A series of free public lectures at the University of New England will explore topics as diverse as the slums of the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo, archeological findings in Israel that correspond to description of King Solomon’s monumental architecture and another archaeological excavation at Idalion on the island of Cyprus.
Solomon Archeology
This lecture will examine archaeological findings at Jerusalem, Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer in Israel that correspond with the biblical description of King Solomon’s monumental architecture.
It will be presented by William Dever, Distinguished Professor of Near Eastern Archaeology at Lycoming College, Pennsylvania, who has conducted numerous excavations in Israel, Jordan and Cyprus.
The free lecture is on Thursday, April 26, at 5.30pm in the Gallery at UNE’s Earle Page College and will be the first in the University’s Aspects of Antiquity series for 2012.
New light on religion in ancient Cyprus
The second lecture will be presented by Professor Pamela Gaber, the director of archaeological excavations at Idalion on the island of Cyprus, at the University of New England on Friday, April 27, at 9.30am in Lecture Theatre 3 in the UNE Arts Building.
Pamela Gaber, who is Professor of Archaeology and Religion at Lycoming College, Pennsylvania, is an authority on ancient sculpture from Cyprus. Her seminar paper will be at 9.30am. Everyone is welcome.
The seminar will focus on two intact sanctuaries found at Idalion: an open-air sacred grove and a sanctuary of “paired deities”. According to Professor Gaber there are startling similarities between the cult practices evident at Idalion and those of first-millennium BC Israel.
Professor Gaber is coming to UNE as the 2012 Australian Institute of Archaeology Visiting Lecturer, a position she holds jointly with her husband William Dever.
Public lectures by international worker for civil liberties
The third and fourth lectures will be presented by Michelle Brooks, a visiting British researcher and worker for the protection of civil liberties among marginalised populations. The lectures will be at the University of New England April 26 and May 1.
In her lecture on Thursday, April 26 she will discuss her project in the slums of the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo – urban areas that the government plans to “gentrify”, involving the relocation of the residents.
This lecture, titled “The place we make together – mapping networking capital in the Colombo slums”, will be delivered at Drummond and Smith College at 6 pm and will be the College’s D.H. Drummond Memorial Lecture for 2012.
Ms Brooks’s research informs new laws in the UK that will enhance legislative frameworks to protect Muslim women and she will discuss this project in her lecture on May 1, titled “In other worlds – belonging and security among women of global Islam”.
This lecture will be at 5.30 pm in Lecture Theatre 2 in UNE’s Education Building. Everyone is welcome.
Members of the public wishing to attend should contact the College on (02) 6773 6700 or e-mail drummond.smith@une.edu.au.
