Antioch Today: Archaeology, Labor, and Knowledge Production

In conjunction with the exhibition Excavating Antioch: The Archaeology of an Ancient City, this daylong, interdisciplinary symposium brings international scholars, curators, and conservators to Wellesley College for a public conversation about the ancient city of Antioch (now Antakya, Türkiye) and the modern afterlives of archaeological knowledge. Using Antioch as a case study, the program explores how the past is excavated, interpreted, and displayed, with particular attention to the ethical questions surrounding cultural heritage today. Speakers will address the history of excavation at Antioch, the labor involved in archaeological work, and ongoing debates about provenance, restitution, and global museum practice.

The program includes two panels, a keynote lecture, and guided tours of the exhibition. Presentations will consider the responsibilities of museums in preserving and presenting cultural heritage, especially ancient mosaics and paintings. Designed for students, scholars, and the public, the symposium creates space for discussion and informal exchange, while connecting research with the objects, archives, and interpretive work on view in the exhibition.

Free and open to the public. 

This symposium is supported by the Mary Hammond Norton ‘54 Endowed Fund for the Davis Museum and Wellesley College Committee on Lectures and Cultural Events. It is co-sponsored by the Department of Classical Studies, Madeleine Korbel Albright Institute for Global Affairs, Department of Religious Studies, and Suzy Newhouse Center for the Humanities.

Itinerary

10:00 – 10:30 AM: Welcome Remarks

10:30 – 12:00 PM:  Panel 1: Archaeological Labor and the Making of Antiquity 

Chair: Eric Jarrard, Religious Studies

Speakers: 

Jen Baird, Birkbeck, University of London

Caitlin Clerkin, Harvard Art Museums

Daniel Healey, Worcester Art Museum)

12:00 – 2:00 PM: Tours (Lunch on your own) 

• 12:15 – 12:45 PM: Tour 1: Learn About Partage and Artifact Afterlives with Elizabeth Molacek
• 12:45 – 1:15 PM: Tour 2: 3D-printing workshop with Johanna Okerlund 
• 1:15 – 1:45 PM: Tour 3: Visit the Marble Workshop and Bath F with Nicole Berlin

2:00 – 3:00 PM: Keynote Address: Banu Özdilek, Hatay Musfata Kemal University and Issos Epiphaneia Archaeological Research Project

3:15 – 4:45 PM: Panel 2: Afterlives of Antiquity: Conservation and the Care of Ancient Objects 

Chair: Bryan Burns, Classical Studies

Speakers: 

Paula Artal-Isbrand, Worcester Art Museum

Kate Smith, Harvard Art Museums

Adam Jenkins, Princeton University Art Museum and Adam Jenkins Conservation Services 

4:45 – 6:30 PM: Reception, Davis Museum Lobby and Plaza

5:00 PM: Closing Remarks 

Light refreshments will be provided.