Winter 2008 Volume 58, no. 4 ASOR 2008 Annual Meeting Review other venues in Boston. We would like Jennie Ebeling & Yorke Rowan, to briefly summarize the highlights of the “With over 740 registered Co-Chairs of Program Committee 2008 ASOR Annual Meeting for those who could not make it to Boston this year. participants, it was ASOR’s The Annual Meeting kicked off most heavily-attended he word in the spacious lobby of Wednesday night with a plenary ses- the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel sion introduced by co-Vice Presidents for meeting ever… “ TNovember 19-22 was that ASOR’s Programs, Michael Homan and Morag 2008 Annual Meeting was a big success; Kersel. After an introduction by Sarah overheard were comments like “excel- Kansa, who gave a presentation on The IN THIS NEWSLETTER lent,” “terrific,” “great” and “cold” (we Great Temple Project and Open Con- ASOR 2008 Annual Meeting Review ..... 1 can’t accept responsibility for that last text, ASOR President Tim Harrison in- Letter from The President ...................... 2 statement, although we quite agree). With troduced the plenary speaker, Professor Stager Festschrift Presentation ............... 5 over 740 registered participants, it was Emerita of Old World Archaeology, Art New CAP and Program Cmte Officers .... 7 ASOR’s most heavily-attended meeting and Anthropology at Brown University, Executive Committee and ever, and the densely-packed schedule of Martha Joukowsky. Those who attended Board Meeting Highlights ..................... 8 academic sessions and special events (not her address, entitled “From Censure to to mention the endless business meetings) Acceptance: Women Archaeologists in Financial Status Report .......................... 9 kept many busy from 7 am to the late Near Eastern Archaeology,” were treated Remembering ASOR Members ........... 10 evening. This year we had 55 academic to an introduction to some of the pio- ASOR Honors and Awards .................. 13 sessions, up five from last year, covering neering female archaeologists working CAARI Fellowships ............................ 14 a broad range of topics from ACOR at in the Near East in the late 19th and early AIAR Fellow Reports ........................... 16 40 to The World of Women: Gender and 20th centuries, as well as an appreciation ASOR and the Crescent City ............... 27 Archaeology. Nearly all of the sessions, of some of the women at the forefront of ACOR at 40 Report and Update ........... 29 even those that went into Saturday af- current fieldwork in the region. Thanks Open Archeology Prize Awards ............... 31 ternoon and Sunday morning, were very to Martha, a longtime ASOR member ASOR Regional Meetings ................... 32 well-attended, as were the events held at continued on page 3 Heritage and Platt Fellowships ............. 34 The American Schools of Oriental Research is a nonprofit, scientific and educational Letter From the President organization founded in 1900. P. E. MacAllister t was a real pleasure to see and visit to the capability and hard work of our Chairman of the Board with many of you this past month at administrative staff. Timothy P. Harrison Iour annual meetings in Boston. I came I am also pleased to announce the elec- President away with a strong sense of enthusiasm and tion of Øystein LaBianca as Vice President excitement about the meetings of the Committee for Archaeo- Eric M. Meyers Past President themselves, and about the logical Research and Policy. general state of our organiza- Sten succeeds Ann Killebrew, Andrew G. Vaughn tion and the direction in which who stepped down so that she Executive Director it is headed. I believe this could devote her energies and Tammi J. Schneider positive spirit stems in large time to her new role as editor Vice President for Membership part from our decision last of Near Eastern Archaeology. Michael Homann year to retain administrative Over the past year, under her Morag Kersel oversight and management leadership, CAP conducted a Co-Vice Presidents for Programs of our annual meetings. That successful review of the criteria Jeffrey A. Blakely decision-making process, and the consen- for ASOR project affiliation. CAP is now Vice President for Publications sus that guided it, has helped to restore better poised to pursue its mandate as the confidence in our ability to function and research and policy arm of ASOR, and Øystein S. LaBianca Vice President for Archaeological Research work together as an organization, and it has I anticipate the realization of significant and Policy also instilled a sense of identity. new initiatives under Sten’s leadership in The success of the Boston meetings the years ahead. James Strange was also due to the hard work of many In closing, I wish to comment briefly Secretary individuals, in particular the Program about ASOR’s current financial outlook. Sheldon Fox Committee and our administrative staff. Given the turmoil in the financial markets Treasurer I wish especially to thank Jennie Ebeling of recent months, and the deteriorating and Yorke Rowan, who have completed impact this has had economically, ques- ASOR their term as Co-Chairs of the Program tions about the state of ASOR’s finances, 656 Beacon Street, 5th floor Committee, for their superb handling of understandably, were a recurring concern Boston, MA 02215-2010 the annual meeting program during their for many members at the meetings. While Tel. (617) 353-6570 Fax. (617) 353-6575 tenure. I would also like to take this op- the downturn in the economy does mean E-mail: [email protected] portunity to welcome Elise Friedland that we face uncertain times ahead, let and Andrew Smith, the new Co-Chairs me emphasize that ASOR will continue of the Program Committee. I am con- to operate within its fiscal means, and I fident the quality and range of the pa- am confident that we will be able to do pers and sessions in the annual meeting so successfully. However, this will require program will continue to grow under their careful and prudent management of our leadership. resources, and it may require that we scale I wish also to acknowledge the back some programs, at least temporarily. tremendous contribution of our ad- To help us weather these turbulent times, ministrative staff, in particular Kelley and continue pursuit of our core mission Bazydlo, who joined our staff as Direc- as an organization, it will be important tor of Meetings and Events just this fall, that our membership continue to provide The ASOR Newsletter but also Andy Vaughn, Selma Omerefen- financial and moral support. Consequent- dic, Sara Deon, our graduate student ly, I would encourage every member to assistants Alexandra Ratzlaff, Brian consider contributing to our Annual Fund. Andrew G. Vaughn, Editor Jenkin, Sophie Mpunzwana and Kyle Doing so will be one tangible way to help Jennifer Ste. Marie, Layout Tipping, and student assistants Shari ensure we are able to continue offering the The ASOR Newsletter (ISSN 0361-6029) Rabin, Herson Castillo and Yi Yang, all programs and services that we do. is published quarterly by the American of whom contributed toward making I thank each of you for your contribu- Schools of Oriental Research the meetings the success that they were. tions to the success of our meetings in Bos- © 2008 by Organizing and managing an event ton, and to ASOR. The American Schools of Oriental Research on the scale our annual meetings have become is no small feat, and the success of the Boston meetings is a testament www.asor.org 2 ASOR Newsletter, Winter 2008 ASOR 2008 Annual Meeting Review continued from page 1 by Semitic Museum enjoyed refresh- and past-Vice President as well as a ments, a slideshow of Larry in the field distinguished field archaeologist, for through the years, and a chance to see her interesting observations on a subject the fantastic four-room house exhibit long overlooked in our field. The ple- on the first floor. ASOR thanks the -Se nary session was followed by a recep- mitic Museum, Harvard University for tion that gave attendees the opportunity co-sponsoring this very well-attend- to socialize with friends and colleagues ed event, and congratulates longtime and survey the books on display in the ASOR member Larry Stager on this im- hall outside the meeting rooms. portant occasion. Thursday was a very full day, with Friday was jam-packed as well, with 20 academic sessions that ran from 8:30 14 regular academic sessions as well as to 6:15. Among the highly-attended lunch and evening events. This year talks of the day was Garth Gilmour’s we had a second lunchtime roundtable presentation of a sherd possibly depict- session – Household Archaeology in the ing Asherah and Yahweh unearthed by Bronze and Iron Age Levant – which Macalister and Duncan during their Prof. Martha Joukowsky delivers the exceeded all expectations in terms of excavations in Jerusalem in the 1920s, plenary address attendance and generated some inter- and Yossi Garfinkel and Saar Ganor’s esting discussion by both presenters discussion of recent excavations at Khirbet Qeiyafa, which and audience members. Friday also included the special produced what may be the earliest Hebrew inscription. double session ACOR at 40 to honor this milestone in the One could even learn during the lunch break, as Order and history of our overseas center in Amman. ASOR Honors Conflict: Roundtables on the Agency Role of Empires in and Awards were presented at the 4:30 Members Meeting the Levant was in session during this time as well as the and votes were cast for new members of the ASOR Board Junior Scholar Workshop and Luncheon, which brought of Trustees. After a brief opportunity to grab dinner in the together Editor of BASOR, James Weinstein, and Publish- hotel bar or Sauciety restaurant (or in the hotel Starbucks, er of Eisenbrauns, Jim Eisenbraun, to discuss the practi- for the lighter of wallet), many reconvened at 7:00 to honor calities of publishing.