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Archaeologists to Report on Projects, Present Discoveries at Toronto Meeting
(For immediate release,10/3/02)

    On November 20 some 400 scholars from around the world will gather at Toronto's Marriott Eaton Center Hotel for the annual meeting of The American Schools of Oriental Research, or ASOR.
    Over a four-day period, these scholars will have the opportunity to attend up to 50 different academic sessions exploring such topics as the relationship between Egypt and Canaan in ancient times, the archaeology of Qumran and current excavations throughout the Middle East.
    Speakers will include some of the foremost names in the archaeology of the ancient Near East. Donald Redford, now of Penn State University and formerly of the University of Toronto, will talk about the annals of Thutmose III. Bill Dever of the University of Arizona will present "Ethnicity in the Archaeological Record: The Case of Early Israel." A special presentation on ten years of renewed excavations at Megiddo will feature talks by Megiddo Expedition Directors Israel Finkelstein and David Ussishkin, both of Tel Aviv University, and Baruch Halpern of Pennsylvania State University.
     Three evening lectures are of special note. On Wednesday evening, Nov. 20, David Stronach of the University of California at Berkeley will open the 2002 meeting with "A Review of Archaeology in Afghanistan and Surrounding Areas." A special program on Tel Miqne-Ekron will be presented on Thursday evening. Trude Dothan of Hebrew University in Jerusalem will present "The Early Philistines" and Seymour Gitin, Director of the Albright Institute in Jerusalem will talk about "The Late Philistines." Friday evening has been set aside for this year's outreach lecture, "The Future of the Past," to be presented by Amy Dockser Marcus, author of The View from Nebo. Marcus's lecture is a special session open to the public for free. An RSVP via email or phone to the ASOR office (see next paragraph) is requested for the session.
    Although many of those who attend the lectures and academic sessions will be members of ASOR, the sessions are open to any interested person. The cost is C$ 100 or (US$ 65) for one day or C$ 215 or (US$ 135) for all four days. Accompanying spouses or partners may attend at a reduced fee: C$ 48 or (US$ 30) for one day and C$ 95 or (US$ 60) for the entire session. A complete program of events may be found at the ASOR web site: www.asor.org/AM/am.htm. Information is also available from the ASOR Administrative Office, 656 Beacon Street, 5th floor, Boston, MA 02215-2010. Tel. (617) 353-6570, fax: (617) 353-6575, email: asor@bu.edu.
    ASOR was founded in 1900 by a consortium of 21 universities, including Harvard, Princeton, Yale and Columbia. Today it numbers some 110 institutions in its membership roster. This list includes universities, seminaries, museums, foundations and libraries. The University of Toronto is a longtime member of ASOR.
    ASOR's stated objectives are to initiate, encourage and support research into the cultures of the Near East from the earliest times, and to help the public understand these findings. ASOR fosters such original research as archaeological excavations and explorations, and encourages scholarship in the basic languages, cultural histories and traditions of the ancient Near East. ASOR also offers educational opportunities in Near Eastern history and archaeology to students in North American colleges and universities, and, through outreach activities, to the public.
    The forthcoming talk by author Amy Dockser Marcus is one example of ASOR's extensive outreach program.

Read more about ASOR's:
    Annual Meeting, its mission, and members of its consortium

Last updated 10/3/02