Joukowsky Lecture
Neil A. Silberman, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
“Rebooting Antiquity How Holy Wars, Media Hype, and Digital Technology Are Changing the face of 21st Century Archaeology”

There’s a revolution happening today in the way we value, discover, and imagine the past. On the negative side, ancient sites by the thousands—not only in the Middle East but all over the world—are being bulldozed, looted, vandalized, or blown up. Feature films, bestsellers and specialized cable documentaries hopelessly muddle archaeological fiction and fact. Yet on the positive side, advanced satellite imagery and LIDAR sensors are uncovering complex civilizations in deserts and jungles where none were assumed ever to exist. Virtual reality environments and 3D digital reconstructions are now used both for scientific documentation and immersive museum experiences. And the sheer social reach of Facebook, Twitter, and research-by-crowdsourcing is offering archaeologists unprecedented opportunities to engage the public in their work. This illustrated lecture will highlight some recent discoveries and ongoing controversies in the Americas, Europe, and Asia that exemplify the dramatic new directions that archaeology is taking in our globalized, internet age.

Neil A. Silberman

Neil A. Silberman is an author and heritage interpretation professional with a special interest in emerging trends and techniques for public engagement. He has served in various capacities for ICOMOS (the International Council on Monuments and Sites) and other archaeological conservation organizations, and is currently a managing partner of Coherit Associates, an international consultancy specializing in public heritage programs. His books and edited volumes include: The Oxford Companion to Archaeology (2012); The Future of Heritage (2008); and Who Owns the Past? (2007). In 2008 he joined the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and became one of the founders of its Center for Heritage and Society.

Neil Silberman will be giving a Joukowsky Lecture, named for Martha Sharp Joukowsky, past President of the Archaeological Institute of America and Professor of Old World Archaeology at Brown University. The Joukowsky Lectureship is part of the AIA’s National Lecture Program.

This lecture is co-sponsored by the Archaeological Institute of America-Milwaukee Society and the Departments of FLL-Classics, Anthropology and Art History at UWM. It is free and open to the public and followed by free refreshments.