DISPATCHES archaeological.org FROM THE AIA EXCAVATE EDUCATE ADVOCATE

A THANK YOU HIGHLIGHTS FROM AN EVENING WITH TO ANN BENBOW SARAH PARCAK & Ann Benbow, Sarah Parcak and Joshua Gates in Los Angeles AIA Executive Director

After five years at the helm of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA), Ann Benbow is stepping down as Executive Director. Throughout her time at the AIA, Ann has been an inspiring leader. She tackled many of the Institute’s most pressing initiatives, including a forthcoming redesign of the AIA’s website, and forged new On February 2, AIA Trustees Sarah Parcak between Parcak and Gates. The two presenters relationships with other learned societies and Josh Gates joined guests in Los Angeles touched on a variety of topics ranging from while strengthening relationships already in to speak about their shared passion for their own experiences in the field to the use existence. Ann brought her long experience archaeological discovery and . of technology in . Both also spoke with and unflagging dedication to outreach Parcak is a professor at the University to the importance of the human story in all and education to the forefront of her of Alabama at Birmingham, a National its forms and about their efforts to make leadership. She secured funding from federal Geographic Society Archaeology Fellow, archaeology more accessible to the public. The agencies for International Archaeology winner of the 2016 $1 million TED Prize, event was extremely well received, and the Day (IAD), including multiple years of and founder of GlobalXplorer°. Gates is a AIA wishes to thank all those who gathered sponsorship from the National Park Service. member of the Explorers Club and host and for the evening. In addition, under Ann’s guidance, the AIA co-executive producer of organized a series of conferences for heritage (Discovery) and Legendary Locations (Travel Sponsored by Discovery, with special thanks to: educators and hosted the first ArchaeoCon, Channel). AIA Trustees Joshua Gates and Sarah Parcak an event where she had the opportunity Despite a rainy evening threatening to AIA Trustees Elizabeth M. Greene, Barbara to share her belief in the importance of keep people home, almost 300 archaeology Meyer, and Thomas Sienkewicz archaeology with the public. We sincerely enthusiasts of all ages from across the United Lynn Dodd, Professor, University of Southern thank Ann for her service, leadership, and States—and even some from outside the California vision. She will be greatly missed. country—attended the lively exchange Valeri Vasquez, Bovard Auditorium

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65 DISPATCHES FROM THE AIA EXCAVATE EDUCATE ADVOCATE

AIA SELECTS 2019–2020 GRANT WINNERS Each year the AIA awards a variety of grants and Florence Gaignerot- in the College of Science at the University to support archaeological research and site Driessen, Director of of Arizona, and Meghan Elizabeth Strong, preservation. We are pleased to announce our the Anavlochos Project Research Associate at the Cleveland Museum most recent winners. Florence of the French School of Natural History and Adjunct Assistant Gaignerot- at Athens and Lecturer Professor at Case Western Reserve University, Driessen Kathleen and David in Archaeology at the for their work at the Royal Pyramids at Nuri, Boochever Endowment Institut Catholique de Paris. Sudan. Fund for Fieldwork and Shelton will explore how Mycenaean Nuri is threatened by encroachment, Scientific Analyses mortuary practices and ancestor worship were urbanization, and environmental change. This grant was awarded adopted beyond palatial sites throughout the Creasman and Strong plan to implement Brian Martens to Brian Martens, Bronze Age by studying materials recovered a preservation strategy that includes Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of from the Bronze Age cemetery at Aidonia, constructing a low brick wall around the Greek and Roman Art at the Metropolitan . Gaignerot-Driessen will examine majority of the site, installing signage in Museum of Art. Martens will use a variety data gathered from tumuli at the Early Iron English and Arabic, and building a protective of scientific techniques to trace the sources Age cemetery of Anavlochos in eastern enclosure for the tomb of Queen Yeturow to of marble used by sculptors in Roman to address the topic of tumuli as emblematic protect it from the elements. The project will Athens. This research will allow Martens to monuments in Homer’s Iliad. The Anavlochos include outreach efforts such as familiarizing reconstruct trade networks and produce a tumuli are especially significant as they are the local workers with the history of the site, more complete picture of the creation and first Cretan examples of this type of funerary providing organized tours to students and diffusion of art throughout the Mediterranean construction. local children, and developing a version basin in the Roman period. of the AIA Guide to Best Practices for Ellen and Charles Archaeological Tourism specific to Sudan. Julie Herzig Desnick Steinmetz Endowment To learn more about AIA-supported site Endowment Fund for Fund for Archaeology preservation projects, visit archaeological.org/ Archaeological Field Kate Liszka, the Benson sitepreservation. Surveys and Pamela Harer A. Khaled Abu This grant was awarded Kate Liszka Fellow in at Jayyab to A. Khaled Abu Jayyab, California State University, San Bernardino, AIA GRANTS AND Department of Near and Middle Eastern was awarded a grant for the Wadi el-Hudi AWARDS DEADLINES Civilizations, University of Toronto. Abu Expedition. Since 2014, Liszka’s team has AIA grants, fellowships, and scholarships Jayyab will conduct an archaeological been surveying and excavating ancient support the efforts of researchers and in the Middle Kura Valley, in southeastern fortified settlements and mines in ’s students around the world. Additionally, Georgia’s Gardabani, an area that is relatively eastern desert. The imminent destruction of the AIA acknowledges the achievements unknown in terms of archaeological research. the archaeological heritage in the area by new and contributions of archaeologists, The survey will document sites in the region gold mines has forced the team to accelerate educators, authors, and others at the using a predictive model developed by Abu the pace of their research. Liszka and her Institute’s annual awards ceremony. To be Jayyab and his team. team have developed a technique for ground- eligible for AIA grants and fellowships, based photogrammetric survey using multiple applicants must have been members Richard C. MacDonald cameras mounted on poles to rapidly finish of the AIA for at least two consecutive Iliad Endowment for surveying the standing architecture, rock years (one year for students) by the Archaeological Research inscriptions, and other archaeological remains application deadline. To learn more about Grants were awarded to in the area. AIA fellowships and grants please visit Kim Shelton, Associate archaeological.org/grants. Information on Kim Shelton Professor and Director of Conservation and Site Preservation Grant AIA awards is available at archaeological. the Nemea Center for This grant was awarded to codirectors org/awards. at the University of California, Berkeley, Pearce Paul Creasman, Associate Professor

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