2 0 0 9 November 18-21, Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana Orleans, New Hotel, Plaza Crowne Astor 18-21, November Annual Meeting Program and Abstract Book Abstract and Program Meeting Annual ASOR AnnuAl meeting new ORleAnS, lOuiSiAnA • nOvembeR 18-21, 2009 ©2009, Rose /AtlantaPhotos.com Please Visit Please details for www.asor.org/am/index.html call 1.404.659.6500 call $159 Single/double and $179 triple/quad $179 and Single/double $159 165 Courtland Street NE, Atlanta GA 30303 30303 GA Atlanta NE, Street Courtland 165 2010 Annual Meeting Annual 2010 Hotel Atlanta Sheraton November 17-20, 2010, 2010, 17-20, November Save the Date! the Save The room block is open—make your reservation now! reservation your open—make is block room The Ask for the “ASOR Annual Meeting” Annual “ASOR the for Ask BECOME AN AMERICAN SCHOOLS OF ORIENTAL RESEARCH CONTRIBUTING MEMBER Founded in 1900, ASOR is the premier learned society that supports and fosters historical and archaeological research in the eastern Mediterranean. Together with its affiliated research centers in Amman, Jerusalem, and Nicosia, ASOR supports more archaeological excavations in the eastern Mediterranean than any other American society. Like most educational, religious, artistic, and cultural institutions, ASOR relies on financial support from lay colleagues and interested professionals to continue its work. Please consider a Contributing Membership—the $125 fee allows you to support the work of ASOR with a tax-deductible gift of $100 and receive a discounted subscription to Near Eastern Archaeology for $25. ASOR Contributing Membership details • Annual contribution is $125 • $100 is a tax-deductible contribution • $25 is used for a subscription to NEA • Knowledge that you are a part of the continuing search for new insight into Near Eastern history and culture If you are interested in becoming a Contributing Member, call 617-353-6570 or check out information online at http://www.asor.org/membership/index.html Welcome to the 2009 ASOR Annual Meeting note to welcome you-all to ASOR’s Annual Meeting and to thank you for your par- ticipation in whatever form that comes. These annual convocations are “old hat” to Amany of you and considered a routine item on the agenda of the working scholar. To many, that is. But to others (I, included) it is an incomparable assembly of distinguished experts, identified by their craft and here to share data and nurture “the flame” so to speak. This is not an ordinary meeting but a rare one including among its participants the supreme experts, the finest craftsmen in given fields. The repository of knowledge, the number of articles, books, papers, the combined data, experience and wisdom in things archaeological with respect to the Middle East can be found in no other venue at no other time. So this is a stand-alone body, identified by its contribution to our knowledge of the past and assurance that our learning in the field is ongoing, steady and strong. It is flattering to be affiliated with such a group which says I’m delighted to be here, and my hope is that you will feel the same way; that you will enjoy New Orleans on at least two levels: that of fraternity with the ASOR fellowship; further enhanced by the charm, mystique, diet and history of New Orleans. Cordially, P.E. MacAllister elcome to New Orleans! This year marks ASOR’s first annual meeting in ‘The Big Easy’ in well over a decade, and we are thrilled that you have chosen to join us. The WProgram Committee, working closely with our staff, has once again assembled an excellent program, with a daily schedule of sessions that cover the full range of chronological, geographical and disciplinary fields in Near Eastern studies, as well as some exciting new thematic sessions. Of particular note, I would like to mention the sessions on the “Archaeol- ogy of Mesopotamia I: The Current Affair of Iraq’s Past”, “History of Archaeology”, which will include an update from Rachel Hallote and Eric Meyers on the exciting discoveries emerging from ASOR’s venerable archives, and “Teaching Archaeology to Undergraduates: Success Stories and Cautionary Tales”, which will provide a much needed look at archaeo- logical pedagogy and best practices. I would also like to highlight the Roundtable sessions slated for Saturday, which will cover topics ranging from Archaeobotany to Zooarchaeology (or the archaeological study of plants and animals), Digital Access and Preservation, Public Archaeology, and a (sure to be entertaining) meet the President session. In keeping with longstanding tradition, our opening plenary session Wednesday evening promises to be a memorable event. Sarah Parcak will open the session with a ‘space age’ tour of the archaeological future, and the latest technologi- cal magic available for the archaeologist’s bag of tricks. The Plenary Address, “The Wisdom of Magic”, will be delivered by Karel van der Toorn, distinguished Professor of Religion and President of the University of Amsterdam. His talk will highlight the central role of magic in ancient Near Eastern religious experience, a fitting and timely topic for this year’s annual meeting. On theme, and certain to be an unforgettable experience, will be the final session of the meetings Saturday evening, “Voodoo Dolls of the Ancient Near East”. Of course, our annual meetings are not only about academic sessions and papers. Thankfully, our conference hotel, the Astor Crowne Plaza, is conveniently located at the intersection of Bourbon and Canal Streets, gateway to the delightful cuisine, enchanting music and magic of the French Quarter, and a wonderful place to visit with colleagues and friends, and meet new people. For those who plan to arrive in New Orleans early, I would urge you to consider participating in the volunteer service project, Documenting Holt Cemetery, which will take place Wednesday, 9:00-2:00 pm. This year’s annual meeting is sure to be a stimulating and pleasurable experience. So, enjoy your time in New Orleans, and thank you for joining us, Timothy Harrison, President ASOR Program Guide 2009 1 2 ASOR Program Guide 2009 Welcome to the 2009 ASOR Annual Meeting elcome to our Annual Meeting in New Orleans! We are pleased to host ASOR’s 2009 Annual Meeting in such a vibrant and intriguing city. The birthplace of jazz, home to Wsome of the greatest restaurants in the world, an oasis of history and charm on the Mis- sissippi, New Orleans is all that and more and we hope you enjoy your time in the Crescent City. With Thanksgiving nearly upon us, there are so many individuals to whom thanks are due for giving their time to make this extraordinary program possible. This ambitious and wide- ranging meeting was developed by several hard-working and talented committees including the Committee on Annual Meeting and Program (CAMP), led by co-chairs Michael Homan and Morag Kersel, and the Program Committee led by co-chairs Elise A. Friedland and Andrew M. Smith II. These co-chairs, and the committees with whom they worked, were dedicated, diligent, enthusiastic, and committed to putting together an exciting educational program. A full listing of all committees can be found on the ASOR Committee and Member pages of this program book. Many thanks are also due to the section chairs and presenters who will bring the program to life through their presentations. I also wish to thank those attendees who participated in ASOR’s Volunteer Day at Holt Cemetery on Wednesday, No- vember 18. With the guidance of the local non-profit organization, Save Our Cemeteries, the ASOR volunteers helped docu- ment the current condition of Holt Cemetery by surveying individual graves and taking photos to create an archive of the state of the cemetery as a baseline-- to compare to pre-Katrina photos and also to serve as a database for future stabilization and restoration efforts. This project will be the groundwork for a future archaeological survey of the cemetery. In addition, I would like to thank all of our exhibitors and encourage you to stop by and visit with the displays on the conference level foyer. We are grateful for their participation at our Annual Meeting, and we would like to pay special thanks to the David Brown Book Company and Eisenbrauns for joining forces to sponsor a coffee break once again this year. Last but not least, I would like to extend special thanks and recognition to the ASOR staff. Their hard work and dedica- tion throughout the year makes our Annual Meeting possible. Please mark your calendars for our 2010 Annual Meeting which will be held at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel from November 17–20, 2010. We encourage you to visit the meeting website at www.asor.org/am/index.html for details. The Hotel room block is already open, so please make your reservations early. Please let me or any member of the ASOR staff know if there is anything we can do to make your experience in New Orleans a pleasant and rewarding one. I hope you enjoy this year’s Annual Meeting. With warm regards, Andrew G. Vaughn, ASOR Executive Director Table of Contents Welcome To The 2009 ASOR Annual Meeting ............... 1-3 ASOR Staff ..............................................................................35 History of ASOR ......................................................................4 Institutional Members of ASOR ..........................................36 Special Events ....................................................................... 5-6 Membership Benefits ............................................................37