The Archaeology Centre – University of Toronto

About the Archaeology Centre

The Archaeology Centre is a community that brings archaeologists and people interested in archaeology together across the University of Toronto and beyond. We aim to provide a centralized hub of information about opportunities (e.g., field schools, scholarships, etc.) and events (e.g., lectures, interest groups, symposia, etc.) related to archaeology. We are not an academic unit at the university and do not offer courses for credit or degree programs. If you are interested in academically pursuing archaeology at the University of Toronto, please see the following departments for more information and contacts:

Department of Anthropology
Department of Art History
Department of Classics
Department of Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations
Department of Earth Sciences

Regular Interest Groups

The Faunal Interest Group

The group has convened by-weekly (times TBA; in the Archaeology Centre boardroom AP140 at 19 Ursula Franklin Street) since September 2007. The group discusses new and old issues of zoo archaeological method and theory. For more information, please contact Alicia Hawkins at alicia.hawkins@utoronto.ca.

Next meeting: Friday November 8th at 12 pm.

The Faunal Interest Group (FIG) will be meeting this Friday, November 8th, to discuss two papers suggested by Dr. Trevor Orchard. Please see below for information regarding the articles and the meeting. We look forward to seeing everyone!

Readings

Przelomska, N.A., Balazik, M.T., Lin, A.T., Reeder-Myers, L.A., Rick, T.C., & Kistler, L. (2024). Archaeogenomic analysis of Chesapeake Atlantic sturgeon illustrates shaping of its populations in recovery from severe overexploitation. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 291. http://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2024.1145

Miszaniec, J. I., Eerkens, J. W., Hall, M. V., Gobalet, K. W., Darwent, C. M., & Canzonieri, C. (2024). Ancient Fishing Strategies for the Extinct Thicktail Chub (Gila crassicauda) in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. California Archaeology, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/1947461X.2024.2400805

Venue

AP140 (Arch Center Board room), Department of Anthropology

Zoom Link: https://utoronto.zoom.us/j/85908554991

Meeting ID: 859 0855 4991

For more information about the meeting, please contact Alicia Hawkins (alicia.hawkins@utoronto.ca).

NEW: The Collections Interest Group

Join the Collections Interest Group and discuss a wide array of topics regarding the care, preservation, and public education of artifacts and histories in a collections setting. Whether you are interested in a career in the museum world, plan on interacting with collections in some capacity, or simply find an interest in the curation and preservation of histories, this group is for you. Topics of discussion look to explore the relationship between ‘the institution’ which houses objects and the communities which interact with its stories, the role of ever-evolving technology in a collections/museum setting, and sustainable collections management that serves present, past, and future generations. Interested? Please contact Savanna for more information (s.buehlmanbarbeau@mail.utoronto.ca).

**First meeting: November 5: 3 PM in AP140. Please email Savanna to express your interest / if you have any questions (s.buehlmanbarbeau@mail.utoronto.ca).

This first meeting will discuss potential topics of upcoming meetings as a group. We will also watch & discuss the recent SAA talk with Danielle Benden titled “Archaeological Collections Careers: A Guide for Developing the Skills to Land the Job You Want [Deeper Digs]”.

All are welcome to attend, whether you have an interest in museum work, or are simply curious about current topics & debates in what it means to keep and care for archaeological histories in a collections setting.”

November Talks

The Archaeology Centre and the Department of Classics present “Heritage in Gaza: A Test in Archaeological Ethics,” by Dr. Georgia Andreou (University of Southampton). Friday November 8th 2024, at 4-6 pm in room 220 in the Lillian Massey building (125 Queens Park). Working with heritage in the Gaza Strip even prior to its unprecedented devastation was conditioned by limitations impacting the physical and intellectual labour involved in archaeological praxis. From financial and technological constraints to conditional and prescribed integration of local voices in the production of knowledge, Gazan archaeology and heritage are often presented as victims of “historical circumstances.” This talk reflects on the intellectual foundations of archaeology in Gaza. It presents the results of a baseline survey documenting archaeological sites before the current war. It introduces a university of Southampton project that developed accessible and low-cost workflows to monitor Gaza’s deteriorating sites (GAZAMAP 2021-2023). It concludes with a reflection on the ethics and politics of assessing heritage destruction during active war.

November Talks

The Mediterranean Archaeology Collaborative Specialization (MACS) presents: “Socio-Political Developments in Late Bronze Age Coastal Thessaly: New Insights from a Multi-Method Archaeological Project,” by Dr. Bartłomiej Lis (Interdisciplinary Center of Archaeological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences [PAN]). Thursday November 14th, at 4-6 pm in LI 205 (Lillian Massey Building, 125 Queens Park).