THE ORIENTAL INSTITUTE FREE PUBLIC SYMPOSIUM

PICTURING THE PASTIMAGING & IMAGINING THE ANCIENT

MIDDLE EAST

PROGRAM & ABSTRACTS

Breasted hall,the Oriental institute the university Of ChiCagO

1155 E 58th Street, Chicago IL 60637

saturday, MarCh 10, 2012 1:00 pM–6:00 pM

A free public symposium held in conjunction with the special exhibit, Picturing the Past: Imaging and Imagining the Ancient Middle East, Oriental Institute Museum, February 7–September 2, 2012

Symposium program

Saturday March 10, 2012

1:00–1:10 Gil Stein,DirectoroftheOrientalInstitute,WelcomeandIntroduction

1:10–1:15 Carole Krucoff,HeadofPublicEducation,OrientalInstitute,Agenda fortheDay

1:15–1:45 Jack Green,ChiefCurator,OrientalInstitute,“RestoringthePast: ABriefHistoryofImagingandImaginingtheAncientMiddleEast”

1:45–2:15 Emily Teeter,ResearchAssociate,OrientalInstitute,“TheDocumentation ofEgyptianReliefsandInscriptions”

2:15–2:45 Michael Seymour,ResearchAssociate,MetropolitanMuseumofArt, NewYork,“ThreeImagesofBabylon”

2:45–3:00 Break

3:00–3:30 Eric Carlson,ProfessionalFreelanceIllustrator,“IllustratingLifeand DeathatEarlyBronzeAgeSitesintheDeadSeaValley,Jordan”

3:30–4:00 Donald Sanders,President,InstitutefortheVisualizationofHistory, “ThePast,Present,andFutureofVirtualHeritage”

4:00–4:15 Break

4:15–4:45 PanelDiscussion

5:00 Reception

abstracts & bios

Jack Green (Chief Curator, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago)

Title: “RestoringthePast:ABriefHistoryofImagingandImaginingtheAncientMiddleEast”

Abstract:Imagesplayanintegralroleinthestudyandunderstandingofthepast,bothintermsofcon-structingandinterpretingarchaeologicalknowledgefromthegroundup,aswellasprovidinggraphicsup-portwithinbooks,magazines,museums,andarchaeologicalsites,aswellasontelevisionandtheInternet.Inrecreatingavisionofatimeandplacethatnolongerexists,suchimageshelpcommunicateideasthataredifficulttodescribeinwords.Theyalsoevokeatmosphereandemotion,inspiringwonderandfascina-tioninthepast.DrawinguponthecontentoftheexhibitPicturingthePast,thislectureprovidesabriefhistoryofreconstructedimagesofancientarchitectureanddailylifeoftheMiddleEast,exploringaspectsoftheircreationandimpactuponpublicandscholarlyaudiences.

Bio: JackGreen,Ph.D.(akaJohnD.M.)isChiefCuratoroftheOrientalInstituteMuseumandaco-curatoroftheexhibitPicturingthePast:ImagingandImaginingtheAncientMiddleEast.HeisalsoaresearchassociateattheOrientalInstitute.HereceivedhisPh.D.fromUniversityCollege,London(2006),andwascuratoroftheancientNearEastcollectionsattheAshmoleanMuseum,UniversityofOxford,from2007to2011.Heisalsoco-editorandmajorcontributortotheTelles-Sa‘idiyeh(Jordan)CemeteryPublicationProjectoftheBritishMuseum.

Emily Teeter (Research Associate, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago)

Title: “TheDocumentationofEgyptianReliefsandInscriptions”

Abstract: BecauseJamesHenryBreasted,anEgyptologist,wasanearlymemberoftheDepartmentofSemiticLanguagesandthefirstDirectoroftheOrientalInstitute,itisnotsurprisingthatmuchoftheuni-versity’sscholarlyemphasiswasdevotedtothedocumentationofEgyptianreliefsandinscriptions.TeeterdiscussesBreasted’searlymotivationsfordocumentationandthedevelopmentofdifferentsystemsforrecordingthatculminatedinthe“ChicagoHouse”methodofepigraphyformakingaccuratecopiesofthedecorationthatappearsonthewallsoftemplesandtombs.ShealsonoteshowtheUniversityofChicagobroadeneditsscopeofworkthroughcollaborationswithotherorganizationstorecordandpublishmonu-mentsintheNileValley.

Bio:EmilyTeeter,Ph.D.,isaResearchAssociateattheOrientalInstituteandco-curatoroftheexhibitPic-turingthePast.SheistheeditoroftheexhibitcatalogsThe Life of Meresamun: A Temple Singer in Ancient Egypt and Before the Pyramids: The Origins of Egyptian Civilization.HermostrecentbooksareReligion and Ritual in Ancient Egypt and Baked Clay Figurines and Votive Beds from Medinet Habu.

Michael Seymour (Research Associate, Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

Title: “ThreeImagesofBabylon”

Abstract:Babylonhasenjoyedarich,ifnotalwayspositive,traditionofrepresentationinWesternart.Thislectureconsidersthreeofthemostfamousimagesinthistradition:Bruegel’sTowerofBabelpaint-ings,Rembrandt’s“Belshazzar’sFeast”andDegas’“SemiramisBuildingBabylon.”Theimagesandtheirmakersexemplifythevarietyofapproachestotheancientpastavailabletoartists,andsomethingofthechangingculturalcontextsforBabylon’sartisticrepresentation.Theepisodesthepaintingsdepictaredrawnfrombiblicalandclassicalsources,yettheintellectualbackgroundtoeachworkisquitediffer-entandeachembodiesadistinctformofengagementwiththedistantpast.Inexaminingtheseartisticapproachesitisalsopossibletoreflectonsomeoftheaimsandvaluesunderlyingarchaeologicalrecon-struction,andtoconsiderthisveryparticularformofvisualizationinitsbroaderhistoricalcontext.

Bio:MichaelSeymour,Ph.D.,isaResearchAssociateintheDepartmentofAncientNearEasternArt,MetropolitanMuseumofArt.HewasformerlyProjectCuratorintheDepartmentoftheMiddleEast,Brit-ishMuseum,andwasco-curatorofthemuseum’s2008–9exhibitionBabylon:MythandReality.Heisalsoco-editorofthejournalIraqandarchaeologicalconsultanttotheWorldMonumentsFundatBabylon.Hisfirstsingle-authormonograph,ahistoryofBabylon’sreceptionandrepresentationinWesternculture,willbepublishedlaterthisyearbyI.B.Tauris.

Eric S. Carlson (Professional Freelance Illustrator)

Title:“IllustratingLifeandDeathatEarlyBronzeAgeSitesintheDeadSeaValley,Jordan”

Abstract:Visualreconstructionsofthepastoftenserveasamajorbridgeofcommunicationbetweenthearchaeologicalcommunityandthegeneralpublic.Throughtheseimagesarchaeologistsexpressdescrip-tive,interpretive,andoftentheoreticalinformation.Illustrationsareusuallyseenandcritiquedintheirfinalform,however,andlittleattentionhasbeenpaidtotheactualprocessbywhichtheyaregenerated.ArecentcollaborativeprojectintheDeadSeaValleyofJordaninvolvingarchaeologistsfromUniversityofNotreDame,Indiana;theUniversityofPennsylvania;andtheDepartmentofAntiquities,Jordan,pro-ducedaseriesofimagesdepictingEarlyBronzeAgemortuaryfeatures,walledcities,andscenesofdailylife.Throughoutthecourseofthefieldwork,theillustratorworkedcloselywithotherarchaeologiststoencouragecommunicationandvisualthinkingamongtheteam.Asetofprocedureswasdevelopedfortheconstructionofthefinalimagesthatrelieduponintensivedialogueandmultiplerevisions.

Bio:EricS.Carlson,M.A.,isanarchaeologistandfreelanceillustratorwhocurrentlylivesinMissoula,Montana.Mr.Carlsonhasworkedasanon-siteillustratoronmultipleprojectsinJordanandIreland,includingexcavationsatDhra’andelHemmehandprojectsonislandsofftheConnemaraCoast.HeisinvolvedwithongoingcollaborativeillustrationprojectswiththeSt’at’imccommunityinsouthernBrit-ishColumbiaCanada,andwiththeNationalParkServiceinAlaska.Selectedpublications:E.Carlson,A.M.Prentiss,I.Kuijt,N.Crossland,andA.Adolph,Visually Reconstructing Mid Fraser Canyon Prehistory: Redefining a Process,2010,SAAArchaeologicalRecord,Vol.10,No.1,29–33.

Donald Sanders (President, Institute for the Visualization of History, Williamstown, MA)

Title: “ThePast,Present,andFutureofVirtualHeritage”

Abstract:Understandingthedistantpastisn’teasy;weweren’tthere.ThedisciplineofVirtualHeritageemergedinthe1990storemedythatsituationbydemonstratingthemanybenefitsofbuildinginteractive,3-D,computer-generatedvisualizationsofhistoricalsettings,events,andcultures.VirtualHeritageprofes-sionalspursuetheirre-creationgoalsbecauseofthenewinsightthatinvariablyresultswhenvisualizingthepastfromthepointofviewoftheancientinhabitants.Afterall,thepasthappenedin3-D;sothat’sthewayitshouldbestudied.Sandersdiscussessomeofthearchaeologicalsitesandproblemshehasworkedonusingvirtualrealityforhypothesistesting,digitalpublication,andmuseumdisplay,withafocusontheNorthwestPalace,Nimrud,asanexemplar.Healsohintsataparadigmshiftabouttohitarchaeologicalfieldwork,dataanalysis,anddissemination.

Bio: DonaldH.Sanders,Ph.D.,istrainedandeducatedasanarchitect,architecturalhistorian,andarchae-ologist.HeisthePresidentandFounderofLearningSites,Inc.,andtheInstitutefortheVisualizationofHistory,Inc.,bothworldleadersinvirtualheritage.Thesecompanieshavepioneeredtheuseofvirtual-re-alitytechnologiesforinteractiveresearch,display,teaching,andpublicationofinformationaboutthepast.Hehasbeenaninvitedkeynotespeaker,sessionchair,andpanelistatnumerousinternationalvenues.

suggested readings & resources

Abt, Jeffrey.American Egyptologist: The Life of James Henry Breasted and the Creation of His Oriental Institute.UniversityofChicagoPress.2011.

Allen, Susan.Tutankhamun’s Tomb: The Thrill of Discovery; Photographs by Harry Burton.TheMetropolitanMuseumofArt.2006.

Blascovich, Jim, and Jeremy Bailenson.Infinite Reality: Avatars, Eternal Life, New Worlds, and the Dawn of the Vir-tual Revolution.HarperCollins.2011.

Breasted, James H.Egypt through the Stereoscope: A Journey through the Land of the Pharaohs.UnderwoodandUnderwood.1905.Reissuedin2010bytheOrientalInstitute.

Finkel, Irving L., and Michael J. Seymour, editors.Babylon: Myth and Reality.TheBritishMuseumPress.2008.

Green, Jack; Emily Teeter; and John A. Larson, editors.Picturing the Past: Imaging and Imagining the Ancient Middle East.OrientalInstituteMuseumPublications34.TheOrientalInstitute.2012.

Larson, John A. Lost Nubia: A Centennial Exhibition of Photographs from the 1905–1907 Egyptian Expedition of the University of Chicago.OrientalInstituteMuseumPublication24.TheOrientalInstitute.2006.

Molynieux, Brian L.The Cultural Life of Images: Visual Representation in Archaeology.Routledge.1997.

Moser, Stephanie, and Sam Smiles, editors.Envisioning the Past: Archaeology and the Image.Blackwell.2005.

Rezaeian, Farzin.Persepolis Recreated.SunriseVisualInnovations.2004. Iran: Seven Faces of a Civilization.SunsetVisualInnovations.2007. Incredible Isfahan: Discovering Persia’s Past.SunsetVisualInnovations.2011.