JOB: Open position at Grinnell (tenure track)

Seen on Aegeanet:

*GRINNELL COLLEGE ­ DEPARTMENT OF CLASSICS (AREA OF SPECIALIZATION OPEN) *

*TENURE-TRACK POSITION (START FALL 2010)*

GRINNELL COLLEGE. Tenure-track position in the Department of Classics,
starting Fall 2010. Area of scholarly specialization is open, but the
department currently has members focusing on Greek lyric, Roman lyric,
and ancient philosophy. Broad training in classics is highly desirable;
strength in classical mythology or literature-in-translation may be an
asset. Assistant Professor (Ph.D.) preferred; Instructor (ABD) or
Associate Professor possible. Grinnell College is a highly selective
undergraduate liberal arts college. The classics department provides
instruction in Greek and Latin language and literature along with Greek
and Roman history, art, and archaeology. The Collegeąs curriculum is
founded on a strong advising system and close student-faculty
interaction, with few college-wide requirements beyond the completion of
a major. The teaching schedule of five courses over two semesters may
include Greek or Latin courses at any level; every few years one course
will be Tutorial (a writing/critical thinking course for first-year
students, on a special topic chosen by the instructor). In letters of
application, candidates should discuss their interest in developing as a
teacher and scholar in an undergraduate, liberal-arts college that
emphasizes close student-faculty interaction. They also should discuss
what they can contribute to efforts to cultivate a wide diversity of
people and perspectives, a core value of Grinnell College. To be
assured of full consideration, all application materials should be
received by November 15, 2009. Send letter of application, c.v.,
transcripts (copies are acceptable), three letters of recommendation,
and a sample of scholarly writing to Professor Joseph Cummins,
Department of Classics, Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA 50112-1690.
[ClassicsSearch AT grinnell.edu], 641-269-3160; fax 641-269-4985

Grinnell College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer
committed to attracting and retaining highly qualified individuals who
collectively reflect the diversity of the nation. No applicant shall be
discriminated against on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin,
age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital
status, religion, creed, or disability. For further information about
Grinnell College, see our website at http://www.grinnell.edu.

JOB: Hellenist @ Brown

The Department of Classics at Brown University has been authorized to
announce a search for a Hellenist (open rank). The area of specialization is
open, as is the rank (Assistant Professor to Full Professor). The successful
candidate will teach Greek language and literature as well as courses in
translation; courses in Greek history are also a possibility, depending on
the candidate’s specialty. Prerequisites for consideration include
distinction in scholarship and teaching in any aspect of Greek language,
literature, or history.
Candidates should submit a letter of application and a curriculum vitae,
including the names and contact information of at least five references for
tenured candidates, and three letters of recommendation for tenure-track
applicants.
Applications should be sent to: Chair of the Hellenist Search Committee,
Department of Classics, Brown University, Box 1856, Providence, RI 02912,
USA. Review of applications will begin on November 1. The department will be
conducting interviews of candidates at the annual meeting of the American
Philological in Anaheim, in early January 2010.
Inquiries may be directed to David_Konstan @brown.edu.
Brown University is committed to diversity in its faculty and encourages
applications from qualified women and under-represented minority candidates

CFP: Death Disasters Downturn. (grad)

Seen on the Classicists list:

Graduate Archaeology at Oxford and the School of Archaeology at the University of Oxford invite the submission of proposals for papers and posters to an interdisciplinary conference titled "Death, Disasters, Downturn. The Archaeology of Crises." Oxford, 24-25 April 2010.

"From plagues to economic collapses, natural disasters to the deaths of loved ones, crisis, in its social, economic, psychological, biological, and ecological manifestations has indelibly shaped human existence. Since it is often in the breakdown of societies that the structures which composed them become clearest, crises provide an especially good window onto how groups have functioned historically. It can affect entire communities or single individuals; it can be confined to a singular time and space or it can reoccur episodically. As some of the most fascinating moments in human history, isolated cases or forms of crisis have been much-discussed among scholars within single fields. Rarely, however, have such debates crossed the boundaries of specific disciplines to be studied in a wider, over-arching context."

The goal of this conference is to start a discussion about the archaeological study of crises from across disciplines: sciences, archaeology, anthropology, ancient history. The questions we will raise are manifold: what constitutes a crisis? Which groups in the past have been most affected by crises? How can the archaeological record shed light on crises of various magnitudes? Most importantly, how can the archaeology of crisis be used to shed light on societies past and present?

Abstracts should not exceed 500 words in length and should be sent as attachments (in PDF format) to: gao AT arch.ox.ac.uk
Deadline for abstract submission: Sunday, 6 December 2009.
Selected papers will be published in a volume, as part of the GAO monograph series.

For further information visit the GAO website (http://www.arch.ox.ac.uk/conferences/articles/gao-annual-conference.html)

Pavlopetri Followup

Back in May we first were deluged with news coverage about plans to poke around the submerged Mycenean remains of Pavlopetri. Now we’re getting coverage of what they actually found this past summer … an excerpt from the Science Daily coverage:

This summer the team carried out a detailed digital underwater survey and study of the structural remains, which until this year were thought to belong to the Mycenaean period — around 1600 to 1000 BC. The survey surpassed all their expectations. Their investigations revealed another 150 square metres of new buildings as well as ceramics that suggest the site was occupied throughout the Bronze Age — from at least 2800 BC to 1100 BC.

The work is being carried out by a multidisciplinary team led by Mr Elias Spondylis, Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture in Greece and Dr Jon Henderson, an underwater archaeologist from the Department of Archaeology at The University of Nottingham.

Dr Jon Henderson said: “This site is unique in that we have almost the complete town plan, the main streets and domestic buildings, courtyards, rock-cut tombs and what appear to be religious buildings, clearly visible on the seabed. Equally as a harbour settlement, the study of the archaeological material we have recovered will be extremely important in terms of revealing how maritime trade was conducted and managed in the Bronze Age.”

Possibly one of the most important discoveries has been the identification of what could be a megaron — a large rectangular great hall — from the Early Bronze Age period. They have also found over 150 metres of new buildings including what could be the first example of a pillar crypt ever discovered on the Greek mainland. Two new stone built cist graves were also discovered alongside what appears to be a Middle Bronze Age pithos burial.

Apart from the inevitable links to theories about Atlantis which some of the press seems to be fond of, the coverage is rather good. Noteworthy are  a couple of YouTube videos put out by the University of Nottingham (the second one is better for our purposes):

Matters Propylaean

Interesting bit of synchronicity here (caused more by my backlog, than anything) … first, Harrison Eiteljorg has announced that the CSA’s Propylaea Project has come to a close, which means — if you weren’t already aware of it — that there is a wealth of information (including photos, papers, and the like) at the CSA Propylaea Project webpage … definitely worth a look for the ancient architecture buffs out there …

And as that project winds down, percolating in the back pages of several UK newspapers for the past couple of months is news of plans to rebuild the Euston Arch — which was inspired/partly-modelled-on the Athenian Propylaea — half a century after its destruction. The campaign to rebuild it has a very nice website which is definitely worth a look and Michael Palin is one of the celebrity types behind the effort. Here’s some of the press coverage (much more at the aforementioned website):