President's Welcome

With the spring season right around the corner, I extend warm greetings to our AIA Toronto members. This was a very special year for our Toronto society as the AIA Annual Meeting was held right here in early January of this year. This was an exceptional opportunity for us to showcase our society's dedication to archaeology, as thousands of archaeologists and Classicists from around the globe visited us, witnessing the vibrant city and the warm spirit of its inhabitants on an icy winter week. We decided that it would be fitting for us to introduce to our larger community some of the rich and diverse academic panels and workshops that were organized by our local Torontonian and Canadian archaeologists, showcasing exceptional local talent on an international arena. Please scroll down to read the official welcome letter from our very own Prime Minister, the Honourable Justin P.J. Trudeau!

At this meeting, with the help of generous donors, we were also able to host an AIA Toronto reception in the sky lounge of the Sheraton, in honor of Joseph and Maria Shaw, who are the pillars of our local society. We thank all of you who were able to join us and make such an exciting and meaningful event possible. For more information please follow us on our various social media outlets, and our award winning website. Yes, at this year’s Annual Meeting, our Society received the Local Society Best Website Award! Our congratulations and gratitude go to our webmaster, Amrita Maharaj.

Our public talks throughout the year boast a list of esteemed speakers who lecture on a diversity of topics, locations, and time periods. We've had wonderful talks this year on topics from our very own Great Lakes region all the way to Neolithic Georgia, not to mention the extended Mediterranean basin covering Egypt and Greece. We have two talks left, on Roman Crete and Etruria. These lectures are free and open to the public, with members' receptions afterwards, and will be held once again on the Anthropology Building's first floor, courtesy of the Archaeology Centre, and the generous support of Prof. Michael Chazan. Please join us also, for the annual banquet that will follow our final lecture for the year on April 25^th.

Especially with the Annual Meeting in Toronto, our membership saw a visible increase, and the AIA Toronto welcomes wholeheartedly our new members, and extends gratitude to those of you who are dedicated longtime members. In the face of systematic malpractices and destructions in archaeology, raising awareness through education is a singular weapon against the monolithic forces. I thank you sincerely, on behalf of the Society, for being active members who support our concerted efforts.

Prof. SeungJung Kim
Dept. of Art, University of Toronto
President, AIA Toronto Society

New March Lecture

Society members may recall that Morag Kersel had originally been scheduled to give a talk at the end of March 2017; unfortunately her visit to Toronto has been postponed until next year's lecture season.
For this year's March lecture, we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Scott Gallimore who will be speaking to us us on Tuesday, March 28th at 6:00pm in the UofT Anthropology Building on his fascinating work on Crete in the Roman period. Join us for his talk:
"An Eventful Archaeology of Roman Crete"
We look forward to seeing you there for an eventful night of archaeology!

Winter 2017 Lecture Series

Tues Feb 28, 2017, 6:00-7:00 pm - William A. Fox, Trent University
"Trade, Travel and Ceremony"
Anthropology Building AP130, 19 Russell Street, University of Toronto

Tues March 28, 2017, 6:00-7:00 pm - Scott Gallimore, Wilfrid Laurier University
"An Eventful Archaeology of Roman Crete"
Anthropology Building AP130, 19 Russell Street, University of Toronto

Tues April 25, 2017, 6:00-7:00 pm - Alexandra Ann Carpino, Northern Arizona University
"A Glance in the Mirror: Reflections on Motherhood in Aristocratic Etruria"
Anthropology Building AP130, 19 Russell Street, University of Toronto

Looking to Dig this Summer?

2017 Field School Opportunities

Gadachrili Gora Regional Archaeological Project Expedition (GRAPE), Republic of Georgia
May 3-June 12
http://www.grape.utoronto.ca/

Huqoq Excavation Project, Israel
May 15-June 29
http://huqoqexcavationproject.org/

Mohegan Field School, Connecticut
June 21- July 29
http://ifrglobal.org/program/us-ct-mohegan/

Hågerup Bioarchaeology Field School, Denmark
May 14-June 17
Contact Dr. Julia Gamble (julia.gamble@utoronto.ca) for more information.

The 2017 Joseph and Maria Shaw Student Summer Travel Fellowship

The AIA Toronto Society is pleased to announce that it will be offering travel fellowships for students enrolled in Toronto area universities to participate in archaeological field schools or excavations. This award of up to $500 is open to undergraduate and graduate students, but preference will be given to those travelling for their first field experience.
Application details can be found on the application form, available for download here, and mailed to:

Prof. Joseph Shaw
AIA Toronto Society
Dept of Art History, University of Toronto
100 St. George Street
Toronto ON M5S 3G3

or sent by PDF to:
jwshaw@chass.utoronto.ca

The application deadline is April 1^st, 2017.

A Warm Canadian Welcome

From January 5-8, 2017, hundreds of conference delegates arrived in Toronto as the city hosted the Joint Annual Meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America and the Society for Classical Studies. Despite chilly winter weather, attendees were met with warm Canadian hospitality, including personalized greetings from the Prime Minister of Canada! The AIA and SCS were honoured to receive a written address from the Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, and we are happy to share his greetings with you here.

Toronto Archaeologists Represent at the 118th AIA Annual Meeting

Toronto-based archaeological research and scholarship was well-represented at this year's Annual Meeting. A number of fascinating sessions were organized by archaeologists based in Toronto and the surrounding area, enabling many presenters to share their international archaeological research, and affording a great deal of thought-provoking discussion. The organizers of these sessions have taken this opportunity to share these sessions and highlight some of the fantastic work produced right here in our city.

"Greek Iconography: New Studies on Vase Painting in the Royal Ontario Museum's Collection"
SeungJung Kim, University of Toronto

The excellent collection of Greek vases in the Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum was under the spotlight in the 2017 annual meeting of the AIA in Toronto. Under the title "Greek Iconography," this colloquium featured 5 international scholars who presented new research on vases in the ROM's collection. Our very own ROM curator Paul Denis presented unpublished fragments of a wedding vessel, a lebes gamikos attributed to the Washing Painter, currently undergoing restoration. Danielle Smotherman, and Hollister Pritchett, advanced Ph.D. candidates at Bryn Mawr, talked respectively about how female viewers might relate to self-referential nuptial iconography, and the iconography of young/child satyrs, shedding light on the educational structure of paideia of the Athenian society. Prof. Anthony Mangieri from Salve Regina University reinterpreted an unusual 5^th century BCE pelike by the Pig Painter, adding something new to the discourse on homoerotic relationships in mid fifth-century Athens. Finally, Dr. Bice Peruzzi from Grand Valley State University presented her research on the vases by the so-called Group of Toronto 495, bringing us to Hellenistic Etruria and linking them to earlier Tarquinian traditions, making apparent the richness and diversity of the ROM's collection.

"Objects in Focus: Recent Research into the Royal Ontario Museum's Collection"
Sascha Priewe, Royal Ontario Museum

As companion session to the one on vase painting in the collection of the Royal Ontario Museum, an afternoon session "Objects in Focus: Recent Research into the Royal Ontario Museum's Collection," highlighted more current research into the collections of Canada's world museum. Beginning with two papers examining the ROM’s Nubian and Islamic ceramic collections, Annissa Malvoisin (University of Toronto) and Robert Mason (ROM) dived into the potential for insights gained from collections built up through archaeological fieldwork as well as from the scientific analysis of existing collections. Focusing on the Greek and Roman collections, papers by Catherine Cooper (University of Toronto/ROM) and Bjoern Ewald (University of Toronto) investigated an ancient(?) Minoan sculpture and the Museum's Aphrodite in the so-called ‘Venus Genetrix’ type respectively. The final paper given by Jacquelyn Clements (University of Toronto) explored the work of Sylvia Hahn, a pioneering creator of paintings and models for the Museum's galleries.

"Investigating Prehistoric Urbanization in East Crete: New Work at Palaikastro, 2012-2016"
Carl Knappett, University of Toronto

As five years of archaeological investigation come to a close, the Palace and Landscape at Palaikastro (PALAP) project is exploring the urbanization of this Bronze Age settlement through interdisciplinary analysis. This session provided specialists from the team the chance to present their findings, exploring how these various aspects of archaeological study work together to present a more comprehensive picture of a Minoan town. The session began with a discussion of pottery production, presented by John Gait of the British School at Athens, and was followed by a talk on architecture and urbanism by Tim Cunningham. The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Seán Hemingway then spoke on the use of metals at Palaikastro, and Catherine Pratt of Western University turned to ceramic evidence, presenting the Late Minoan III finds of Building AP1. Having used micromorphology to analyze building floors and activity areas at the site, Rachel Kulick of the University of Toronto discussed her application of this methodology to Palaikastro. Finally, the region’s landscape and agriculture were addressed, by Santiago Riera-Mora of the University of Barcelona in a presentation on the site’s surrounding territory, and by Rena Veropoulidou of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports on “Minoan Foodways” at Palaikastro. The PALAP team is excited to continue its analysis of the finds as it moves towards the final publication of the project.

"Regional Approaches to Identity and Meaning in Greek Landscapes: Current Work of the Canadian Institute in Greece"
Brendan Burke, University of Victoria
Angus Smith, Brock University

On Sunday, January 8^th at the Annual Meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America in Toronto, the Canadian Institute in Greece (CIG) sponsored a colloquium to celebrate its 40^th anniversary. The session, entitled “Regional approaches to Identity and Meaning in Greek Landscapes: Current work of the Canadian Institute in Greece,” gathered together five papers that highlighted on-going projects carried out by CIG. The papers discussed a variety of approaches to the study of landscape and settlement, from the Stone Age to the Hellenistic, and even Late Roman Periods from the Cyclades to the Peloponnese and central and northern Greece.

The session began with a paper by Jacques Perreault (University of Montreal) and Zisis Bonias (Greek Ministry of Culture) about recent fieldwork at ancient Argilos on the Thracian coast in northern Greece. Following this, Margriet Haagsma (University of Alberta), Miles Chykerda (UCLA), Sophia Karapanou (Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports), and Laura Surtees (Bryn Mawr College) spoke about their project at Kastro Kallithea, and in particular about regional identity and the ethnos of Achaia Phthiotis. Next came a paper by Dimitri Nakassis (formerly of University of Toronto), Scott Gallimore (Wilfrid Laurier University), William Caraher (University of North Dakota), and Sarah James (University of Colorado, Boulder) about the results of the Western Argolid Research Project (WARP), which is a diachronic archaeological survey investigating the shifting relationships between the communities of the western Argolid and the northeastern Peloponnese and beyond. Dr. Tristan Carter (McMaster University), Demetrios Athanasoulis (Cycladic Ephorate of Antiquities), Daniel Contreras (Aix-Marseille University), Justin Holcomb (Boston University), Danica Mihailovic (University of Belgrade), Kathryn Campeau (McMaster University), and James Feathers (University of Washington) delivered a paper on the Stélida Naxos Archaeological Project (SNAP), which is investigating important issues related to the earliest peopling of the Mediterranean. Finally, Brendan Burke (University of Victoria) and Bryan Burns (Wellesley College) updated the audience on the Eastern Boeotia Archaeological Project (EBAP). EBAP is excavating the secondary center of ancient Eleon, which operated within the orbit of Thebes in Boeotia during the Late Bronze Age and Archaic/Classical periods.

The session highlighted the many themes and regions that current Canadian research in Greece is investigating. Unfortunately scheduled at 8:00 am on the final day of the meetings, the session nevertheless produced a very good turnout of people interested in learning more about current Canadian fieldwork in Greece!

"The Archaeology of Toronto"
Ron Williamson, Archaeological Services Inc.

On the final afternoon of the AIA-SCS Annual Meeting, a public session entitled “The Archaeology of Toronto” was hosted by the Archaeology Centre at the University of Toronto. Dr. Ron Williamson of Archaeological Services Inc. (ASI) organized the session, and it was chaired by Professor Michael Chazon. Dr. Ann Benbow, Executive Director of the AIA, also helped with arrangements.

This session was geared towards the general public and the papers focused on a variety of recent projects of both scholarly and public interest, in Toronto and beyond. The session was met with great enthusiasm as attendees from both the conference and the general public filled a standing-room only venue. The papers they were eager to hear included ASI’s Ron Williamson and the City of Toronto’s Heritage Preservation Services’ Susan Hughes’ “The Management of Archaeological Resources in Toronto: Conservation and Interpretation;” “The Archaeology of Toronto's First General Hospital,” by Eva MacDonald of ASI; Holly Martelle, of Timmins Martelle Heritage Consultants Inc., discussing “The Ward Uncovered: Archaeological Investigations of one of Toronto’s First Arrival Neighbourhoods - the Ward;” ASI’s David Robertson’s “Toronto's Waterfront Features - The Queen's Wharf and an Early 19th century Schooner;” “The Thornton and Lucie Blackburn Site: Toronto's First Cab Company and a safe Terminus for the Underground Railway,” by Karolyn Smardz Frost, Acadia University; and “Fifty Years of Archaeology at Old Fort York: The Founding of Toronto,” a talk by Richard Gerrard of Toronto’s Culture Division.

Should anyone wish further information regarding the session, feel free to contact Dr. Ron Williamson, ASI, at rwilliamson@asiheritage.ca.

AIA Toronto Reception
in Honour of Joseph and Maria Shaw

An Award-Winning Website!

On the morning of Friday, January 6th, members of AIA Society committees from across North America gathered for a pre-conference breakfast and awards ceremony, in honour of the year-round hard work invested by local chapters of the AIA. At this gathering, our very own Society was thrilled to receive the AIA Local Society Website Award! Special congratulations goes out to our Webmaster, Amrita Maharaj-Moreira, whose website design and maintenance made this possible!
If you haven't already, please check out our award-winning website at http://aiatoronto.ca/.

Save the Date!
2017 is shaping up to be quite a year for Toronto archaeologists! Just a few months after the AIA/SCS Annual Meeting in January, Toronto will also host the North American Theoretical Archaeological Group (i.e. TAG) from May 18-20. The theme, "The Medium is the Message: Media and Mediation in Archaeology," pays tribute to Toronto scholar Marshall McLuhan, and is intentionally broad so as to highlight the diverse ways by which existence is profoundly conditioned by the material world, an issue that has been of central concern to archaeologists as well as to posthumanists and new materialists in other disciplines.
For more information, please visit the conference website. Registration is available online, and more information on paper submissions can be found on the sessions webpage.

March Break at the ROM!
A "Big Blue" thanks to everyone who volunteered their time to help with our Society's activities at the Royal Ontario Museum from March 11th to 19th! This year's "Big Blue" March Break was a huge success, and our AIA Toronto "ROM Quests" were definite highlights of the ancient galleries. Special thanks and congratulations to Meg Morden for her many hours of hard work and dedication to this programming!

Celebrate Canadian Archaeology with our Canada150 Photo Contest

The celebration is spreading across Canada! Everyone is finding ways to mark the 150^th anniversary of Confederation. To join in the festivities, the AIA Toronto Society is challenging you to share your favourite Canadian archaeological site, museum, or object by posting a picture to social media (Instagram, Twitter, and/or Facebook), tagging us (@torontoAIA), and using the official contest hashtag (#torontoAIA150) for your chance to be featured and win.
You have all year to submit your photos and celebrate Canada, then winners will be announced at the first AIA Toronto lecture on February 27^th, 2018. Remember that all National Historic Sites have free admission this year as part of the celebration. This competition is open to members and non-members.
Happy Birthday, Canada!