Talk focuses on deep submergence archaelogy

Tue, November 3, 2009 |

Valparaiso University will host an archaeology expert during a Nov. 10 lecture that is part of the University's Archaeological Institute of America lecture series.

Dr. Shelley Wachsmann, professor of biblical archaeology at Texas A&M University, will discuss "Deep Submergence Archaeology: The Final Frontier" at 8 p.m. in the Harre Union Ballroom on campus. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Dr. Wachsmann's lecture will discuss the modern myth that ancient mariners hugged coastlines for safety when in fact the intersection of land and water represented the greatest danger for shipping because of storms and piracy. He also will highlight tools which have revolutionized the ability of archaeologists to discover, study and record shipwrecks, including sidescan sonar, remote-operated vehicles and autonomous underwater vehicles. The latter part of the lecture will focus on the Danaos Project, which aims at reconstructing the ancient blue-water route between Crete and Egypt.

Dr. Wachsmann currently teaches courses in biblical archaeology and preclassical seafaring and is working on publication of his work at Tantura Lagoon, Israel. He has served as inspector of underwater antiquities for Israel's Department of Antiquities and Museums, where he was responsible for discovering, recording and protecting Israel's nautical heritage. Dr. Wachsmann also has conducted extensive research in the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee, and authored numerous scientific and popular publications and four books.

The final lecture in this year's archaeology series is "Vani Regional Survey (Colchis, Black Sea, Republic of Georgia)" on March 22.

For information about becoming a member of AIA's Valpo chapter, contact Dr. Richard DeMaris via e-mail at Richard.DeMaris@valpo.edu or by phone at (219) 464-5269.