Dickinson College
Classical Studies
Working title for upcoming BU Archaeology Brown Bag lecture
- by Allison E. Cuneo
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- by Michael Danti and +6
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- History, Ancient History, Military History, Archaeology
•On March 9 and March 11, 2015, sources in Syria reported the detonation of tunnel bombs in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Aleppo. The specifics of these putative incidents remain unconfirmed and have not been assessed... more
•On March 9 and March 11, 2015, sources in Syria reported the detonation of tunnel bombs in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Aleppo. The specifics of these putative incidents remain unconfirmed and have not been assessed ASOR CHI Incident Reports SHI 15-0051 and 15-0052.
•Sources inside and outside Iraq continue to release reports of intentional destructions of heritage places in northern Iraq by ISIL. Many reports remain unconfirmed and have not been assessed due to a lack of photographic evidence and recent high-resolution satellite imagery or the absence of visible damage in recent high-resolution satellite imagery. In some cases of reported but unconfirmed damage to archaeological sites, ISIL has not yet claimed responsibility. ASOR CHI and other monitoring groups urge that caution be exercised in reporting on these alleged incidents. ASOR CHI Incident Reports IHI 15-0050, 15-0071, 0072, and 0073.
•Sources inside and outside Iraq continue to release reports of intentional destructions of heritage places in northern Iraq by ISIL. Many reports remain unconfirmed and have not been assessed due to a lack of photographic evidence and recent high-resolution satellite imagery or the absence of visible damage in recent high-resolution satellite imagery. In some cases of reported but unconfirmed damage to archaeological sites, ISIL has not yet claimed responsibility. ASOR CHI and other monitoring groups urge that caution be exercised in reporting on these alleged incidents. ASOR CHI Incident Reports IHI 15-0050, 15-0071, 0072, and 0073.
During the reporting period, Islamic State continued its accelerated campaign of performative deliberate destructions of religious heritage sites in northern Iraq and Syria. Recent video footage and photographs released by Islamic State... more
During the reporting period, Islamic State continued its accelerated campaign of performative deliberate destructions of religious heritage sites in northern Iraq and Syria. Recent video footage and photographs released by Islamic State make most reports readily verifiable; although, in February and March there have been a number of unverified reports posted by Iraqi sources. These reports lack video/photographic evidence and have not as yet been claimed by Islamic State. In Aleppo, unidentified attackers have allegedly detonated two tunnel bombs in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Aleppo. While these reports are credible, ASOR CHI has been unable to verify these attacks, establish details, and assess the resulting damage. In the past, factions within or associated with Islamic Front (e.g, Liwa al-Tawhid, Jabhat al-Shamiyya) have been responsible for most of these highly destructive deliberate (often performative) attacks on heritage places. Militants claim they carry out such attacks based on military necessity and also cite tunnel bombings as effective reprisals in response to SARG’s well documented use of barrel bombs and airstrikes in the densely settled urban areas of Aleppo and other towns and cities. Barrel bombs represent another highly destructive form of deliberate attack in which heritage places are frequently targeted.
The results of the first rapid response survey designed by ASOR CHI and implemented by the Syrian Research and Evaluation Organization (SREO) are now available (see below). This ten-question survey is designed to investigate antiquities looting, sales, and trafficking, in Syria and northern Iraq. The first survey comprising 100 responses from the area of Raqqa, Syria confirms the ubiquity of antiquities theft, its profitability, and its facilitation by foreigners — here understood to be Islamic State. The survey supports previous claims of Islamic State taxing revenues/rights to loot, traffick, and sell antiquities and the organization’s outsourcing of cultural property crime.
The results of the first rapid response survey designed by ASOR CHI and implemented by the Syrian Research and Evaluation Organization (SREO) are now available (see below). This ten-question survey is designed to investigate antiquities looting, sales, and trafficking, in Syria and northern Iraq. The first survey comprising 100 responses from the area of Raqqa, Syria confirms the ubiquity of antiquities theft, its profitability, and its facilitation by foreigners — here understood to be Islamic State. The survey supports previous claims of Islamic State taxing revenues/rights to loot, traffick, and sell antiquities and the organization’s outsourcing of cultural property crime.
- by David Elitzer and +5
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- History, Archaeology, Anthropology, Art History
•Analyses of Digital Globe satellite imagery by ASOR CHI and UNITAR-UNOSAT reveal probable intentional destruction at the site of Nimrud, Iraq in the Northwest Palace. •The Idlib Museum in Syria is increasingly threatened by the recent... more
•Analyses of Digital Globe satellite imagery by ASOR CHI and UNITAR-UNOSAT reveal probable intentional destruction at the site of Nimrud, Iraq in the Northwest Palace.
•The Idlib Museum in Syria is increasingly threatened by the recent capture of the city by rebel forces — the museum is currently under the control of the Islamist/Salafist group Ahrar ash-Sham.
•The capture of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Bosra by rebel forces may place this site at heightened risk of destruction. Recent combat in the area has impacted the site.
•The Syrian Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums recently released new information on looting at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Palmyra.
•The Idlib Museum in Syria is increasingly threatened by the recent capture of the city by rebel forces — the museum is currently under the control of the Islamist/Salafist group Ahrar ash-Sham.
•The capture of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Bosra by rebel forces may place this site at heightened risk of destruction. Recent combat in the area has impacted the site.
•The Syrian Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums recently released new information on looting at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Palmyra.
• During the reporting period, claims of combat damage to heritage sites in Syria and related in-country damage assessments continued at a slightly elevated rate, continuing a month-long trend relative to average rates documented for the... more
• During the reporting period, claims of combat damage to heritage sites in Syria and related in-country damage assessments continued at a slightly elevated rate, continuing a month-long trend relative to average rates documented for the previous six months. Generally, damage was reported in Idlib, Hama, and Daraa. Intensity and distribution of heritage damage correlate with combat kinetics and largely derived from collateral damage from conventional military attacks as opposed to intentional targeting or asymmetrical tactics. Media sources and in-country reports highlighted local responses to prevent damage and theft as well as ad hoc/ pro tem actions taken by the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums. The collections of the Idlib Museum are at elevated risk of damage and/or theft following the seizure of Idlib from SARG by Jaish al-Fatah and the occupation of the museum by Islamist rebels/extremists (see below).
• In Iraq, ISIL continued its campaign of performative deliberate destructions of heritage places and the release of associated branded media highlighting ISIL attacks. The recent ISIL attack on the Mosul Museum and archaeological site of Nineveh were featured in the ISIL publication Dabiq 8 accompanied by what has become a typical ISIL Jihadist-Salafist ideological “justification” for these blatant war crimes. On its affiliated websites, ISIL released a new video showing the intentional destruction of ancient sculptures and standing architectural elements at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Hatra.
• In Iraq, ISIL continued its campaign of performative deliberate destructions of heritage places and the release of associated branded media highlighting ISIL attacks. The recent ISIL attack on the Mosul Museum and archaeological site of Nineveh were featured in the ISIL publication Dabiq 8 accompanied by what has become a typical ISIL Jihadist-Salafist ideological “justification” for these blatant war crimes. On its affiliated websites, ISIL released a new video showing the intentional destruction of ancient sculptures and standing architectural elements at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Hatra.
- by David Elitzer and +5
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- History, Ancient History, Cultural Studies, Archaeology
• ISIL militants destroyed the Northwest Palace at Nimrud and on April 11 released a video showing this performative deliberate destruction and denouncing connections between the pre-Islamic past and modern Iraqi identity. (pp. 34–52) •... more
• ISIL militants destroyed the Northwest Palace at Nimrud and on April 11 released a video showing this performative deliberate destruction and denouncing connections between the pre-Islamic past and modern Iraqi identity. (pp. 34–52)
• The Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums of Syria (DGAM) released its Quarterly Report (January 1–March 31, 2015) on heritage damage in Syria.
• The Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums of Syria (DGAM) released its Quarterly Report (January 1–March 31, 2015) on heritage damage in Syria.
The armed conflict that began in Syria in 2011 rapidly precipitated a massive humanitarian catastrophe. In 2014 the crisis escalated and became regional in scope with the take-over of Mosul by ISIS, followed by the group’s rapid... more
The armed conflict that began in Syria in 2011 rapidly precipitated a massive humanitarian catastrophe. In 2014 the crisis escalated and became regional in scope with the take-over of Mosul by ISIS, followed by the group’s rapid territorial gains in northern Iraq and Syria. In Syria alone, combat has reached every region, with nearly a third of the population internally displaced and more than four million refugees. Syrians and Iraqis are struggling with an erosion of identity and a lack of control over their lives, and these feelings are further compounded by the destruction of their cultural heritage as a result of the ongoing conflict. Thousands of cultural properties have been affected by combat- related incidents, theft, and intentional destruction. This paper examines the conflict’s impact on cultural property by discussing the activities and outcomes of the Cultural Heritage Initiatives (CHI) project, supported in part by the award of a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Department of State and the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR). ASOR CHI documents the impact of the war on cultural heritage, implements stabilization projects now, and plans more comprehensive preservation actions for the future. Ultimately CHI seeks to develop best practices for cultural property protection.
ASOR CHI activities include gathering and archiving evidence of cultural property crimes and information about the condition of cultural heritage from online media, satellite imagery, and in-country sources. Working collaboratively with other groups and agencies, ASOR CHI has compiled lists of heritage resources to create an inventory and map of heritage assets in both countries. This information is used to complete on-site and remote condition assessments to analyze patterns of damage and assess preservation needs. These assessments have been crucial for prioritizing on-the- ground activities for completed and ongoing stabilization efforts.
This overview of the CHI program demonstrates the effectiveness of responses that engage local stakeholders and underscores the challenges of protecting cultural heritage during modern armed conflicts that often involve complex and shifting arrays of conventional forces, non-state actor, proxy forces, and terrorist organizations.
ASOR CHI activities include gathering and archiving evidence of cultural property crimes and information about the condition of cultural heritage from online media, satellite imagery, and in-country sources. Working collaboratively with other groups and agencies, ASOR CHI has compiled lists of heritage resources to create an inventory and map of heritage assets in both countries. This information is used to complete on-site and remote condition assessments to analyze patterns of damage and assess preservation needs. These assessments have been crucial for prioritizing on-the- ground activities for completed and ongoing stabilization efforts.
This overview of the CHI program demonstrates the effectiveness of responses that engage local stakeholders and underscores the challenges of protecting cultural heritage during modern armed conflicts that often involve complex and shifting arrays of conventional forces, non-state actor, proxy forces, and terrorist organizations.
The settlement structure of Classical Greece is characterized by a diversity of settlement hierarchies, territorial sizes, and urban densities. These differences in settlement organization are often characteristic of specific geographic... more
The settlement structure of Classical Greece is characterized by a diversity of settlement hierarchies, territorial sizes, and urban densities. These differences in settlement organization are often characteristic of specific geographic regions, suggesting a relationship between regional environmental variables and local settlement pattern. Settlement hierarchies and territorial sizes remain, however, difficult to study due to their propensity to change, as well as the paucity of archaeological remains that relate to these aspects of settlement pattern. The study of urban densities, on the other hand, requires little more than the known location of a settlement and evidence confirming its occupation during a specific time period. Utilizing available and publicly accessible datasets of ancient Greek sites, we focus specifically on addressing the density of those mainland sites occupied during the fifth and fourth centuries BCE through a variety of geostatistical analyses and making use of several environmental datasets. These datasets include indices of agricultural productivity (NPP and NDVI) and measures of proximity to features such as coasts and mountains.
In doing so, we identify those variables that may have been most influential in determining the settlement structure of Classical Greece, while also quantifying and highlighting the scale of regional diversity present on mainland Greece. The results of such exploratory geostatistical analyses serve as important foundations for further studies on settlement pattern in other regions and time periods, allowing for interesting comparisons to be drawn with broader anthropological implications. Additionally, through this analysis we hope to highlight the potential of utilizing publicly accessible “big data" datasets for archaeological analysis and the relative ease with which broad scale regional analyses of hundreds of sites can be done, without the collection of new data.
In doing so, we identify those variables that may have been most influential in determining the settlement structure of Classical Greece, while also quantifying and highlighting the scale of regional diversity present on mainland Greece. The results of such exploratory geostatistical analyses serve as important foundations for further studies on settlement pattern in other regions and time periods, allowing for interesting comparisons to be drawn with broader anthropological implications. Additionally, through this analysis we hope to highlight the potential of utilizing publicly accessible “big data" datasets for archaeological analysis and the relative ease with which broad scale regional analyses of hundreds of sites can be done, without the collection of new data.
Bactria, a region comprising parts of modern-day Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan, has long been described—by ancient and modern scholars alike—as existing at the end of the proverbial world. Pronounced by Strabo as... more
Bactria, a region comprising parts of modern-day Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan, has long been described—by ancient and modern scholars alike—as existing at the end of the proverbial world. Pronounced by Strabo as the land of a thousand cities, periods of political instability in the region over the last half-decade have prevented more rigorous archaeological investigation of Bactrian urban development. Drawing on a wide array of publically available satellite imagery datasets, as well as data from the handful of published archaeological surveys in the region, we seek to address the question of urban development in this region from the Achaemenid period to the modern day. We then evaluate the spatial distribution of urban sites through time with respect to local and external factors. In so doing, we highlight the extent to which political, environmental, or topographic variables influenced the development of settlement in Bactria, and how these patterns of urban development changed over time. Simultaneously, this study explores the potential of engaging with “big data” in an archaeological context, drawing from large-scale, publicly available datasets to conduct research on a regional scale. Finally, we hope to highlight the usefulness of this methodology for regional studies whose subjects span multiple contemporary countries or within whom fieldwork opportunities are limited.
This article demonstrates the utility of high temporal and spatial resolution satellite imagery for the detection and study of the effects of intense surface runoff, particularly in respect to mitigation efforts to protect archaeological... more
This article demonstrates the utility of high temporal and spatial resolution satellite imagery for the detection and study of the effects of intense surface runoff, particularly in respect to mitigation efforts to protect archaeological sites. We make use of PlanetScope imagery, which has recently become available as a freely available remote sensing data source with a revisit time of less than 24 hours, almost global coverage, and spectral and spatial resolution on par with other commercially available sensors. The high temporal resolution of PlanetScope data allows for better detection of changes in land cover that are the result of severe weather events, whose effects may be cleared up within several days of occurring or are more pronounced in the immediate aftermath of disturbances. Focusing on two severe storms that struck the island of Samothrace, in the northern Aegean, on July 17 and September 25/26 2017 respectively and which caused considerable damage to local infrastructure and archaeological sites, we test the utility of these data for detecting the island-wide distribution of the effects of these weather events. We find that these data are sufficiently sensitive to detect and quantify the extent of surface runoff processes and argue that the detection and monitoring capabilities of these data provide a useful tool for outlining policies to mitigate future damages to cultural heritage sites.
This poster presents the preliminary results of a soil temperature study conducted during the summer of 2018, in Chachapoyas, Peru to investigate the heat retention and insolation properties of terraced hillslopes. Previous research on... more
This poster presents the preliminary results of a soil temperature study conducted during the summer of 2018, in Chachapoyas, Peru to investigate the heat retention and insolation properties of terraced hillslopes. Previous research on the agricultural benefits of terracing (Schjellerup 1985, Treacy 1989) has suggested that deeper soils and higher moisture retention can have favorable effects on soil temperature, particularly in proximity to terrace walls, with important implications for the productivity of crops and the elevations at which they can be planted. Being located between 3500-3600 masl, ancient farming on the terraces at the site of La Fila would have been at risk from frost and generally cold temperatures, and indeed the area is currently used exclusively for pasturage. Having buried twelve HOBO 8k data loggers along a 150-meter vertical transect that cut across a system of terraces at the site of La Fila, we collected nineteen days’ worth of hourly temperature readings. These data loggers were buried at a depth of twenty centimeters and spaced out such that some were located immediately above or below stone-faced terrace risers, while others were located midway along the tread of the terrace. We hypothesized that soil temperatures would be lower at higher elevations and that there would be less variance in temperature closer to terrace risers. We test these predictions here through quantitative and spatial analysis of the soil temperature data, which we complement with weather data derived from satellite remote sensing and hydrological and solar insolation modeling. We find that there is no discernible trend in temperature as it relates to elevation, while variance was actually lowest in the middle of the terrace tread. We present these findings and our initial interpretations of them, and outline avenues for future research.