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NEWS@ASOR E-NEWSLETTER

ANCIENT NEAR EAST TODAY E-NEWSLETTER

PAST ASOR NEWS, MONTH BY MONTH

ASOR LEGACY CIRCLE MEMBERS

LIFETIME HONOR ROLL OF DONORS

FY25 HONOR ROLL OF DONORS

ASOR ANNUAL MEETING

SECRETARY SARAH JARMER SCOTT’S VISION STATEMENT

Sarah Jarmer Scott was elected as ASOR’s next Secretary by the Board of Trustees during the Annual Meeting in November 2024. Sarah will serve a three-year term as Secretary until December 31, 2027. Below is her vision statement for ASOR:

ASOR has been a foundationally important organization for me, and I know it has been for others. It would be an honor to give back by serving on the Board, and in doing so I would hope to support and grow its programming and membership. Not only has it provided academic, intellectual, and networking opportunities for my work, it has also provided a community for pedagogical support. My area of scholarship is fundamentally interdisciplinary, while also being inter-regional. As a specialist in Mesopotamian glyptic and visual culture, I engage in dialogue with art historians, archaeologists, philologists, anthropologists, and museum professionals. My own experience in presenting papers and chairing sessions has opened paths for research and publications, as it has for others. The networking and social component – particularly through the annual meetings – has also been important in my own growth and confidence as a scholar. The diversity of attendees and members, as well as the commitment to social justice in the many disciplines represented by ASOR, is an essential component of the organization, and one that is key to its success.

As one of many members who teach at a small college where I am the only person in my area of specialty, ASOR is an important community, as it provides a venue to talk to like-minded researchers and teachers, collaborate, and bring back ideas. While my main role at Wagner is as professor of Art History (where I teach Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, and Islamic Art, Museum Studies, as well as writing seminars), I have also served as Dean and directed a number of grants. Having seen some of the challenges facing higher ed, and sought to empower colleagues and students to find success in their work, I know that organizations like ASOR are essential in bringing deep knowledge and resources to such endeavors; I see opportunity in deeper collaborations between and amongst ASOR, its membership, and higher education institutions and museums.

My experience with ASOR (conference attendee, presenter, session chair, and utilizer of multiple ASOR resources and publications) has given me insight and knowledge of the organization and will serve to make me an excellent Secretary. I’d also like to call attention to my 20 years of experience on the board of the local Staten Island AIA chapter. I am proud of the work I did with them and the amazing programming I developed for that community (lectures, trips, archaeology fairs).

In the years ahead I know ASOR will face many challenges. Surely the organization will rise to those challenges. Continued and emphatic devotion to development of scholarship, diversity, social justice, community-based collaboration, and creative partnership development will enable ASOR to succeed and thrive. I look forward to serving the Board of ASOR.


ASOR would also like to welcome three new trustees to the Class of 2027:

Andrea Berlin (Institutionally-Elected Trustee)
Helen Dixon (Membership-Elected Trustee)
Emily Hammer (Membership-Elected Trustee)

Click here for a full list of the 2025 Trustees.

BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE

  • FOA Webinar: Shua Kisilevitz
  • Fieldwork Report: Anjuli Latchmansingh
  • Join ASOR’s Board of Trustees
  • Friends of ASOR Tours: Archaeological Tour of Cyprus 2026

Latest Posts from @ASORResearch

asor_research

Initiating and supporting research of the history and cultures of the Near East and wider Mediterranean world.


Friends of ASOR is pleased to announce the first w
Friends of ASOR is pleased to announce the first webinar of the 2025-2026 season, "Holier than Thou? The Temples at Tel Moza and Reflections of Ritual Practices in Ancient Judah" presented by Dr. Shua Kisilevitz, is on September 10th at 12:30pm ET! The recent discovery of not one, but a succession of two temples from the First Temple period at Tel Moza—just 7 km from Jerusalem—has reignited debate about how religion took shape in ancient Judah and the wider region. In this lecture, Dr. Kisilevitz will trace the development of the two Moza temples and the rituals practiced there, setting them alongside biblical descriptions and regional parallels. 

The first in a mini-series partnership with the @albright.institute, this webinar will be free and open to the public. Register here: https://buff.ly/ZmFzwMP


Anjuli Latchmansingh, a 2025 Strange-Midkiff Famil
Anjuli Latchmansingh, a 2025 Strange-Midkiff Families Fieldwork Scholarship recipient, excavated at Çadır Höyük in the village of Peynir Yemez, Türkiye. Nestled atop a mound carrying 7,000 years of human and animal past, Anjuli reflects on six weeks of excavation and the history embedded in the site. Click the link (https://buff.ly/V8wWGbM) in our bio to read more.
#Turkey


From September 2021 until September 2023, ASOR led
From September 2021 until September 2023, ASOR led a project—with support by the U.S. Department of State—to expand community outreach for heritage protection in Libya and to extend our efforts regionally to Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. This work strengthened ties between local communities and their national heritage authorities, fostered new connections between heritage practitioners across the region, and empowered community-led heritage protection efforts. Click the link (https://buff.ly/sXUoGPL) in our bio to read more about this CHI project.
#CulturalHeritage #NorthAfrica #Libya #Algeria #Morocco #Tunisia



The #ObjectoftheWeek from this week's ANE Today: “Sleeping Lady” figurine from the Ħal-Saflieni Hypogeum, Malta, c. 4000-2500 BCE. National Museum of Archaeology, Malta. Photo by EnriqueTabone (CC By-SA 4.0). Image Source: https://w.wiki/F5T5
#Malta


Tel Shiqmona has received little attention compare
Tel Shiqmona has received little attention compared to the grand coastal cities of the ancient Phoenician coast. But the site has produced the most complete archaeological evidence for the production of purple dye in the Iron Age. Read more about the industrial center in the latest Ancient Near East Today: https://anetoday.org/tel-shiqmona-purple-dye/
#IronAge


ASOR is offering 10 grants of $250 each to support
ASOR is offering 10 grants of $250 each to support student travel to the Annual Meeting this November. Students must be enrolled at an ASOR Institutional Member School to qualify for these grants. Apply before the deadline on August 25th! https://buff.ly/8pJlihw


On this #ThrowbackTuesday, we revisit a fascinatin
On this #ThrowbackTuesday, we revisit a fascinating archival gem: in 1979, The Biblical Archaeologist published a poem titled “A-Sitting on a Tell” by none other than Agatha Christie. This unique intersection of literature and archaeology offers a reminder of how deeply the past inspires creative expression ✍️🏺


We are delighted to announce a free Museum Literac
We are delighted to announce a free Museum Literacy Workshop for all ASOR Annual Meeting attendees led by Dr. Jen Thum at the Harvard Art Museums! The workshop will be on Wednesday, November 19 from 3:00–5:00pm. Space is limited to 18 people, advance registration is required: https://buff.ly/kuF57r9


We are happy to announce a free Seal Carving Works
We are happy to announce a free Seal Carving Workshop for all ASOR Annual Meeting attendees led by Dr. Pinar Durgun (The Morgan Library and Museum)! The workshop will be on Wednesday, November 19 from 3:00–4:30pm. Space is limited to 20 people, so register before it's too late: https://buff.ly/lzniSde


The full Academic Program for the 2025 Annual Meet
The full Academic Program for the 2025 Annual Meeting is now available online! Check it out to find all the business meetings, free workshops, and special events going on this year. Make sure to include the plenary address and ASOR's 125th Anniversary Celebration as you plan your ASOR 2025 itinerary. https://www.asor.org/am/2025/schedules-2025


Service Awards are an excellent way to recognize a
Service Awards are an excellent way to recognize a colleague for their contributions to the field, to ASOR, or to one of its affiliated research centers (AIAR and CAARI). Awardees will be recognized at the 2025 Annual Meeting in Boston. All are invited to nominate colleagues who they feel are deserving of recognition. The deadline for nominations is September 19, 2025. Click the link (https://buff.ly/DV0OYQh) in our bio to nominate someone.


The deadline to submit poster proposals for the Po
The deadline to submit poster proposals for the Poster Session as part of the 2025 Annual Meeting has been extended to Friday, August 15. Posters are an ideal format for presenting archaeological projects in general, a technical aspect of your project, or a spectacular find from the field season. Submit your proposal via ASOR’s online portal now.


2025 Shepard Urgent Action Grant: An international
2025 Shepard Urgent Action Grant: An international team of archaeologists completed a critical emergency documentation project at the endangered site of Al Haniyah (ancient Aptouchus), on the Cyrenaican coast of Libya. This urgent initiative responded to escalating threats from coastal erosion, unregulated agricultural development, and expanding infrastructure—pressures that have already caused widespread and irreversible damage to the site. The team worked tirelessly to document, record, and create detailed records of the site. This project represents a crucial step in preserving the cultural heritage of Aptouchus.
Images courtesy of ASOR
Visit the link in our bio to read more!
#Libya


In a world of many gods, why did biblical Israel i
In a world of many gods, why did biblical Israel insist on worshiping only one? Israel's distinctive monolatry—a unique, covenantal bond with YHWH akin to marriage—shaped their identity. Michael B. Hundley explores this in the final article in a 4-part series in ANE Today. Click the link (https://anetoday.org/monolatry-to-monotheism/) in our bio. #anetoday


While conducting fieldwork this summer, ASOR invit
While conducting fieldwork this summer, ASOR invites you to make Dig Diaries! ⛏️ Dig Diaries can be short videos/reels 🎥 discussing research questions for your project, explaining an element of an excavation/survey, etc. We welcome creativity! Read more here: https://buff.ly/h1ZSfPZ (click the link in our bio). Submissions can be emailed to info@asor.org.


Friends of ASOR invites you to venture to the sea
Friends of ASOR invites you to venture to the sea in 2026 and join an unforgettable journey through Cyprus, where archaeology meets breathtaking Mediterranean beauty. Next summer, join 15+ ASOR archaeologists and immerse yourself in behind-the-scenes tours with scholars, archaeologists, excavators, and museum curators including visits to:

🏺 Idalion with Dr. Pamela Gaber
⛏️ Kalavasos excavation updates with Dr. Kevin Fisher
🍽️ Dinner conversations with Dr. William Dever
📚 Private tour and dinner at CAARI with Dr. Lindy Crewe 

Plus curated visits to Kourion, Nea-Paphos, and more. For more details: https://www.asor.org/foa/tours

#FOATours #Cyprus


Check out the 2025 issue of the Journal of Cuneifo
Check out the 2025 issue of the Journal of Cuneiform Studies. JCS 77 includes great articles from James Burgin, Stephen Moore, Niek Veldhuis, Jon Beltz, Céline Debourse, and more. Click the link (https://www.asor.org/news/2025/07/jcs77-toc/) in our bio to see the Table of Contents!


Tomorrow, August 1, is the deadline to submit post
Tomorrow, August 1, is the deadline to submit poster proposals for the Poster Session as part of the 2025 Annual Meeting. Submit your proposal via ASOR’s online portal before it's too late! Click the link (https://buff.ly/99Bkbqj) in our bio for instructions.


We are pleased to share that the Getty Research In
We are pleased to share that the Getty Research Institute has announced a call for applications from predoctoral, postdoctoral, and other scholars for its residential 2026–2027 grant cycle under the theme of "Provenance." The deadline is 1 October 2025. (Please note that these grants and fellowships are resident at the Getty in Los Angeles, California, and are not affiliated with ASOR.) Click the link (https://www.getty.edu/projects/getty-scholars-program/) in our bio!


Aayush Umesh, a 2025 Eric and Carol Meyers Fieldwo
Aayush Umesh, a 2025 Eric and Carol Meyers Fieldwork Scholarship Recipient, excavated at Tall Hisban, Jordan, in May. While excavating an Ayyubid-era kitchen, Aayush immersed himself in analyzing agricultural practices from the time. Read his fieldwork report by clicking the link (https://www.asor.org/news/2025/07/fieldwork-report-umesh) in our bio. 
#Archaeology #Jordan #TallHisban



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