BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

Two D.C.-Area Archaeology Events

The Washington, D.C.-area Biblical Archaeology Society of Northern Virginia (BASONOVA) and Biblical Archaeology Forum (BAF) will host the lecture “The Rebirth of a Roman Luxury Resort: Recent Archaeological Discoveries at the Seaside Villas at Stabiae” (April 3) and the lecture “Excavations at Idalion, Cyprus: Crossing Cultures in the Eastern Mediterranean” (April 6). Not in the D.C. area? The Biblical Archaeology Society offers a wide range of travel/study programs in the United States and across the globe.


stabiaeOn Sunday, April 3, 2016, Matthew Bell of University of Maryland and Thomas Howe of Southwestern University will deliver the lecture “The Rebirth of a Roman Luxury Resort: Recent Archaeological Discoveries at the Seaside Villas at Stabiae.”

During the period between the first destruction of Stabiae at the hand of Roman dictator and general Lucius Cornelius Sulla (89 B.C.E.) and the eruption of Vesuvius (79 C.E.), the city became a Roman resort, welcoming the construction of stunning villas in panoramic positions, with public buildings, ornate formal gardens, thermal spas, porticoes and delightfully decorated nymphaea.

The eruption of Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum also buried nearby Stabiae under a four meter deep blanket of lapillus and ash. While no more excavations are underway at these other sites, relatively very little of Stabiae has been uncovered.
Since 2002, the Restoring Ancient Stabiae (RAS) Foundation has been directing an ambitious excavation of the spectacular seaside villas built by wealthy Roman patricians, water channels and gardens, and transforming the 150-acre site into one of the world’s largest archaeological parks.

Click here for more information.


The free eBook Island Jewels: Understanding Ancient Cyprus and Crete takes you on a journey to two stunning, history-laden islands in the Mediterranean. Visit several key historical places on both islands and discover many of the great objects that have been unearthed there by archaeologists.


idalionOn Wednesday, April 6, 2016, Ann-Marie Knoblauch of Virginia Tech University will deliver the lecture “Excavations at Idalion, Cyprus: Crossing Cultures in the Eastern Mediterranean.”

Cyprus was an important trade center and cultural “crossroad” in antiquity, controlled and influenced in different periods by the Mycenaean civilization, the Phoenicians and Philistines of the Bible, Archaic Greece, the Persians in Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Roman Empire and even Christian Byzantium.

The ancient site of Idalion is fortuitously situated near the copper-rich mountains of Cyprus and the harbors of the coast. This prime location led to the site’s prominence in the economic, political and religious activity on the island, many aspects of which have been revealed through 150 years of excavations. This illustrated lecture provides a brief history of the site of Idalion, with a focus on current excavations. There will be a more in-depth look at what made this site such a rich international center as well as an important locus for religious activities, especially for Greek sanctuaries.

Click here for more information.


Not in the D.C. area? The Biblical Archaeology Society offers a wide range of travel/study programs in the United States and across the globe.


 

Related reading in Bible History Daily:

The Destruction of Pompeii—God’s Revenge?
Solomon, Socrates and Aristotle
In a wall painting at Pompeii, Greek philosophers admire the king’s wisdom
Virtually Explore Bronze Age Cyprus: There’s an App for That
Medieval Latrine Preserves Crusaders’ Intestinal Parasites


 

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