into the United States. The panelists include: Jack Davis, University of Cincinnati Kostas Paschalidis, Margo Tytus Fellow, University of Cincinnati Kim Shelton, UC Berkeley Shari Stocker, University of Cincinnati James Wright, Bryn Mawr Nikos Papadimitriou, The Paul and Alexandra Canellopoulos Foundation Museum Elena Vlaxogianni, Greek Ministry of Culture Tania Kyriakou, Greek Ministry of Culture Image credits: Looking at Poseidon, Sounion, Greece, Dimitrisdimitriadis, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Top left to bottom right: The Porch of the Caryatids, The Erechtheion, Acropolis of Athens, Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons The Propylon of the Gymnasium, Sanctuary of Asklepios, Epidaurus, Carole Raddato, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons The Lion Gate on 26 March 2019, George E. Koronaios, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons "Als Mittelpunkt der Welt" galt Delphi für die Menschen der Antike. 31, Holger Uwe Schmitt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Olympia Philippeion, Ronny Siegel, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Knossos Minos's Palace, Silar, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Join the AIA for the first talk of 2026 as the AIA's new president, Brian I. Daniels, hosts Danyelle Means for "NAGPRA as a Path to Healing and Reciprocity." This talk was originally given 1/28/26 at 8pm Eastern Time. Have you noticed empty exhibit cases at museums over the past two years as museums move to comply with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)? Means' presentation reframes NAGPRA not as a legal obligation but as a vital opportunity for healing, reciprocity, and relationship-building between archaeologists, museums, and Indigenous communities. Drawing from Indigenous perspectives, the talk explores how NAGPRA challenges institutions to move beyond compliance and toward practices rooted in respect, sovereignty, and shared stewardship. By centering Native voices and experiences, this session invites the audience to consider how honoring ancestors and returning cultural items can transform the field into one of accountability, trust, and long-term collaboration.

Join the Archaeological Institute of America for a fascinating evening with Alison Futrell as she gives the last AIA Archaeology Hour lecture of 2025: "The People's Arena." This presentation was originally given 11/12/2025 at 8pm Eastern. Mass events in the Colosseum were highly visible performances of Rome’s imperial power. But how did the arena impact the lives of ordinary individuals? This talk explores evidence for the experiences of the people in the sands, the seats, and the substructures, beyond the emperor’s box.

Join the Archaeological Institute of America for a fascinating evening as Justin Leidwanger (Stanford University) presents Shipping Stone for Justinian's Empire? as part of the 2025-2026 AIA Archaeology Hour lecture series. This presentation was originally given 10/22/25 at 8 pm Eastern time. The “church wreck” off Sicily—with its 100-ton cargo of prefabricated columns and religious furnishings—has long stood as a symbol of Justinian’s revival of the Roman Empire in the 6th century CE. Recent excavations call this connection into question, providing a new look at economic, political, religious, and artistic networks and the merchant sailors who tied together the Mediterranean world even amid the fall of Rome’s ancient empire. 0:00 - Welcome from the AIA 5:43 - Introducing Justin Leidwanger 7:32 - Marzamemi II “church wreck”: an AIA project in many ways 8:36 - Introducing the Marzamemi II “church wreck”: 9:56 - Mid-20th century investigation and excavation 11:05 - The famous cargo 13:12 - Period of decline: A mid-20th century understanding of Late Antiquity 14:09 - Reconciling 100 tons of finely carved marble with narrative of decline 14:25 - Introducing Emperor Justinian 16:30 - Vibrant transformation: a new understanding of Late Antiquity 17:47 - Marzamemi: one of the last gigantic ships of the ancient world 18:40 - Illicit removal of material from the wreck site 19:38 - New investigations (2013-2019) 22:00 - Conservation challenges: taking care of artifacts above water 22:26 - Mapping the site 22:50 - New discoveries 23:02 - Too many capitals, bases, and columns 25:08 - A pulpit from Thessaly: carved verde antico 25:46 - Panels of Proconessian marble 26:12 - Smaller sculpted finds 26:33 - Not just one church? 28:08 - Scanning to create 3D models of architectural materials 28:35 - Virtually reunifying the cargo 28:55 - Clues from critters: understanding post depositional biological processes 29:50 - Experimental archaeology: understanding the labor lost 30:33 - Column clues: a little early for Justinian 30:53 - What else was on board? 32:04 - Justin’s favorite finds 32:29 - Records of Negotiation, decision making, and evidence of long distance interactions 32:46 - Remnants of the ship 33:34 - Dining on board 34:25 - Secondary cargo and previous stops 35:54 - Where was the ship headed? 37:04 - Conclusions 39:46 - Museum of the Sea in the Palmento Rudinì 40:24 - Underwater dive trails in Sicily 40:51 - Pop-up exhibits 41:23 - Acknowledgements 42:55 - Will the materials from the two Marzamemi excavations be reunited? 43:50 - More about dive trails in Sicily 45:40 - Were spare columns, bases, and capitals shipped in case of breakage? 47:45 - Was the ship making multiple stops? 49:30 - Transporting the cargo inland 53:02 - Why did the ship wreck? 55:07 - Was there shipping insurance in Late Antiquity? 57:10 - Underwater excavation logistics 59:41 - Technology used 1:00:41 - What’s next?

Heritage Broadcasting Service ( https://www.heritagetac.org ) launched on January 1, 2021. Developed by the nonprofit Archaeological Legacy Institute (that’s us, the people who created The Archaeology Channel at archaeologychannel.org), Heritage features more than 450 outstanding film titles from many countries on familiar subjects. As of May 25, 2026, new films include: “Mystery of the Shroud,” “The Oath of Cyriac,” and “Humanity's Footsteps, Season 2, Episode 14: The Businessman.” ► HERITAGE: (https://heritagetac.org/) ► INSTAGRAM: / (https://www.instagram.com/heritagebroadcastingservice/) / (https://www.instagram.com/archaeologychannel/) ► FACEBOOK: / (https://www.facebook.com/TheArchaeologyChannel/) #archaeology #archeology #heritage #anthropology #history #culture #heritagebroadcastingservice #film #documentary #whattowatchnext #HistoryDocumentary #whattowatchnext #HistoryDocumentary #whattowatch #biblicalarchaeology #tomb #ancientfunerarypractices #syrianhistory #AleppoNationalMuseum #Aleppo #FrenchArchaeology #MiddleAges #tradehistory

Heritage Broadcasting Service ( https://www.heritagetac.org ), or just plain Heritage, launched on January 1, 2021. Developed by the nonprofit Archaeological Legacy Institute (that’s us, the people who created The Archaeology Channel at archaeologychannel.org), Heritage features more than 450 outstanding film titles from many countries on familiar subjects. As of May 15, 2026, new films include: “The First World,” “Incas: The New Story,” and “Strata: Portraits of Humanity Season 12, Episode 8,” featuring “Abaznoda” and “Guardians of Hellenism: The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.” ► HERITAGE: (https://heritagetac.org/) ► INSTAGRAM: / (https://www.instagram.com/heritagebroadcastingservice/) / (https://www.instagram.com/archaeologychannel/) ► FACEBOOK: / (https://www.facebook.com/TheArchaeologyChannel/) #archaeology #archeology #heritage #anthropology #history #culture #heritagebroadcastingservice #film #documentary #whattowatchnext #HistoryDocumentary

Season 12 Episode 7 Strata: Portraits of Humanity, April 2026 (Upland Greenland archaeology; animated personal story of Canada’s colonial history) (1) “Greenland RESPONSE: The Mountain Survey”: Archaeologists from the Greenland National Museum and UNESCO Kujataa search for traces of Inuit caribou hunting in a remote mountain region of South Greenland close to the ice cap. (2) “Four Faces of the Moon”: An animated short told in four chapters, exploring the reclamation of language and nationhood and peeling back the layers of Canada's colonial history. The filmmaker connects the oral and written history of her family as well as the history of the Métis, Cree and Anishnaabe peoples and their cultural link to the buffalo. Watch on The Archaeology Channel (https://www.archaeologychannel.org/index.php/video-guide/strata-portraits-of-humanity) or Heritage Broadcasting Service (https://heritagetac.org/). ► HERITAGE: (https://heritagetac.org/) ► INSTAGRAM: / (https://www.instagram.com/heritagebroadcastingservice/) / (https://www.instagram.com/archaeologychannel/) ► FACEBOOK: / (https://www.facebook.com/TheArchaeologyChannel/) #heritage #strata #archaeology #archeology #anthropology #history #culturalheritage #strataportraitsofhumanity #culture #film #documentary #shortfilm #indigenous #nativeamerican #firstnations #Greenland #Inuit #caribou #CaribouHunting #GreenlandNationalMuseum #Canada #FirstNations #Métis #Cree #Anishnaabe #Animation #ShortFilm #whattowatch

Heritage Broadcasting Service ( https://www.heritagetac.org ), or just plain Heritage, launched on January 1, 2021. Developed by the nonprofit Archaeological Legacy Institute (that’s us, the people who created The Archaeology Channel at archaeologychannel.org), Heritage features more than 450 outstanding film titles from many countries on familiar subjects. As of April 15, 2026, new films include: “Empires of Silver, Episode 2: The China Trade,” “Whispering in Our Hearts: the Mowla Bluff massacre,” and “Strata: Portraits of Humanity Season 12, Episode 7,” featuring “Greenland RESPONSE: the Mountain Survey,” and “Four Faces of the Moon.” ► HERITAGE: (https://heritagetac.org/) ► INSTAGRAM: / (https://www.instagram.com/heritagebroadcastingservice/) / (https://www.instagram.com/archaeologychannel/) ► FACEBOOK: / (https://www.facebook.com/TheArchaeologyChannel/) #archaeology #archeology #heritage #anthropology #history #culture #heritagebroadcastingservice #film #documentary #whattowatchnext #HistoryDocumentary #Canton #OpiumWars #MowlaBluffMassacre #MowlaBluff #AboriginalHistory #AustralianHistory #Cree #Métis #Anishnaabe #IndigenousStories #Animation #Archaeology #GreenlandNationalMuseum #Inuit #CaribouHunting

“Women of the Mine” (Mujeres de la mina) provides an intimate portrait of three women that live and work at the Cerro Rico mines in Potosí, Bolivia. At more than 13,000 feet, Potosí is one of the world’s highest cities. Cerro Rico mines exploit the world’s largest silver deposit. The mine is the symbol of colonial plunder. The population there has suffered in working poverty while extracting unimaginable riches for others. The mines date to the mid 1500s. In this “mountain that eats men,” historians believe up to 8 million have died so far. Average miner life expectancy is 40 years. In Cerro Rico society, women’s lives are the more cursed and precarious. Most women there are widows, struggling to support their families. Women cannot enter the mines—male miners tend to believe women bring bad luck—so they toil outside, hammering rock on the mountain’s flanks. This film tells the stories of struggle, resistance and courage of three remarkable women: Domitila Chungara – World famous labor leader and feminist, Domitila led the struggle of miners and women in Bolivia. Lucía Armijo – worker, miner, leader and single mother of six children, Lucia shows us the mines and tells us about her life in Cerro Rico. Francisca Gonzalez – Miner and the granddaughter, daughter and widow of miners, Francisca supports her family by hammering stone by stone in her struggle to change the future of her grandchildren. The years spent making the film were intense. Directors Malena Bystrowicz and Loreley Unamuno lived with the mineworkers and shared the joy of the births of dozens of children and the deaths of fathers, husbands and sons to the mines. About one of the film’s subjects, they write, “Domitilla, already old, was a legend. She surprised us with her endless energy to fight. Shortly after our interview, she died of lung disease – the “stigma of mine.” We feel very lucky to be able to share with you our work.” Stream “Women of the Mine” on Heritage Broadcasting Service (heritagetac.org). ► HERITAGE: (https://heritagetac.org/) ► INSTAGRAM: / (https://www.instagram.com/heritagebroadcastingservice/) / (https://www.instagram.com/archaeologychannel/) ► FACEBOOK: / (https://www.facebook.com/TheArchaeologyChannel/) #inspiringwomen #documentary #womenofthemine #bolivia #bolivian #mineworkers #DomitilaChungara #SyndicalFederationofBolivianMineworkers #FSTMB #Potosí #mujeresdelamina #mining #whattowatch #heritage #history #bolivianhistory #femalemineworkers #powerfuldocumentary #CerroRico #cerroricomines

Wrap up this #WomensHistoryMonth with a powerful and inspiring message about women who heal and care for the women within their communities in the face of government repression. Salvadoran midwives often were the only option for help in delivering babies during the Salvadoran “Civil War”—the genocide against its own people by the U.S.-supported Salvadoran military dictatorship there. Now, these traditional health practitioners are fighting to protect their ancestral role in the face of government repression that aims to outlaw their services in favor of hospital services. Alarmingly, these services often involve medically unnecessary genital-mutilating episiotomies, approved by the government as a form of population control. The filming of “Matronas” (Midwives) grew out of an intimate relationship between the filmmakers, Shara Lili and Noemi Delgado, and the midwives featured, and has been shaped by a shared desire to raise awareness about birthing justice. About the significance of this project, Lili and Delgado write: “We believe this story is important to tell not only for El Salvador, but also for the globally relevant insight it provides us as birth becomes increasingly medicalized everywhere. If birth becomes the exclusive realm of hospitals, we lose access to traditional birthing practices which integrate our connection to the natural world from the moment we enter it, and which center women’s agency.” Through compelling interviews, the midwives of “Matronas” share traditional birthing practices, such as plant medicine, and “sobadas”—an Indigenous prenatal massage technique. Safeguarded by midwives, many of whom are in their late seventies and eighties, these practices are in danger of being lost. Despite a growing body of research demonstrating the positive impact that midwives have on maternal health in Latin America, midwives have been forced to operate under very constricted conditions since 2011, when the Salvadoran government announced that all home births are prohibited. Despite the harsh criminalization of their work, Salvadoran midwives continue to provide life-saving services to people in their communities. Watch “Matronas” and many more films about cultural heritage on Heritage Broadcasting Service (heritagetac.org). Subscribe today and get your first week free. ► HERITAGE: (https://heritagetac.org/) ► INSTAGRAM: / (https://www.instagram.com/heritagebroadcastingservice/) / (https://www.instagram.com/archaeologychannel/) ► FACEBOOK: / (https://www.facebook.com/TheArchaeologyChannel/) #elsalvador #midwives #matronas #inspiringwomen #elsalvador #salvadoran # #midwifery #birthingjustice #naturalbirth #traditionalbirth #indigenousknowledge #culturalpreservation #maternalhealth #salvadoranmidwives #homebirth #documentary #film #whattowatch

Get ready for three powerful new stories arriving on Heritage Broadcasting Service!📺✨ On March 30, explore the extraordinary story of how silver shaped the history of our world in "Empires of Silver, Episode 1: The Silver Rush," witness a powerful journey of reclamation in "Return After the Flood," and uncover medieval power shifts in "Humanity's Footsteps, Season 2, Episode 12: The Man of Faith." Subscribe today to start streaming! 🎥🌍 ► HERITAGE: (https://heritagetac.org/) ► INSTAGRAM: / (https://www.instagram.com/heritagebroadcastingservice/) / (https://www.instagram.com/archaeologychannel/) ► FACEBOOK: / (https://www.facebook.com/TheArchaeologyChannel/) #HistoryDocumentary #WorldHistory #DocumentarySeries #SilverRush #TradeHistory #EconomicHistory #IndigenousHistory #Cree #CreeNation #FirstNations #IndigenousStories #MedievalHistory #MiddleAges #Archaeology

Heritage Broadcasting Service ( https://www.heritagetac.org ), or just plain Heritage, launched on January 1, 2021. Developed by the nonprofit Archaeological Legacy Institute (that’s us, the people who created The Archaeology Channel at archaeologychannel.org), Heritage features more than 450 outstanding film titles from many countries on familiar subjects. As of March 30, 2026, new films include: “Empires of Silver, Episode 1: The Silver Rush,” Return After the Flood,” and “Humanity's Footsteps, Season 2, Episode 12: The Man of Faith." ► HERITAGE: (https://heritagetac.org/) ► INSTAGRAM: / (https://www.instagram.com/heritagebroadcastingservice/) / (https://www.instagram.com/archaeologychannel/) ► FACEBOOK: / (https://www.facebook.com/TheArchaeologyChannel/) #archaeology #archeology #heritage #anthropology #history #culture #heritagebroadcastingservice #film #documentary #whattowatchnext #HistoryDocumentary #WorldHistory #DocumentarySeries #SilverRush #TradeHistory #EconomicHistory #IndigenousHistory #Cree #CreeNation #FirstNations #IndigenousStories #MedievalHistory #MiddleAges

Why have idols of a goddess named Asherah been found in the homes of ancient Israelites? Did Israelites once worship a God-Goddess pair, with the Goddess later edited out of the biblical texts? In episode 2 of the captivating biblical archaeology series “It Ain't Necessarily So,” journalist John McCarthy explores some of the linguistic conundrums of the Bible, such as the common use of the name “Elohim” for God— which is a plural form of the word, sometimes used to mean Gods— and guides us on a socratic journey through biblical history. McCarthy delves into such topics as local Canaanite traditions, the history of the Israelites, and conflicting interpretations of Miriam, sister of Moses. While archaeological investigations lead to new evidence about the role of women during ancient times, McCarthy also weaves in interviews with modern day female worshippers who are forbidden to pray out loud at the sacred Western Wall. Learn more about Asherah and other women of the bible in “It Ain’t Necessarily So: John McCain Investigates the Bible: Episode 2: A Jealous God” on Heritage Broadcasting Service (heritagetac.org) and stay tuned for even more recommendations about what to watch this #WomensHistoryMonth! Join today and get your first week free! 😉 ► HERITAGE: (https://heritagetac.org/) ► INSTAGRAM: / (https://www.instagram.com/heritagebroadcastingservice/) / (https://www.instagram.com/archaeologychannel/) ► FACEBOOK: / (https://www.facebook.com/TheArchaeologyChannel/) #womeninhistory #documentary #womeninthebible #biblicalhistory #bilblicalarchaeology #Asherah #goddessidols #goddessfigurines #Canaanite #religiousstudies #israel #polytheism #archaeology

Season 12 Episode 6 Strata: Portraits of Humanity, March 2026 (Indigenous Quebec man critiques dominant culture; moss-covered dugout canoe in Alaska) (1) “Virus”: This powerful cinematographic slam by an Innu man from Quebec, with a mastery of words in the language (English) imposed by colonization, expresses a criticism of our relationship to Mother Earth, who arguably tried to protect herself with the COVID virus. (2) “Unlocking the Wisdom of an Ancient Canoe”: The 2011 discovery of an unfinished, moss-covered, dugout canoe, up an Alaskan mountainside and miles from water, inspires a team of archaeologists and culture bearers. They unveil a deeper understanding of traditional Haida canoe construction methods, land loss and the relationship between ecological health and human prosperity. Watch on The Archaeology Channel (https://www.archaeologychannel.org/index.php/video-guide/strata-portraits-of-humanity) or Heritage Broadcasting Service (https://heritagetac.org/). ► HERITAGE: (https://heritagetac.org/) ► INSTAGRAM: / (https://www.instagram.com/heritagebroadcastingservice/) / (https://www.instagram.com/archaeologychannel/) ► FACEBOOK: / (https://www.facebook.com/TheArchaeologyChannel/) #heritage #strata #archaeology #archeology #anthropology #history #culturalheritage #strataportraitsofhumanity #culture #film #documentary #shortfilm #indigenous #nativeamerican #canoe #covid19 #poetry #nativeamericanculture

What happened when you died in ancient Israel? The Hebrew Bible offers no clear picture of heaven or hell, but it does preserve a fascinating world of ancestors, burial rituals, Sheol, and the ongoing process of dying. This week, Dr. Matthew Suriano joins the podcast to talk about death and the afterlife in the Hebrew Bible, including the meaning of nefesh, the importance of burial, and why a “bad death” was one of the greatest fears in the ancient world. Drawing on archaeology, biblical texts, and ancient Near Eastern history, this conversation explores what it meant to become one of the dead in ancient Israel. 📚 Reading Recommendations A History of Death in the Hebrew Bible by Matthew Suriano https://amzn.to/4fBYnpy ✨Become a Bible & Archaeology patron: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch 📚 Check out our online courses: https://www.patreon.com/collection/118539 ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🌐 Everywhere you can find us: https://linktr.ee/bibleandarchaeology 📣 Affiliate Disclosure: Using the links above may generate a modest commission at no additional cost to you and helps support our educational work. 🎙️ Credits Guest: Dr. Matthew Suriano Hosted and Edited by Dr. Jordan Jones Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa Office of Innovation production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa. 🕒 Timestamps:

This week, Matthew Suriano joins us to talk about death in the Hebrew Bible. Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa Office of Innovation production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.

Looking for more from Bible & Archaeology (bonus podcasts, courses, reading group, etc.)? Join us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch 📰 News Stories: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/giza-pyramid-earthquake https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-49962-6 https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/13/style/biblical-eating-tiktok-maha-rfk.html https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/doctors-kit-found-on-mount-vesuvius-victim-in-pompeii 📺 Podcasts/Videos Referenced: How Young Did Girls Marry in the Bible? https://youtu.be/45RQZP0AZes Buried or Burned? The Truth About Infant Death in Ancient Israel https://youtu.be/enxMNC_vwgo The History and Burials of Petra with Dr. Lucy Wadeson https://youtu.be/whUcfRLkvtk 📚 Reading Recommendations: Greek Myth and the Bible by Bruce Louden https://amzn.to/4dN6Sfg Agamemnon and the Hebrew Bible by Bruce Louden https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372954269_Agamemnon_and_the_Hebrew_Bible Whose Story? Which Sacrifice? On the Story of Jephthah’s Daughter by Katerina Koci https://doi.org/10.1515/opth-2020-0167 Why Would the Deuteronomists Tell About the Sacrifice of Jephthah's Daughter? by Thomas C. Römer https://doi-org.proxy.lib.uiowa.edu/10.1177/0309089298023077 ✨Become a Bible & Archaeology patron: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch 📚 Check out our online courses: https://www.patreon.com/collection/118539 ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🌐 Everywhere you can find us: https://linktr.ee/bibleandarchaeology 🎙️ Guest: Dr. Peter Miller Hosted by Dr. Jordan Jones Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa Office of Innovation production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.

This week, Susan Ackerman joins us to explore the life cycle of women in ancient Israel, from puberty and marriage to motherhood, ritual impurity, and death. Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa Office of Innovation production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.

In this episode, Susan Ackerman joins us to explore the life cycle of women in ancient Israel, from puberty and marriage to motherhood, ritual impurity, and death. We discuss why childbirth made women “unclean,” why women occupied a liminal role in ancient Israel, the story of Jephthah’s daughter, the concept of social menopause, and more. Along the way, we unpack what archaeology and biblical texts can, and can’t, tell us about the realities of womanhood in the ancient Near East. 📚 Reading Recommendations Maturity, Marriage, Motherhood, Mortality: Women's Life-Cycle Rituals in Ancient Israel by Susan Ackerman https://amzn.to/43h1w6U ✨Become a Bible & Archaeology patron: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch 📚 Check out our online courses: https://www.patreon.com/collection/118539 ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🌐 Everywhere you can find us: https://linktr.ee/bibleandarchaeology 📣 Affiliate Disclosure: Using the links above may generate a modest commission at no additional cost to you and helps support our educational work. 🎙️ Credits Guest: Dr. Susan Ackerman Hosted and Edited by Dr. Jordan Jones Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa Office of Innovation production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa. 🕒 Timestamps: 02:11 Exploring Women's Lives: The Stakes of Biblical Interpretation 05:39 Biblical, Comparative, and Archaeological Data for Women's Lives 08:43 Discovering Women's Voices Through Unintended Biblical Evidence 16:02 Understanding Women's Perpetual Liminal Role in Ancient Israel 22:31 Women's Role in Naming Children 29:23 Jephthah's Daughter: A Rite of Passage? (and Liminal Spaces) 36:25 Challenging Assumptions About the Age of Pubescence in Ancient Israel 40:46 Introducing Social Menopause: A New Framework for Women's Lives 48:05 Women's Roles After Childbearing and the Bible's Silence 53:53 Women's Eternal Liminality After Death 01:00:42 Dr. Ackerman's Inspiration

Andrew Fleming & Colin Renfrew and Richard Bradley take us through 25 years of TAG and beyond: the joys and the tears.

Andrew Fleming & Colin Renfrew and Richard Bradley take us through 25 years of TAG and beyond: the joys and the tears.

Antonio J. Ortiz Villarejo, J.M. Delgado Barrado, Javier Illana López & F. José Pérez Fernández

Anthony Sinclair

Sophie Allen

The interpretation of later Neolithic societies in the Near East remains, to a great extent, dependant on paradigms defined by Culture History: within which identification of specific styles of ceramic technology and decoration remain central. Due to "this Halaf ceramics as an archaeological construct have largely been subjected to processes of reduction providing generalised types both of vessel for and of decorative expression. This practice has led to the perception of an artificially homogenised "culture" and has ultimately denied the study of the social dynamics behind the cultural phenomenon. As the study of Near Eastern prehistory becomes more theorised, there is naturally a need to break down these cultural constructs, indeed this work is now well under way. However, as we move away from issues of culture definition it is becoming increasingly necessary to comparatively examine the inner detail of decorative expression across an interconnected network of sites and address both continuity and difference in decorative expression across large geographic areas. This paper as part of a work in progress. Seeks to propose alternative interpretations of the role played by Halaf ceramics, considering agency, both material and personal, especially in the context of shared social institutions Involving exchange. Specifically this will e attempted in order to address the ways in which inter-subjective interaction and material transfers act to allow people access to, and the ability to interpret and translate alternate worlds of meaning, within which familiar and alien aspects of material culture are actively engaged, be-coming bound up with the identities and narratives of persons, groups, things and places. Jonathan Pickup

White ware or vaisselle blanche, neolithic vessels made of gypsum or lime plaster, has just briefly been studied the last 30 years starting with the acknowledgement of the material by the Danish excavation of Tell Sukas in 1960 the further studies at the site of Ramad. It has been found throughout whole Near East: Levant, Palestine, Jordan, Syra and Mesopotamia. The earliest material is found at 'Ain Ghazal in Transjordan and s dated to the 8th millennium BC. It has been argued that white ware was the first step towards the development of ceramics. Looking both at the white ware and at pottery several similar features are seen, if they are related to each other is however not completely clear. Can we also see some links between this old PPNB material and the succeeding pottery also when it comes to decoration? In what way were vessels decorated? What can have been the reasons for doing so and can we see any connections to the decorated ceramics in the later periods? In this paper the previously neglected material white ware will be lift forward to provide new knowledge over the earliest neolithic ceramics in the Near East Bonnie Nilhamn

This paper suggests new ways of looking at La Tène painted pottery from parts of central and eastern France (Auvergne, Forez and Burgundy) and also draws out some speculative ideas concerning the behaviours behind the deposition of a range of material culture during the late Iron age. Most research on painted pottery has focused upon the techniques of manufacture. describing and dating the decorative styles and relating styles to different tribes. This paper will instead examine why these vessels were decorated with a limited repertoire of images (geometric shapes. horses and deer) generally using red and white slips and their preferential deposition within graves, pits and well. Many of the ideas stem from the observation that the decorations appear to be representations of phenomena resulting from trance imagery Matthew Loughton

Pottery decoration provides one of the most distinctive features of the Neolithic of the Outer Hebrides and is a key component of what has rather vaguely come to be known as Hebridean ware. The study of Hebridean ware has almost exclusively focussed on general patterns in the region as they relate to ceramic traditions elsewhere in Britain during the 4" and early 3" millennia BC. Yet 1 want to highlight some of the shortcomings this generic label creates, and instead consider some of the more active dimensions to ceramic decoration in the Hebridean Neolithic Furthermore, if we relate these dimensions to the more general archaeological and environmental record for this period we can begin to see a society that was becoming increasingly concerned with the construction of boundaries. Cole Henley

For many years the emphasis has been on the analysis of pottery in terms of its shape and decoration. Indeed, pottery that is dug up during excavations is usually scrubbed clean in order to view and record the decoration upon its external surfaces. There are a number of analytical methods that can be employed to identify chemical residues within the fabric and organic residues on the pottery. This paper will describe and explain these analytical techniques and will discuss the role of based experimental archaeological research into the potential function of pottery vessels in prehistory and antiquity. Morryn Dineley