INTERNATIONAL

UCL and the Department of Archaeology Some highlights of the 2003/2004 academic year at the University of Southampton. It remains the only AHRB Research Centre in Peter Ucko the fi eld of archaeology, and it has been The Director of the In stitute comments on developments since continuing its programme of projects that explore analogies between biological and the sixth issue of Archaeology International was published. cultural evolution. It disseminates the results of its work widely, and in 2003 s in previous years, I start by proposal by one Egyptologist that the organized a session on evolutionary meth­ referring to some of the initi­ whole of our Egyptian Archaeology MA ods of analyzing cultural diversity at the atives announced on the back degree should be restructured around annual meeting of the Society for Ameri­ cover of last year's issue of the eight books, which persuades me can Archaeology in Milwaukee, a session Archaeology International. that I may have succeeded in at least part on evolutionary approaches to subsistence • I am delighted to be able to announce of my aim of broadening the tradition­ transitions at a meeting in St Petersburg of that the proposed collaboration with the ally narrow study of the archaeology of the European Association of Archaeolo­ ASchool of Oriental and African Studies Egypt. gists, and a workshop at the Institute on (SOAS) will soon become a reality. Dr the origin and spread of Neolithic plant Wang Tao will become Senior Lecturer And this is not the end of collaboration economies in the Near East and Europe, in Chinese Art and Archaeology (half between the Institute and UCL Press: the which was attended by archaeobotanists time at the Institute and half time at Institute's Publications Committee now fromall over Europe. Both the first and last SOAS), and Lukas Nickel, of the Depart­ includes the executive chairman of the of these events will result in books, which ment of East Asian Art History of the Press and it has been agreed that the Press it is hoped will be published by UCL Press. University of Zurich, who is currently will normally publish those books recom­ It is a great pleasure to welcome to the deputy director of the Swiss-Chinese mended to it by the Committee (after they Institute for at least the next fi ve years excavations at the Temple of the White have been reported on positively by refe­ Honorary Professor Ole Gr0n from Nor­ Dragon (Shandong Province) is expected rees). The Committee will also give its way. In addition to his research on the to join the staff of the two institutions at opinion on manuscripts and proposals for northwest European Mesolithic and his the beginning of next academic year. So archaeological books submitted directly to ethnoarchaeological studies in Siberia, he I hope that we will now begin a fruitful the Press. Furthermore, the arrangement will teach an optional course on under­ collaboration, with the relevant heads of with the Press is expected to lead to the water techniques and methods as part of department agreeing for the first time establishment of an account from which, our developing programme in maritime which undergraduate and postgraduate in future, grants towards the costs of pub­ archaeology. courses in Chinese archaeology should lication, such as preparing illustrations, A feature of this year's activities has be available to Institute and SOAS stu­ may be awarded. been the Institute-wide series of research dents. I also look forward to SOAS, with The Deputy Director of the Institute and seminars, the theme of which was "Tales their two half-time posts, making a I have already undertaken our fi rst joint of the city: current research on urbanism major contribution, with the Institute, to visit overseas (see the fi rst and second bul­ and urbanization". Organized by Todd the activities of the newly established let points on the back cover of this issue of Whitelaw and Tim Williams, the seminars International Centre for Chinese Herit­ AI). We were both present at the signing in took place weekly through the autumn and age and Archaeology. Rabat in October 2003 of the Agreement spring terms, and the speakers included • Secondly, I am pleased to be able to for Cooperation between the Ministry of ten colleagues from other universities, as make personal the information in the Culture of Morocco, represented by the well as twelve members of staff of the Insti­ third bullet point on last year's back Minister, M. Mohammed Achari, and the tute. The topics covered a wide range of cover by identifying the Turkmen who UCL Institute of Archaeology. The cere­ current research on complex urban com­ was awarded the first new scholarship mony took place in the presence of minis­ munities, with contributions on specific (see p. 3 in last year's AI) for our Man­ try officials, including Dr el-Hajraoui settlements in Latin America, Africa, aging Archaeological Sites MA degree. (Director of the Division du Patrimonie), Europe (including Britain), and Southwest She is Sonia Lollekova, who studied Professor Aomar Akerraz (representing and Central Asia. Contrasting theories of Neolithic stone tools from Turkmeni­ the Institut National des Sciences de social organization and ideologies were stan for her research degree at the Insti­ l'Archeologie et de Patrimonie (rNSAP)), discussed and advances in the archae­ tute for the History of Material Culture Haydon Boyd Warren-Gash (British ological study of urban dynamics were in St Petersburg. I am also very pleased Ambassador to Morocco), Dr Gaetano highlighted. to report that the World Monuments Palumbo (representing the World Monu­ Fund has agreed to fund a Turkmen ments Fund), Tarik Oualalou and John Note team to work with Sonia, initially for McAslan (architects associated with the 1. The eight books in the Encounters with the next three years, in order to develop Volubilis project), and Rita Bennis­ Ancient Egypt series were all published by programmes of archaeological docu­ Palmieri (a private donor). The agreement UCL Press in 2003. The series editor is mentation, preventive conservation and is for fi ve years (renewable) and the main P. J. Ucko, and the titles and editors are: Ancient Egyp t in Africa, D. O'Connor & interpretation at the Ancient Merv aims of the programme are to produce A. Reid; Ancient perspectives on Egypt, Archaeological Park. Furthermore, Inter­ plans for the management, conservation R. Matthews & C. Roemer; Consuming national Student House in London has and interpretation of the site of Volubilis, ancient Egypt, S. MacDonald & M. Rice; offered a further partial MA scholarship to undertake archaeological excavations Imhotep today: Egytianizing architecture, for the academic year 2004/2005. as and when necessary, and to publish the J-M. Humbert & C. Price; Mysterious lands, • Thirdly, I should report that the eight results. D. O'Connor & S. Quirke; "Never had the books of the Encounters with Ancient The Centre for the Evolutionary Analy­ like occurred": Egypt's view of its past, Egypt series were duly published on sis of Cultural Behaviour, directed by J. Tait; Th e wisdom of Egypt: changing time by UCL Press in - biased though I Stephen Shennan, deserves its own para­ visions through the ages; P. Ucko & T. Champion; ViewsofancientEgyptsince no doubt am - a particularly attractive graph. It is funded by the UK Arts and Napoleon Bonaparte, D. Jeffreys. format,1 and that the three published Humanities Research Board as a joint reviews received to date are all flatter­ enterprise between the Institute of Archae­ ingly positive. There has even been a ology, the Department of Anthropology at

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