November 2014: Dr. Matthew Adams, Challenges and Promise in the Practice of Archaeology in Egypt Today: A Perspective from Abydos
November 16, 2014 at 3p
The Helen H. Loeffler Memorial Lecture
Dr. Matthew Adams
Challenges and Promise in the Practice of Archaeology in Egypt Today: A Perspective from Abydos
The modern practice of archaeological fieldwork represents a dual challenge: to undertake research that will contribute to our understanding of past societies, and to meet the ethical responsibilities inherent in working in and engaging with modern communities. This lecture will consider how these challenges can be met and balanced, focusing on recent work at Abydos, Egypt. Abydos was the burial place and likely ancestral home of Egypt’s first kings and one of Egypt’s most important religious centers. The Abydos Expedition of NYU’s Institute of Fine Arts is exploring a number of major components of the site, including the ancient town, its vast cemetery fields, and the monumental record of Egypt’s early kings. At the same time, the Expedition is collaborating closely with the Egyptian authorities and working to engage with local communities to balance preservation and research efforts at the site with the needs and priorities of its modern inhabitants, and effort made both more complicated and more urgent by events in Egypt since the revolution of 2011.
Archaeology Society of Staten Island
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