mini-update

I am chairing the Iranian Archaeology session at the annual meeting of the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) in San Diego in November. I have organized the sessions, invited several Iranian scholars to attend the meetings, and have secured full funding for them from the American Institute for Iranian Studies (AIIrS). It has been quite a task trying to facilitate the visa process, but word is that they should at least be able to get appointment times at the US Embassy at Dubai for next week. Inshallah!

Was just speaking with a colleague today about trying to implement 3-D laser scanning at our site, Erebuni. I took one look at the technology and said, sign me up! But then saw the equipment set-up, and said.."how in the world are we going to get that to Armenia??" Its carrying box is 1x1 meter square, it needs its own computer to tell it what to do, needs an enormously heavy battery pack (imagine a car battery, but heavier), a tripod, a swivel mount. I am thinking about the problems we had with trying to get a medical kit and stadia rod thru customs...and my head is reeling.

Our co-director is going to set up a website for the Erebuni project, hopefully this week...

What's new, and not-so-new

Wrapping up the dissertation for May. Inshallah!!

Getting prepared for a field-season in Armenia. Will be the Archaeological Field Director, managing all of the American field operations at the ancient site of Erebuni.

Just applied for a job teaching at a local college...more on that soon.

In November, I will chair the "Iranian Archaeology" section at the ASOR conference.
http://www.asor.org/AM/2007call.htm
if you want to participate:
http://www.asor.org/AM/participate07.htm

My old publication on Sasanian seals can still be seen at:
http://ecai.org/sasanianweb/

Links to AIA-GM event

Here are links to websites relating to the AIA Gold Medal awarded to Professor David Stronach, that several of you have requested from me:

Link to Archaeology magazine interview of D.S.:
http://www.archaeology.org/online/interviews/stronach.html
Link to Archaeology interview of Alina and myself:
http://www.archaeology.org/0403/etc/president.html
Link to Chris Kostman's website, including pictures of the event: http://www.adventurecorps.com/chronicles/2004aia/index.htm
Link to the Iranian Cultural Heritage News website, which summarizes the interviews:
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?id=2202&section=2

Spenta Productions

I was surfing around today, looking for the websites that discuss my Professor, David Stronach, for the occasion of his being awarded the AIA Gold Medal. I was one of the speakers at the medal ceremony and therefore, had been interviewed by Archaeology magazine. The interview exists in several places still, I remeber that it happens to still be on the CHN website, for example. As I was looking for the interview to give to my father (because fathers tend to like that kind of thing)...(and I am always willing to oblige) I found this very important website of one of our colleagues, Cyrus Kar, who David had mentioned to me several times as a filmmaker.

I would encourage all of you to please watch the short film on his website, spentaproductions.com There is a link provided on the sidebar. The film is important for several reasons: it broaches the point that the life and times of Cyrus the Great are both poorly-understood in western consiousness. As an early Persian(-Elamite) King, and founder of the Achaemenid Empire, Cyrus was able to conquer and appropriate vast territories of the ancient Middle East. Historical documents record that Cyrus was benevolent and was a humanitarian. The point is that his story is so relevant for our times (vis-a-vis, the US occupation of Iraq).

On the other hand, the story of the filmmaker, Cyrus Kar, and his arrest and detainment in Iraq (during the filming of part of his documentary) should bear witness to the policies of the current administration, and their lack of benevolence and humanitarian behavior.

A picture is worth 1000 words.