Author Archives: Jared Koller

March Fellowship Madness 2026: Bracket of Impact

Posted on by

March Fellowship Madness 2026: Bracket of Impact

March is here — and so is ASOR’s March Fellowship Madness!

This year, we invite you to step into our Bracket of Impact,where every gift advances the next generation of archaeologists. Fieldwork Scholarships open doors to mentorship, hands-on training, and connections that shape the future of our field.

Here’s how the Bracket of Impact works:

Our goal is to raise $6,000 by March 31 which would fund scholarships for three more students. 100% of your gift will go directly toward funding student fieldwork participation. Every gift moves us forward, and every donor becomes part of a winning team by supporting emerging scholars.

As donations come in, we’ll update our Bracket of Impact so you can track our progress and see which of your favorite artifacts below advances to the next round.

Whether you give $25, $250, or champion a full scholarship, your support makes a measurable difference in a young archaeologist’s journey.

ASOR provides these scholarships with your partnership. You are enabling ASOR to establish new scholarships and grants through endowed funds, but your annual support (i.e., gifts this year) will allow ASOR to send more eager students and early career scholars into the field. Please support archaeology’s next generation by making a gift today and selecting “Fieldwork Scholarships” as the designation for your gift. You may also make a designated gift by choosing any category from the drop-down menu on the donations module.

 

*If archaeological excavations are significantly disrupted or canceled in 2026, ASOR may, at its sole discretion, decide not to offer fieldwork scholarships. Fieldwork scholarships cannot be deferred; applicants may reapply either for fieldwork funding in 2027 or for non-fieldwork summer stipends if ASOR offers such stipends in 2026.

If ASOR does not award fieldwork scholarships in 2026, it will consult with donors to determine whether they prefer to have their contributions held for 2027 fieldwork scholarships or redirected to support non-fieldwork summer research stipends in 2026.

Browse the News Archive

Fieldwork Report: Talia Neelis

Posted on by

Sherds of my Labor: Supervising with Pottery Plethoras at Kalavasos-Ayios Dhimitrios

Talia Neelis, 2025 P.E. MacAllister Fieldwork Scholarship Recipient

In the five minutes it takes to wind along the back road from Kalavasos Village to the site of Kalavasos-Ayios Dhimitrios, a cool purple light illuminating the foothills of the Troodos mountains morphs to a familiar hot orange. By the time we arrive to site, the blaze of the early morning Cypriot air signals that there’s no time to waste– onwards from the toolshed to the trench!

My enthusiasm to spend the rest of my days in a deep squat caked in sweat and dirt began here two years ago, nestled in the Vasilikos Valley about 3 km from the southern coast of Cyprus. After excavating at other Greek and Cypriot sites in between, coming back to K-AD with enough experience to take on a leadership role really cemented my long-term aspiration to work in the field of Cypriot archaeology.

Dawn over the Troodos foothills from our bathroom window
Dawn over the Troodos foothills from our bathroom window

My enthusiasm to spend the rest of my days in a deep squat caked in sweat and dirt began here two years ago, nestled in the Vasilikos Valley about 3 km from the southern coast of Cyprus. After excavating at other Greek and Cypriot sites in between, coming back to K-AD with enough experience to take on a leadership role really cemented my long-term aspiration to work in the field of Cypriot archaeology.

I felt right at home supervising the new trench defining ‘Room 3,’ laid just east of the space I had excavated in 2023. That’s not to say that it wasn’t daunting to lead a group of my peers through the processes and techniques of excavation, to organize various materials and extensive notes, and to make decisions for the good of the trench and the people.

Excavating at K-AD in 2023 vs 2025

As our team made our way through topsoil and into less contaminated contexts, we uncovered an extraordinary concentration of characteristic Late Cypriot (1650 – 1050 BCE) pottery wares: we couldn’t trowel but two centimetres without revealing caches of White Slip, Base Ring, and pithoi sherds, and sometimes even complete vessels. The team had to be extra careful traversing our small ~7m x 4.5m trench, tip-toeing around the obstacle course made up of sherds that jutted out of the soil. When we weren’t articulating pottery scatters, we had the privilege of finding several nearly-intact wall brackets, a handful of bronze fragments, countless slag chunks, some specially marked vessels, and a couple remarkable triton shells.

Showing Room 3 some love at the end of the season
Showing Room 3 some love at the end of the season

While our fruitful trench could be a little overwhelming as a first-time supervisor, I was grateful that I could study such a wealth of material. Since my own research examines regional and diachronic fluctuations in ceramic production on prehistoric Cyprus, I came to the site every morning excited to explore the pottery wilderness that was Room 3.

Supervising for the first time made me realize how lucky I’ve been to work under talented and dedicated excavators in the past. I borrowed leadership skills and pep-talking abilities (so much so that I was awarded ‘morning motivator’ at our end-of-season superlatives!) from each and every one of my previous supervisors and directors to try to create the best experience for my team.

Here I am doing some baulk cleaning in the early stages of our trench
Here I am doing some baulk cleaning in the early stages of our trench

I’m incredibly grateful to project director Dr. Kevin Fisher and field director Sheri Pak for having me back and enduring my incessant questions, and to our team for their endurance, enthusiasm, and support during my meeker supervisory moments. My deepest gratitude to the American Society of Overseas Research for supporting me with the financial resources to participate in this community of knowledge; a community I endeavor to contribute to and draw on for years to come.

The 2025 team on the Amathus Acropolis
The 2025 team on the Amathus Acropolis

Talia Neelis is currently pursuing the doctoral track at the University of California, Los Angeles in the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology’s Interdepartmental Program. She graduated from the University of British Columbia in the spring of 2025 with honors in Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies and Art History, where she completed her undergraduate thesis on anthropomorphic figurines and osteological records of the Late Cypriot period. She looks forward to going ‘back to the Bronze Age’ (tagline credit to the Kissonerga-Skalia marketing team) in trenches across Cyprus and beyond.

Want to help more students and early career archaeologists get into the field? Donate to the cause today by selecting “Fieldwork Scholarships” as your gift purpose!

Browse the News Archive

Fieldwork Report: Anna Taibi

Posted on by

Growing through the Dust: Skills, Challenges, and Community in the Mosul Dam Reservoir

Anna Taibi, 2025 Strange/Midkiff Families Fellowship Recipient

The season that just concluded has definitely been one of the most intense of my (still short) fieldwork experience! In October and November 2025, thanks to ASOR’s scholarship for fieldwork participation, I took part in ReLand’s 2025 campaign in the Mosul Dam Reservoir, KRI. The project’s goal is twofold: monitoring threatened sites located on Mosul Lake’s shore and, during cyclical phases of re-emergence, conducting emergency excavations to document settlements and their interaction with the surrounding landscape.

This year, due to an exceptional drought, hundreds of sites have emerged from the lake’s water, and, sadly, as a remote survey had already highlighted, these millennia-old features have immediately been targeted by looters. As a project member, during the first three weeks of the campaign, I helped record evidence of this kind of damage during the field survey, documenting different types of looting traces.

Recording a big looting pit, likely made by hand or shovel
Recording a big looting pit, likely made by hand or shovel.

In the second part of the campaign, I worked at the site of Tell Gombass, a small Late Chalcolithic village, once located on a spur of a wadi, not far from the Tigris itself. Here, for the second year, emergency excavations were carried out. In particular, I was appointed as trench supervisor to excavate an ovoidal mud-brick (pottery?) kiln that just re-emerged. On this occasion, I had to challenge myself to lead a small team, ensuring a good quality of the documentation. But that’s not all: through the patient and expert guidance of our topographer, I managed to develop new skills in the topographical field and refine methodologies tailored to the diverse needs of the archaeological mission.

Excavating and documenting a Late-Calcholitic kiln’
Excavating and documenting a Late-Calcholitic kiln.
Me, Ali and the total station
Me, Ali, and the total station.

Previous skills have helped me through this international campaign: I’m getting better, but I still haven’t learnt Arabic nor Kurdish very well, so never has my Deutsches Sprachdiplom der Kultursministerkonferenz (DSD) been so helpful as to interact with Tarek, our chief worker from Syria, who spent 20 years excavating with German teams in Western Asia. His long field experience and knowledge had been one of the precious elements of the excavation campaign: although we worked in two different areas, we always kept up with each other’s work, and I’ve taken his generous advice to heart. This experience has definitely allowed me to work closely with Kurdish team members, fostering mutual learning and shared expertise while contributing to more inclusive and sustainable heritage practices.

In the afternoons, I took care of the small finds documentation, getting the chance to measure, photograph, and document different types of artefacts, architectural elements, and ornaments that humans have produced in the Duhok region through millennia.

 
Afternoons
Afternoons.

Last but not least, during my last week in KRI, I helped organise a tour of the excavation for Gombass’ elementary school pupils and students from the University of Duhok. It has been a precious moment to raise awareness among local populations about the cultural and historical significance of their landscape, and for my education as an archaeologist who wants to put ethical and post-colonial theories in practice: I believe that our work means nothing if not immediately given back to the people this heritagescape directly belongs to. This outreach experience has been particularly meaningful for me, as I have a strong interest in community organization, equitable governance, and cultural heritage preservation. After all, it is one of the main objectives of this project to preserve the memory of those communities that lived along the riverbanks, and the millennia-old settlements they inhabited, ensuring that their histories are acknowledged and valued.

Little archaeologists at work… in their home
Little archaeologists at work…in their home.

Last but not least, during my last week in KRI, I helped organise a tour of the excavation for Gombass’ elementary school pupils and students from the University of Duhok. It has been a precious moment to raise awareness among local populations about the cultural and historical significance of their landscape, and for my education as an archaeologist who wants to put ethical and post-colonial theories in practice: I believe that our work means nothing if not immediately given back to the people this heritagescape directly belongs to. This outreach experience has been particularly meaningful for me, as I have a strong interest in community organization, equitable governance, and cultural heritage preservation. After all, it is one of the main objectives of this project to preserve the memory of those communities that lived along the riverbanks, and the millennia-old settlements they inhabited, ensuring that their histories are acknowledged and valued.

I feel that participating in this long campaign of ReLand’s project has had a significant impact on my development as an archaeologist and as a future researcher. From survey skills to new and exciting responsibilities as a field supervisor, up until the possibility of developing and practicing non-colonial approaches to field archaeology, this campaign has given me far beyond the expertise luggage I expected to get back home with. I’m grateful for having built new tools and learnt methodologies, and I can’t wait for upcoming chances of professional and personal growth.

Team visit in Maltai, Duhok province’
Team visit in Maltai, Duhok province

Anna Taibi is a native of Palermo, Sicily, where she is working on her Master’s degree in Mediterranean and West Asian archaeology. She completed a BA in Cultural Heritage at the University of Palermo in 2023 with a cum laude dissertation on post- and decolonial approaches in archaeology. She is now delving into her commitment to community-based fieldwork while approaching new interests, such as the archaeology of production. She has participated in surveys and excavations in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (ReLand project) and in Sicily, where she’s serving as a trench supervisor at the Phoenician-Punic site of Motya since 2024.

Want to help more students and early career archaeologists get into the field? Donate to the cause today by selecting “Fieldwork Scholarships” as your gift purpose!

Browse the News Archive

Fieldwork Report: Hannah Borotsik

Posted on by

Just a Girl and Her Whiteboard

Hannah Borotsik, 2025 P. E. MacAllister Fellowship Recipient

Athens holds a very special place in my heart, and it has become one of my favourite cities in the world. I have met some of my best friends and have had some of the coolest experiences of my life here. I was so excited to be able to return to Greece for a fourth summer and for my third summer working at the Athenian Agora excavations with the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. I started in 2023 as a volunteer, and then in 2024, I returned as an assistant supervisor assigned to work in the apotheke. This past summer, I had the privilege of moving up to the role of apotheke supervisor. I never thought I would get the chance to say that I was a supervisor at the Athenian Agora Excavations, but this was the summer when I got the opportunity of a lifetime.

A common position to find me in… laying out tile. Photo by James Razumoff
A common position to find me in… laying out tile. Photo by James Razumoff

My position involved managing the material coming into the apotheke and supervising all the volunteers who were assigned to flotation and pottery/bone/shell/tile wash. At the beginning of the season, my main goal was to make the processing of material coming to the apotheke as smooth as possible for everyone involved. I established different organizational systems, including having a large whiteboard, inboxes, labels, and designated spaces for different workflows. Since I worked with many different areas and members of the project on a daily basis, I thought a brief example of a “day in the life” for me at the Athenian Agora would be the best way to share how I spent my summer:

We get many cat visitors every day and some even liked to hang out in our trays. Photo by Hannah Borotsik
We get many cat visitors every day and some even liked to hang out in our trays. Photo by Hannah Borotsik

At the beginning of each day, I would start in the basement of the Stoa of Attalos, which serves as the apotheke for the Agora excavations. I would review the unwashed material and update my whiteboard with the information about the material that came up from the site at the end of the previous day. The whiteboard contained information for closed baskets from each trench in order to track the progress of washing, sorting, and reading by our wonderful pottery, bone, and shell specialists. Since the Agora is a total collection excavation, there is a lot of material coming up, and being able to communicate where all the material was at any given moment was extremely important. This was a method that I established in the 2024 season, and it became a staple of the basement’s organization (as well as a staple of my identity on the project).

The 2025 version of my whiteboard when the number of buckets of pottery felt like it would never end. Photo by Hannah Borotsik
The 2025 version of my whiteboard when the number of buckets of pottery felt like it would never end. Photo by Hannah Borotsik

Next, I would decide on which basket, or more often than not, baskets of pottery would be washed for the day. This depended on many different factors, including the number of volunteers assigned to wash, the number of available trays, and the number of buckets of pottery and tile belonging to a basket. The largest number of buckets in one basket from this season was three full buckets of pottery and thirteen tile buckets (this one took a while to wash). At this point, the volunteers assigned to the pottery wash area would arrive from the site for the day, and after bringing everything outside, I would divide the group into flotation and pottery wash.

Besides training and helping volunteers wash material, I had many responsibilities that I took care of during our work hours. I had to make sure that the dried ceramics, including the tile, were ready for our pottery specialists to analyse and count, weigh, and photograph. In some cases, I assisted with these procedures (for example, choosing the tile samples). I bagged and weighed dried bone and shell, after which I recorded the information into our iDig system. I made sure that any material that was ready for the trench supervisors to pack or things that needed to be made a special finds were in their respective inboxes. I wrote tags for trays inside and outside. I organized the baskets that were in queue to be washed. I strategized the best way to tackle the large backlog of tile, once larger baskets began to appear. At the end of the day, I facilitated the clean-up and organization of the apotheke, which mostly consisted of me giving the volunteers directions on what order I wanted each tray to go in and where I wanted them to go in the basement (and they did a great job every day!). These are just a few of my daily responsibilities, since every day came with new opportunities to improve workflows. After work, I sometimes stayed later to finish organizing and prepare for the following day or I worked on the procedural manual for the apotheke. At the end of most days, I went home and took a nap. One of the most important aspects of my job was to be the point of communication between our three open trenches and those working in the apotheke. As a result, my job consisted of many moving parts and more often than not, learning something new every day.

 
I am sitting with my buckets and whiteboard, updating the information for the unwashed shell and bone on my spreadsheet. Photo by James Razumoff
I am sitting with my buckets and whiteboard, updating the information for the unwashed shell and bone on my spreadsheet. Photo by James Razumoff

I was grateful to return to the Agora for my third summer and, although I was nervous to hold a supervisor position at such a well-known dig with only a few years of experience, my fellow supervisors, field director, and director were wonderful role models and helped me to become confident in my position. I learned so much more about being a leader and finding my leadership style, and I got more in-depth training on the many procedures that take place on excavation after the material comes out of the ground. All of these lessons have made me a better archaeologist. I am so thankful for the trust that was placed in me, and I will never forget my first-ever summer as a supervisor.

I am taking a break under the flotation trays. Photo by Theresa Cole
I am taking a break under the flotation trays. Photo by Theresa Cole

Hannah Borotsik is a first year PhD student in Classics at the University of Western Ontario, where she has just completed her Masters. She is also a graduate of Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. She is interested in Ancient Greek religion, specifically traditions and rituals, and their relationship to social and political contexts. She has participated in digs at the Helike project and the Athenian Agora and has also worked on material from Newfoundland and Labrador.

Want to help more students and early career archaeologists get into the field? Donate to the cause today by selecting “Fieldwork Scholarships” as your gift purpose!

Browse the News Archive

AM25 Recordings Now Available on ASOR’s Online Library

Posted on by

AM25 Recordings Now Available on ASOR’s Online Library

Free Access for 2025 Annual Meeting Registrants through June 30, 2026!

ASOR’s 2025 Annual Meeting was a resounding success. Scholars, archaeologists, and historians from around the world gathered to exchange ideas, present groundbreaking research, and celebrate the vibrant world of the Near East and wider Mediterranean world. ASOR is pleased to announce that recordings from the 2025 Annual Meeting in Boston are now available to view on the 2025 ASOR Online Schedule and ASOR’s Online Library. This initiative not only helps preserve the wealth of knowledge shared but also ensures that those who couldn’t attend the event in person still have access to session and workshop presentations (nearly 500 in total).

We are still working through a few recordings that need additional editing. If you do not see your recording available, please contact Jared Koller (jaredkoller@asor.org) for a status update.

The Impact of Sharing the Recordings

By making the recordings of the 2025 Annual Meeting available to AM25 attendees, ASOR not only increases the reach of its events but also fulfills its mission to advance the study of the ancient world and its impact on modern life. These recordings allow those unable to attend to still be part of the conversation, and they offer invaluable educational resources for students, scholars, and enthusiasts of Near Eastern archaeology and history.  ASOR is proud to share these valuable resources with you, and we’re excited to continue building on this effort in the future.

How to View the Recordings on the 2025 Annual Meeting Website

Recordings are available until June 30, 2026 for AM25 attendees.

Reminder about 2026 Annual Meeting Registration: you will gain free access to the Online Library platform with your 2026 Annual Meeting registration—and you’ll have access to the Online Library content (through June 30, 2026).

Browse the News Archive

Spring Internships at ASOR

Posted on by

SPRING INTERNSHIPS AT ASOR

ASOR seeks candidates for part-time internship positions to begin around mid-January. These paid internships are for the spring semester (January-May) with the possibility of renewal for the summer and/or fall semester. Interns are expected to work 10–15 hours per week at ASOR’s headquarters—The James F. Strange Center, 209 Commerce St., in historic Old Town Alexandria, VA. Hours and schedule are flexible depending on school or other commitments.

For 125 years, ASOR has been a flagship for archaeology, history, and cultural heritage in the Middle East and wider Mediterranean, supporting professional standards for excavations, research, peer review, and conduct. ASOR has a unique ability to bring together scholars from archaeology, history, science and other fields to protect and study cultural heritage and share its importance with the public especially as so many sites are being threatened or destroyed. Please visit www.asor.org for more information.

Primary Responsibilities:

  • Maintain high-quality customer service for ASOR’s members and friends
  • Assist with the maintenance of ASOR’s website
  • Provide general office support (e.g., scanning, copying, ordering supplies, and processing mail, orders, and bills)
  • Assist with membership and donation mailings
  • Assist with managing ASOR’s social media platforms
  • Perform other office duties as assigned

Qualifications / Skills Desired:

  • General office skills
  • Customer service
  • Microsoft Office
  • Database management
  • Familiarity with social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X/Twitter)
  • Graphic and image design and editing (Adobe Photoshop, Canva, etc.)
  • Website management (WordPress or similar)
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • Attention to detail; ability to multitask and to prioritize

Compensation: $15/hour for undergraduate interns, $20/hour for graduate interns.

How To Apply: E-mail your resume and a brief statement of interest to Marta Ostovich at programs@asor.org. Please include your name and “ASOR Spring Internship” in the subject line.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled.

ASOR is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other class protected by federal or state law (EEO/AA).

Browse the News Archive

Board of Trustees Election Results

Posted on by

2025 ASOR BOARD OF TRUSTEES ELECTION RESULTS

Thank you to all the ASOR members who voted in this year’s Board of Trustees election!

The Board of Trustees sets the direction for ASOR and provides oversight for our organization. Among other responsibilities, members of the Board agree to attend two meetings each year, to participate thoughtfully in the governance process, and to contribute financially to ASOR. All ASOR members are eligible to vote in the Member-elected Trustee Election, while only Institutional Representatives of the 55 ASOR-member schools may vote in the Institutionally-elected Trustee Election.

Yorke Rowan and Ido Koch will serve 3-year terms as Member-elected Trustees.

Kathryn Grossman and Michael Hasel will serve 3-year terms as Institutionally-elected Trustees.

Read more about the newly-elected and reelected Trustees below.

 
Yorke Rowan

Yorke Rowan is an anthropological archaeologist and Research Professor at the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (formerly the Oriental Institute) at the University of Chicago. He focuses on later prehistory (Late Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Early Bronze), with thematic research interests in death, prehistoric ritual performance, and material objects mediating these human actions. He is a Fulbright Scholar to Jordan and a NEH Fellow at the W.F. Albright Institute for Archaeological Research in Jerusalem and the American Center of Research in Amman. His most recent publications include The Social Archaeology of the Levant: From Prehistory to Present (2019, Cambridge Press, co-edited with A. Yasur-Landau and E. Cline), “Desert Kites: Neolithic Infrastructure in the Margins” in Infrastructure in Archaeological Discourse: Framing Society in the Past (2024, Routledge, co-authored with A. C. Hill) and “The Black Desert Drone Survey: New Perspectives on an Ancient Landscape” in the journal Remote Sensing (2022) with A.C. Hill. He co-directs the NSF funded Kites in Context and Eastern Badia Archaeological Projects, two projects in the Black Desert of Jordan.

Mission Statement: Since the 1990s, ASOR has been fundamental to my development as a professional scholar and field archaeologist. The first grant I received for field research was an ASOR travel scholarship, and the first national professional paper I delivered was at ASOR in New Orleans. I have a long dedication to the success of ASOR, serving on the editorial boards of Bulletin of the American Schools of Overseas Research and Near Eastern Archaeology, co-chairing the Program Committee after for two previous terms on the committee, serving on the Honors and Awards Committee, and the Committee on Archaeological Policy. In addition, I co-chaired and co-organized various sessions such as the standing session “Prehistoric Archaeology” (2015, 2019-2021) and the member organized “Archaeology of Religion and Ritual” (2005-2006). My involvement with ASOR is complemented by extensive engagement with communities on the ground in different countries, emphasizing my commitment to creating more collaborative opportunities with colleagues based abroad.

The organization has grown tremendously since I joined as a graduate student, with a welcome expansion to include a broader range of topics, geographic regions, and chronological periods. This growth is not limited to scholarly interests but includes increased worldwide accessibility through a hybrid meeting format. I believe it is important to sustain and build on this positive trend to build membership, engage with members at different career stages, and seek to find new collaborative partnerships that will only strengthen ASOR. As ASOR faces new challenges like complicated funding realities, regional civil unrest, and climate change, the organization must mount new initiatives and endeavors to respond to member needs. As a member of ASOR’s Board of Trustees, my goal will be to promote its mission to disseminate knowledge of western Asia and Mediterranean ancient societies, and to make that scholarship more accessible to the public. Finding creative ways to promote our research, particularly those of our research partners, to a variety of audiences is a challenge that will strengthen our organization and continue to interest future generations of students, the public, and scholars.

 
Ido Koch

Ido Koch is Associate Professor in the Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures at Tel Aviv University. A field archaeologist of the southern Levant, his research explores interregional connectivity, colonial encounters, visual language, craft, and material religion. He is the author of several monographs, dozens of articles, and co-editor of ten volumes. Koch co-directs the Tel Hadid Archaeological Project, the renewed excavations at Tel Qasile, and the final publication of the Tel Arad excavations—all of which place strong emphasis on innovative documentation strategies, community outreach, and the dissemination of archaeological knowledge to diverse audiences. He is co-PI of several collaborative ventures, including the historical–archaeological study of the depopulated Palestinian village of al-Haditha (one of the few academic archaeological projects addressing the recent past of Israel/Palestine), and the Stamp Seals from the Southern Levant Project together with its comprehensive open-access online companion database. Koch also serves as Editor-in-Chief of Tel Aviv: Journal of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University and sits on several international editorial boards. Through his research and teaching, he integrates advanced digital tools with inclusive, community-based approaches, engaging both Jewish and Arab students, to help build inclusive and forward-looking connections between academic, archaeological, and wider communities in the study of the southern Levant.

Mission Statement: I have been a member of ASOR since 2009, have attended nearly all annual meetings since then, and have interacted with scores of ASOR members of all ages and backgrounds. ASOR has been my professional cradle and the place where I learned to appreciate the value of an international network, a value I hope my students will inherit.

As a scholar based in the Middle East, I believe ASOR must strengthen the representation of voices from the regions it studies. The societies who live in the lands whose pasts we uncover deserve a place in shaping how that past is researched, understood, and represented. As an Israeli archaeologist working on the remote and recent past of the southern Levant, I am acutely aware of the region’s diversity and complexity. Based on my experience, ASOR and its sister institutions (such as the W.F. Albright Institute) are uniquely positioned to foster dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian scholars, a dialogue urgently needed now more than ever. I see my role as a bridge: between ASOR and local scholarly and cultural communities, and between those communities themselves. In times of deepening divisions, we must hold fast to both our professional and human ties. In my fieldwork and collaborations, I strive to create spaces where Jewish and Arab students, alongside colleagues from different backgrounds and perspectives, can work together toward shared understanding. Archaeology can and should serve as a medium of dialogue, and as a reminder of our intertwined pasts and shared humanity.

Drawing on my experience directing and co-directing field projects, I recognize the need for ASOR to advance ethical, inclusive, and community-oriented archaeology. I propose developing a collaboratively produced “fieldwork toolkit,” drawing on the collective knowledge of ASOR-affiliated projects. This toolkit would guide projects that prioritize community engagement, the dissemination of results to local institutions, and accessible digital platforms for sharing data. Through such initiatives, I hope to help ASOR lead by example—making archaeology both academically rigorous and socially meaningful.

 
Kathryn Grossman

Kathryn Grossman is Assistant Professor of Anthropology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at North Carolina State University. She is an archaeologist with expertise in the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age cultures of Cyprus and Mesopotamia and a methodological specialty in zooarchaeology. She is Director of the ASOR-affiliated Makounta-Voules Archaeological Project (Cyprus), as well as zooarchaeologist for the Kani Shaie Archaeological Project (Iraqi Kurdistan), the Wadi el-Hudi Expedition (Egypt), and the Petra North Ridge Project (Jordan). She is currently co-editing, with Jesse Casana and Eric Jensen, the final report on the excavations at Tell Qarqur, Syria.

Mission Statement: I have been involved with ASOR for seventeen years. I began attending and presenting at the annual meeting as a graduate student, and my engagement has deepened over time. I served on the Committee on Archaeological Policy for two terms, and during that time I also chaired the CAP Fellowships Subcommittee. In 2018, I presented the work of the Fellowships Subcommittee at that year’s Legacy Dinner, and in 2023 I received an ASOR Service award for my work on the CAP Fellowships Subcommittee. I chair the Archaeology of Syria sessions at the Annual Meeting, am a member of the Damascus Committee, a member of the Executive committee, the chair of the Trustees Nominations Committee, and I serve as the institutional representative for ASOR at North Carolina State University. In my time as an ASOR member, I have watched the organization grow dramatically in its geographic scope and evolve to meet the demands of 21st-century scholarship. In serving as an Institutionally-elected member on the ASOR Board of Trustees, I look forward to helping ASOR move forward with the issues that loom before us, including increasing our outreach to diverse audiences at home and abroad, and promoting the preservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

 
Michael Hasel

Michael G. Hasel is Director of the Institute of Archaeology and Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum at Southern Adventist University, where he also serves as Professor of Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology since 1998.

Hasel has participated and served in administrative capacities on eleven different excavations in the Middle East, including Gezer, Ashkelon, Dor, Miqne-Ekron, Masada, and Hazor, in Israel; Idalion, Cyprus; and Jalul in Jordan. He has directed excavations and surveys at Khirbet Qeiyafa and Socoh and currently is co-director of The Fourth Expedition to Lachish. As curator of the Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum, Hasel was responsible for planning and displaying art and objects from the ancient Near East in a state-of-the-art exhibit entitled “Vessels in Time: A Journey into the Biblical World” and several temporary exhibits including “Peace and War: The Assyrian Conquest of Lachish” (2023-2025) and “The Ivory Comb: Lice and Literacy at Lachish” (2025).

Hasel, an ASOR member since 1989, has chaired several ASOR sessions and served on the Agenda Committee. He held the Samuel H. Kress Fellowship at the W. F. Albright Institute for Archaeological Research (AIAR) in 1995-96 and a Fulbright at the Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute (CAARI) in 2005 and the NEH Fellowship at the Albright Institute in 2025-26. He is also a fellow of the Institute for Biblical Research and Tyndale House, Cambridge.

Hasel joined the ASOR Board in January 2014.

Mission Statement: Over the past 36 years of my involvement with ASOR, I have watched ASOR grow into a strong society representing a wide variety of interests and research foci in the ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean worlds. During that same period, I have been actively involved in excavations in Israel, Jordan, and Cyprus while also engaged in Egyptological research. As an excavator I am interested in encouraging the archaeological interplay between text and material culture. This integration has been one of the historic strengths of ASOR and I believe it remains vital as ASOR continues to position itself as an important and relevant voice to a large segment of North America. As a museum director part of my vision is to make our field relevant for future generations through popularizing archaeological discoveries and making it accessible to a larger segment of society. This would include encouraging young scholars who are searching for direction and belonging to get involved in ASOR while fostering connections in the regions it serves. To accomplish these goals, I would welcome the opportunity to continue to support and serve as a member of the Board of Trustees for another term.

Browse the News Archive

Friends of ASOR Chicago Tour 2025 Recap

Posted on by

A Tour to Remember: Friends of ASOR in Chicago

What a fantastic two days! Friends of ASOR gathered in Chicago for an adventure through some of the city’s most inspiring museums. With 30 participants, the energy and curiosity were more than contagious.

Day 1: ISAC & Megiddo: A City Unearthed, A Past Imagined

We kicked off at the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (ISAC) with the special exhibition Megiddo: A City Unearthed, A Past Imagined, curated by Kiersten Neumann. Marking 100 years since ISAC’s first major Megiddo expedition (1925–1939), the exhibit highlighted archaeological finds, palaces, fortifications, and elite material culture, while exploring how Megiddo has been represented in newspapers, institutional ambitions, and cultural narratives, as well as the people behind the excavations.

From archival correspondence and press clippings to a contemporary art film by Nick Crowe and Ian Rawlinson, the exhibition encouraged us to think about how archaeology shapes cultural memory. Before we ended at the new exhibit, Kiersten guided us through the ISAC galleries, where we spent time with some of the museum’s most notable pieces. Highlights included the Mesopotamian section, where the Assyrian lamassu stands guard beside cuneiform tablets, and the Egyptian gallery, with its statues, vividly painted coffins, and temple reliefs.

Kiersten shared ISAC’s curatorial approach, emphasizing context and storytelling as central to presenting the ancient world. We also saw how the museum integrates digital tools and updated scholarship to bring fresh perspectives to familiar artifacts. By the end of our visit, it was clear that ISAC continues to evolve as both a research center and a space for public engagement with the ancient past.

A Walking Monument Tour

After the galleries, we hit the streets for a walking monument tour of Chicago with Dr. Morag Kersel. This tour offered a new perspective on public spaces that reflect the city’s history and identity.

Morag led us through downtown streets and parks, pointing out monuments, plaques, and architectural details that tell Chicago’s stories. We learned what these sites commemorate, the values they represent, and what they leave out. The tour sparked discussion about public memory and its impact on community identity.

Kiersten Neumann discusses her new exhibit at ISAC: "Megiddo: A City Unearthed, A Past Imagined", Sept. 18, 2025.
Morag Kersel brings the Friends of ASOR to the Balbo Monument during their walking tour of Chicago, Sept. 18, 2025.
Lisa Cakmak explains the process behind the Greek, Roman, and Byzantine galleries at the Art Institute during the Friends of ASOR Chicago tour, Sept. 19, 2025.
Ashley Arico shows off the Egyptian gallery at the Art Institute to the Friends of ASOR, Sept. 19, 2025.
Art Institute Curators Ashley Arico and Lisa Çakmak speak to the Friends of ASOR group during their visit, Sept. 19, 2025.
Day 2: The Art Institute of Chicago

Day two began at the Art Institute of Chicago, where we explored Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Byzantine collections. Guided tours brought context to iconic works while highlighting lesser-known treasures that reveal daily life in the ancient world.

Ashley Arico and Lisa Çakmak shared the behind-the-scenes work of bringing these collections to the public. They explained how curators and conservators balance preservation with accessibility, using storytelling and updated gallery design to renew interest in long-studied objects. They also discussed collaborations with institutions like the Field Museum and ISAC, showing how loaned artifacts can create new research opportunities and richer public interpretations.

Behind the Scenes at the Field Museum

Next, Dr. Bill Parkinson welcomed us behind the scenes at the Field Museum, where the research collections are carefully stored. We saw how the museum’s holdings span continents and millennia, connecting Mediterranean archaeology with North American history.

Bill introduced Mediterranean artifacts, highlighting the Field Museum’s long engagement with Old World research. He also showcased North American collections, including American Indian artifacts such paddles, artwork, and attire. These items are studied and interpreted in partnership with their respective communities, emphasizing provenance, cultural sensitivity, and shared stewardship. Seeing Mediterranean and North American artifacts together reinforced the Field Museum’s global mission, grounded in collaboration.

Community & Connections

Between gallery strolls, meals, and engaging conversations, the tour offered opportunities for connection. Many participants shared how meaningful it was to experience these collections with fellow archaeology enthusiasts and see them through the eyes of scholars and museum professionals.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who joined us in Chicago for making this tour a success. We can’t wait to welcome you on our next adventure! Keep an eye out for upcoming U.S. tours, and remember, there’s still room on our June 2026 Cyprus Tour.

Bill Parkinson gives a behind-the-scenes look at the anthropology collections at the Field Museum during the Friends of ASOR tour in Chicago, Sept. 19, 2025.
Browse the News Archive

2025 Annual Meeting Highlights

Posted on by

2025 ANNUAL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

ASOR Annual Meeting attendees in Boston and online will be treated to a full academic program with more than 125 sessions and 600 presentations. The academic program and business schedule can be found on the Annual Meeting Schedules page. Registered meeting attendees also have access to the Online Schedule in the ASOR Online Portal. This is where you will find paper abstracts and virtual participants will find Zoom links (posted during conference days) to attend the sessions and workshops online.

Attendees can follow the program, create personal schedules, and connect with others in the Annual Meeting Mobile App (powered by Guidebook). Download instructions will be available in the ASOR Online Portal under the 2025 ASOR Annual Meeting / Schedule once the app is ready to use.

Boston Highlights

Free admission to the Museum of Fine Arts
The Museum of Fine Arts is offering free general admission to ASOR Annual Meeting attendees from November 19–26, 2025. Show your ASOR name badge at the admissions desk for free entrance. For information on opening hours, planning your trip, and special exhibits (additional fee may apply), please visit the MFA website.

There are a number of special events taking place during the Annual Meeting for those who are coming to Boston. Some of these events require registered attendees to sign-up in advance.

Wednesday, November 19

3:00-4:30pm EST
Seal Carving Workshop  (Newbury Room, Hilton Boston Park Plaza) 
Led by Pinar Durgun, this workshop is free for ASOR attendees. Space is limited and advance sign-up is required. Registration is full, but please email programs@asor.org to be added to the waitlist.

3:00-5:00pm EST
Putting Objects to Work: Building Visitors’ Museum Literacy through Critical Encounters with Collections  (Harvard Art Museums) 
This free workshop will be led by Jennifer Thum from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Harvard Art Museums in Cambridge, MA. Space is limited and advance sign-up is required. Learn more about the museum literacy workshop here.

3:00-5:00pm EST
Little Syria Walking Tour  (Chinatown Gate, Beach Street, Boston) 
This tour led by Lydia Harrington from 3 to 5 p.m. takes visitors through Boston’s first Arabic-speaking neighborhood, which thrived between the 1880s and 1950s in today’s Chinatown and South End. Space is limited and sign-up is required through this link. The tour is pay what you wish, with a suggested contribution of $15 in cash, due upon arrival. Learn more about the walking tour here.

7:00-8:30pm EST
ASOR Annual Meeting Plenary Address (Hilton Boston Park Plaza, Grand Ballroom A)
Dr. Timothy P. Harrison, Director of the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (ISAC) and Professor of Near Eastern Archaeology at the University of Chicago, will present, “The Middle East Cultural Heritage Crisis and Why It Matters.” Also available online for virtual attendees. Learn more here.

8:30-9:30pm EST
Welcome Reception (Hilton Boston Park Plaza, Grand Ballroom B)
Following the Plenary Address, ASOR Annual Meeting attendees are invited to network, socialize, and enjoy light refreshments as we get ready for three full days of sessions, workshops, posters, and fun.

Thursday, November 20

12:55-1:55pm EST
Early Career Scholars’ Brown-Bag Lunch (Georgian)
Panelists: Brita Lorentzen, James Fraser, Kathryn Grossman
Bring your lunch and join us for Applying to ASOR & ASOR-Affiliated Scholarships: Understanding Eligibility and Crafting Strong Applications. The panel will host representatives from the fellowship committees of ASOR, the Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute (CAARI), and the Albright Institute of Archaeological Research (AIAR) to talk about various funding possibilities offered through these institutions.

12:55-1:55pm EST
ASOR Roundtable Discussions (The Square, Lobby Level)
There will be a number of discussion topics offered during this lunchtime event. Advance sign-up will be required.

Friday, November 21

12:55-1:55pm EST
ASOR Members’ Meeting, Sharon Herbert, Presiding (Georgian Room, Mezzanine Level)
Bring your lunch and come for an update on the business of ASOR and the 2025 Honors & Awards.

6:30-7:30pm EST
Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute (CAARI) Reception (Boylston Room, Mezzanine Level)

8:00-10:00pm EST  
Early Career Scholars’ Reception (Off the Common, Lobby Level)
This event is for registered ASOR attendees who are Early Career Scholars. There is no cost to attend, but space is limited and ECS members must sign-up in advance here.

Saturday, November 22

10:20-10:40am EST
ASOR Raffle Drawing (Mezzanine Level)
A fun event to highlight ASOR Exhibitors during the morning coffee break on the last day of the meeting. Join us in the Exhibit Hall (Mezzanine Level) near the registration tables to see if your raffle ticket is a winner.

12:45-2:00pm EST
ASOR Poster Session (Statler Room, Mezzanine Level)
Visit the ASOR Poster Hall throughout the Annual Meeting to see all of the research projects being presented, and come to the Poster Session on Saturday to talk with the presenters and ask questions.

6:45-11:00pm EST
ASOR 125th Anniversary Celebration (Grand Ballroom A)
After the academic program ends, we invite you to a celebratory evening of exceptional dining, entertainment, and ASOR-themed activities in honor of our 125th anniversary. Enjoy inspiring remarks from speakers who have been integral in shaping ASOR’s mission. Tickets are $100 and may be purchased here. Discounted tickets are available—use code SAVE50 for a reduced ticket of $50, or use code SAVE75 for a reduced ticket of $25.

Browse the News Archive

ASOR Receives $100,000 Grant for Cyrene Conservation Initiative in Libya

Posted on by
Cyrene Sanctuary Aerial

ASOR Receives $100,000 Grant for Cyrene Conservation Initiative in Libya

Media Release

ASOR Receives $100,000 Grant for Cyrene Conservation Initiative in Libya
Project to Preserve and Educate at Flood-Damaged World Heritage Site

WASHINGTON, DC — The American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) is pleased to announce it has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the American Institute for Roman Culture in support of the Cyrene Conservation Initiative—a conservation and heritage education project at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cyrene in eastern Libya.

Developed in close collaboration with the Libyan Department of Antiquities, the Cyrene Conservation Initiative is a response to the devastating impacts of Storm Daniel, which caused catastrophic flooding in September 2023. The project will focus on key areas of the ancient city that were particularly affected by the flood, including Valley Street and the Sanctuary of Apollo terrace, one of the most iconic districts in the city.

“Working together to save and appreciate shared cultural heritage is a crucial element in uniting people today,” said ASOR President Sharon Herbert. “ASOR is proud to be part of this project with archaeologists from the Libyan Department of Antiquities and the American Institute for Roman Culture and Ancient Rome Live.”

Project objectives include:

  • Documenting and protecting heritage damaged by the flooding;
  • Restoring safe access to monuments on the Sanctuary of Apollo terrace;
  • Enhancing on-site interpretation through new educational materials for Libyan and international visitors.

“ASOR has been privileged to work closely with Libyan partners and the U.S. State Department to invest more than $1,000,000 in heritage and education projects over the past decade,” said ASOR Executive Director Dr. Andrew G. Vaughn. “The heritage of Libya is rich and varied, exhibiting important international connections for millennia. ASOR is now honored to begin a partnership with American Institute for Roman Culture and Ancient Rome Live to ensure that the important Roman heritage in Cyrene is conserved and protected from future flood damage.”

Executive Director of American Institute for Roman Culture and Ancient Rome Live, Darius Arya, says, “we are so pleased that for our inaugural grant distribution we are able to partner with such a leader in the field of conservation and participate in the important preservation of such a historically relevant site as Cyrene!”

From its beginning as the earliest Greek colonization in North Africa, Cyrene became a major center of Greek and Roman culture and a dramatic example of urban life on the edge of a mountainous plateau. The Cyrene Conservation Initiative and Ancient Rome Live will help ensure that this unique expression of Libyan heritage endures for future generations. For more information about the Ancient Rome Live online learning platform, please visit https://ancientromelive.org/.

For more information about ASOR’s cultural heritage efforts, please visit www.asor.org/chi.

About ASOR

The American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to initiate, encourage, and support research into, and public understanding of, the history and cultures of the Near East and wider Mediterranean world, from the earliest times. ASOR fosters original research, archaeological excavations, and explorations; encourages scholarship in the Near East’s basic languages, cultural histories, and traditions; builds support for Near Eastern studies; and advocates high academic standards. ASOR is apolitical and has no religious affiliation.

About the American Institute for Roman Culture
The American Institute for Roman Culture is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to the promotion, preservation, and study of ancient Roman history and culture through innovative educational programming and heritage protection projects.

###
Media Contact:
Rachel Bernstein
Email: rachel.bernstein@asor.org
Phone: 703-789-9234

The American Society of Overseas Research
The James F. Strange Center
209 Commerce Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
E-mail: info@asor.org
Telephone: 703-789-9229

Browse the News Archive