The Artifact A publication of the Archaeological Institute of America - Milwaukee Society Vol. 13 No. 2 Contents Letter from the President Letter from the President 1 - 2 Dr. Derek B. Counts, Assistant Professor of Power, Ideology, and the Emergence of the State in Classical Art and Archaeology, University of the Oaxaca Valley, Mexico 3 Wisconsin - Milwaukee The Archaeological Excavations at Kilteasheen, Ireland 4 Happy New Year and Greetings from the Blood and Power: Arena Spectacle and the Roman Milwaukee Society of the AIA. They say that Empire 5 in life few things are guaranteed; while that may be true for credit card interest rates and a The Forty Years of AIA in Milwaukee 6 - 8 Packers victory over New York, you can always count on a full and diverse annual Cyprus & the Antiquities Trade: An Interview lecture program from the Milwaukee Society! with Dr. Pavlos Flourentzos 8 - 10 On Sunday, February 10 we welcome th Professor Jason Sherman from UWM’s 109 Archaeological Institute of America Annual Meeting 11 Anthropology Department (local talent!), who will speak to us on recent archaeological work AIA-Milwaukee’s Field Trip to Oriental Institute in the Oaxaca Valley (Mexico) and what it can Museum 11 tell us about the emergence of the Zapotec state in the later first millennium B.C.E. In AIA-Milwaukee Society Lecture Calendar 12 March and April, we will host Professors Thomas Finan (Saint Louis University) and 2007-2008 Milwaukee Officers Alison Futrell (University of Arizona). On Derek Counts, President Sunday March 2, Professor Finan will [email protected] highlight the latest discoveries at Kilteasheen, Bettina Arnold, Vice-President Co. Roscommon (Ireland), where [email protected] archaeological material has illuminated a broad chronological spectrum for the region Alice Kehoe, Secretary-Treasurer [email protected] from the Irish Neolithic to the ecclesiastical settlements of the thirteenth and fourteenth Thomas H. Hruby, Webmaster [email protected] centuries C.E. Finally, on Sunday, April 6, Professor Futrell will introduce us to the Sara Rich, Editor (The Artifact), Public Relations / Outreach spectacle of the Roman amphitheater, where Coordinator political and social relations of the Roman [email protected] Empire and its subjects were played out in Lindsey King, Refreshments Coordinator contests of blood and sport. Finan and Futrell [email protected] are both being sent to us by our national AIA Archaeological Institute of America - Milwaukee Society www.uwm.edu/Dept/ArchLab/AIA Page 1 office and thus represent the tangible benefits On a final note, I would like to express my of your membership and support of the thanks to all those who have supported the AIA organization. through membership and other activities this year. I am especially grateful to Bettina Arnold Our latest Artifact 13.2 is a hefty tome and I (Vice-President), Alice Kehoe (Secretary- hope you will enjoy browsing through it. Inside Treasurer), Homer Hruby (Webmaster), and you will find information about our upcoming Jane Waldbaum (‘consigliere’ in perpetuum) lectures, a special article revisiting the th for their constant work on behalf of the AIA. Milwaukee Society’s past in honor of our 40 The Society also thanks Sara Rich (Editor,The anniversary, as well as an interesting interview Artifact) and Lindsey King (Refreshments with the Director of the Department of Coordinator) for their efforts, as well as all Antiquities of the Republic of Cyprus that those who have pitched in along the way for discusses the latest developments in the fight to lectures and other events. curb the illicit, global trade in antiquities. We also have reports about our fall trip to the Yours in archaeology, Oriental Institute Museum in Chicago and the Derek B. Counts AIA’s national meeting, also held in Chicago. AIA - Milwaukee Society Email List As we advance into the high-tech 21st century, we would like to start compiling an email list of our members and friends. This will allow us to reach you more quickly with important news or last-minute information about lectures and events. If you would like to be added to this list please return this form to: Sara Rich, UWM-Dept. of Art History, PO Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201 Or send your name and email address to: [email protected] Name_____________________________________________________________ Current Address_____________________________________________________ Member of AIA? Yes / No Email address: _________________________________ I would like to receive notices of upcoming events by email: Yes / No Archaeological Institute of America - Milwaukee Society www.uwm.edu/Dept/ArchLab/AIA Page 2 Power, Ideology, and the Emergence of the State in the Oaxaca Valley, Mexico By Jason Sherman, UW-Milwaukee 3:00 Sunday, February 10, 2008 Sabin Hall G90, U-W Milwaukee Archaeological site of Monte Albán near Oaxaca Jason Sherman earned his Ph.D. at the The Zapotec state, one of the "classic" University of Michigan in 2005, and is now civilizations of ancient Mesoamerica, emerged Assistant Professor of Anthropology at UW- in the southern highlands of Mexico between Milwaukee. His research interests include the 300 and 100 B.C. This transformation--like the formation and development of archaic states; formation of all states--involved profound political and economic organization; changes in the sociopolitical relationships relationships between the various groups between individuals and groups comprising comprising state societies (e.g., elite Zapotec society. This lecture will examine subgroups, commoners, etc.); and ceramic recent archaeological investigations in and analyses. Since 2001, his research has focused around the Oaxaca Valley that have illuminated on the Zapotec state in the Valley of Oaxaca, key factors in the emergence of the Zapotec Mexico, where he directed excavations at the state, including interpolity conflict; the site of Yaasuchi. He also has fieldwork foundation of one of Mesoamerica's first urban experience in the Maya lowlands (Quintana centers at Monte Albán; territorial expansion of Roo, Mexico), the United States, Israel, and the Monte Albán-centered polity; and the France. development of an ideology that legitimized social stratification in Zapotec society. Glyph of the Zapotec bat god Dr. Jason Sherman Archaeological Institute of America - Milwaukee Society www.uwm.edu/Dept/ArchLab/AIA Page 3 The Archaeological Thomas Finan is Assistant Professor of Medieval Studies at the University of St. Louis, Excavations at Kilteasheen, St. Louis MO. He is responsible for bringing Ireland international programs to the home campus of Webster University, and acts as a resource for faculty and students who participate in study By Thomas J. Finan, St. Louis University abroad opportunities. He also directs the 3:00 Sunday, March 2, 2008 International Studies BA and Certificate Sabin Hall G90, UW-Milwaukee programs. Thomas Finan is also Visiting Research Scholar in the Department of History This lecture will feature the most recent at St. Louis University. His primary research information about the archaeological interests include the history and archaeology of excavations at Kilteasheen, Co. Roscommon, Gaelic Ireland, thirteenth and fourteenth Ireland, one of the most important excavations century bardic poetry, the history and theology in Ireland in recent years. In the process of of the Gaelic church in medieval Ireland and exploring a high status ecclesiastical settlement the ideology of nationalism in medieval dating to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries Ireland. Dr. Finan is director of the Settlement a number of other artifacts from other periods in the Medieval Diocese of Elphin research have been discovered, suggesting an project. The goals of this long-term project are occupation record dating back to the Irish to identify the local parish churches in the Neolithic. In addition, a medieval cemetery medieval diocese of Elphin, Co. Roscommon, was discovered at the site that appears to be a Ireland, to survey the extant remains, and to mass burial, possibly dating to the arrival of the establish the form and function of those Black Death in Gaelic Ireland. Scientific individual churches with the diocese and wider analyses of the human remains include typical medieval Irish church. osteoarchaeological studies of the bones and new, cutting-edge DNA analysis of dental pulp to ascertain whether the people were subjected to some sort of pathogen. Geophysical survey and satellite imagery has revealed a much more massive complex of settlement at the site that will require nearly a decade of excavation. The excavations are funded by a generous grant from the Royal Irish Academy. Pottery sherd from the excavations at Kilteasheen Dr. Thomas J. Finan Archaeological Institute of America - Milwaukee Society www.uwm.edu/Dept/ArchLab/AIA Page 4 Blood and Power: Arena tensions, and a stage for blood-drenched demonstrations of Roman moral strength. This Spectacle and the Roman Empire talk explores monuments of the arena and their meanings, with special concentration on the By Alison Futrell, University of Arizona amphitheaters of the western provinces. 3:00 Sunday, April 6, 2008 Sabin Hall G90, UW-Milwaukee Alison Futrell earned her doctorate in Ancient History and Mediterranean Archaeology from The popular image of Rome puts the arena at the University of California, Berkeley and is center stage. From Ben-Hur to Gladiator, our currently an Associate Professor of Roman mental images of Rome center on the arena and History at the University of Arizona. Her the violent spectacles it housed; like the research focuses on the symbols and rituals of luxurious bath-houses, the banquets and the power in the Roman Empire, with particular orgies, the blood games are central to the interest in the deployment of gender and popular perception of Rome as devoted to material culture in imperial politics. Her first sophisticated luxury, to personal pleasures, and book, Blood in the Arena, looks at how the as doomed by its decadence. The Roman world institution of the gladiatorial games functioned devoted an overwhelming amount of time, in the negotiation of power among different energy, money and attention to the arena: groups in the Roman Imperial West.