October 14 is Humphrey McQueen Day in Cultural Collections

Portrait of Humphrey McQueen by Karen Donnelly, 2009

Lecture 1

When: 14th October 2011 at 10am
Presenter: Humphrey McQueen
Title: Changing Places: a materialist explanation for nationalism.
Where: Cultural Collections Level 2 Auchmuty Library University of Newcastle.
Cost: Free

 

Lecture 2

When: 14th October 2011 at 1.30 pm
Presenter: Humphrey McQueen
Title: ‘Will you be long, Mr Barrack?’
Where: Cultural Collections Level 2 Auchmuty Library University of Newcastle.
Cost: Free

Everyone is welcome to attend two free public lectures to be delivered by well known Australian historian Humphrey McQueen in the Friends’ Reading Room Cultural Collections (Auchmuty Library) University of Newcastle.

The first will be held at 10am. Humphrey McQueen will be presenting on Changing Places: a materialist explanation for nationalism.

As part of the University’s Radical Newcastle Project an afternoon paper will be also delivered at 1.30 pm entitled ‘Will you be long, Mr Barrack?’ (Peter Barrack is a former Secretary of Trades Hall in Newcastle).

Humphrey McQueen is a freelance historian and cultural commentator. His most recent book is ‘Framework of Flesh: Builders Labourers Battle for Health and Safety’ published in 2009 (copies are now available at the Coop bookshop on campus). He has an impressive and diverse publication record in Australian history over a long period that includes his 1970 book, A New Britannia: An argument concerning the social origins of Australian radicalism and nationalism, released in several editions. He also contributed the Foreword to Radical Brisbane published in 2004.

This is an important opportunity to engage with a prominent Australian historian to help unpack the concept of ‘radicalism’ and to think through how it might be applied to the University of Newcastle’s own Radical Newcastle project.

Prior to Humphrey’s talk, you are also invited to a light lunch downstairs at Isabella’s adjacent to the Student Union Building from 12 noon to 1:15 pm. Isabellas is adjacent to the Student Union Building. This has once again been provided for us by the School of Humanities and Social Science. If you would like to attend the lunch could you please RSVP Linda Hutchinson (Humanities Research Institute) at Linda.Hutchinson@newcastle.edu.au by Wednesday 12 October.

I hope to see as many of you at the event as possible.

Dr James Bennett
for Radical Newcastle collective.
University of Newcastle

Public Lecture: Professor Jack Davis On The New Greek Temple at Apollonia

The New Greek Temple at Apollonia:

Excavations of a New Greek Temple: The Bonjakët Hamlet near Illyrian Apollonia

By Professor Jack Davis

Free Public Seminar – Tuesday 9 August 2011

Cultural Collections, Auchmuty Library 1pm

Jack Davis completed his undergraduate education at the University of Akron in 1972 and completed his Ph.D. at the University of Cincinnati in 1977. From there he joined the faculty at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he taught until 1993. Since 1993 he has been a member of the faculty at the University of Cincinnati where he holds the post of Carl W. Blegen Professor of Greek Archaeology.  Since 2007 he has been serving as Director of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens.

Professor Davis has directed archaeological projects on the island of Keos, in the Nemea Valley, and in the area of the Palace of Nestor in Messenia.  His research interests include the history and archaeology of Ottoman and early modern Greece and the history of Classical archaeology, in particular its relationship to nationalist movements in the Balkans. Currently Prof Davis is directing regional studies and excavations in Albania, in the hinterlands of the ancient Greek colonies of Durrachium/Epidamnos and Apollonia and he is also engaged in a project to publish unpublished finds from Blegen’s excavations at the Palace of Nestor at Pylos.

A sculptural relief from Apollonia of the goddess Artemis.

Foundations of the new temple at Apollonia

Synopsis: In 2002, in the course of surveying the plain west of the ancient Greek colony, archaeologists from a joint Albanian-American expedition discovered remains that appeared to mark the location of an ancient Greek temple or sanctuary. Subsequent excavations in 2004 – 2006 explored what turned out to be a well-stratified site and managed to disentangle its rich history. This talk will discuss the circumstances of the discovery of the site and will present a chronicle of its excavation.  The lowest levels can be dated to the 7th century BC and contain dedications similar to those found at Perachora and elsewhere in Corinthian lands. A stone temple was built ca. 500 BC and worship continued until the 2nd century. By Roman times the site had been abandoned for cult purposes and a villa was built on top of it.

Oracles of Asia Minor

 

Oracles of Asia Minor: Prosperity during Delphi’s Decline.

Kristin Heineman

Kristin Heineman will present her paper at 11am on Friday 8 April 2011 in Cultural Collections, on Level 2 of Auchmuty Library, Callaghan Campus, University of Newcastle.

All are welcome to attend.

The participation of women in the courts of Herod and Augustus

Classics Seminar Series 

Cultural Collections, Auchmuty Library Level 2,

11am Friday March 25, 2011

Hugh Lindsay
Senior Lecturer in Classics
School of Humanities and Social Science

 

High Lindsay

The participation of women in the courts of Herod and Augustus

Herod the Great was an Idumaean whose family had relatively recently converted to Judaiasm. Moreover his father Antipater was a leading administrator in the service of the Hasmonaean dynasty, rather than himself royal. Despite this background, Herod managed to secure the role of Roman client king in Judaea in 40 BC and to develop a court on Hellenistic lines in which women had a significant role. Herod himself was polygamous and was married at least 10 times, but this did not prevent women from gaining significant power at court. I shall attempt to chart the areas of influence of his sister Salome as well as Herod’s Hasmonaean bride, Mariamme. Another issue is the amount of influence that Herod’s womenfolk had on the court of Livia and Augustus, and the extent to which their concerns were driven by the imperial model.

General view of the fortress at Masada

Members of the General Public are welcome
to attend this free public lecture

Roman writers on massacres

Classics Seminar Series

School of Humanities & Social Science (Classics),
The University of Newcastle
2011, Semester 1

Held in Cultural Collections (near the Information Common),
Level 2, Auchmuty Library, Callaghan Campus

Friday 11 March, 11am – Noon

Jane Bellemore
Roman writers on massacres

What to us is a massacre – the slaughter of innocent women and children, or of non-combatants, including soldiers who have laid down arms – was not the understanding of Roman writers of the Classical period. In this paper, I will consider episodes detailed in the writings by Caesar, Livy and Tacitus to show that non-combatants, unable to fight by reason of lack of weapons, age or sex, were still deemed legitimate military targets.

Possible remains of ancient Britons massacred by Romans

Dorset County: http://www.culture24.org.uk/history+%26+heritage/archaeology/art69369

Staff, students and members of the public are welcome

Classics Seminar Series 2011

Classics Seminar Series

School of Humanities & Social Science (Classics),
The University of Newcastle

2011, Semester 1

Held in Cultural Collections (near the Information Common)
Level 2, Auchmuty Library, Callaghan Campus

Friday 11^th March, 11am. Jane Bellemore,

Roman writers on massacres.

Friday 25^th March, 11am. Hugh Lindsay,

The participation of women in the courts of Herod and Augustus.

Friday 8^th April, 11am. Kristin Heineman,

Oracles of Asia Minor: Prosperity during Delphi’s Decline.

Friday 6^th May, 10am. Edward Bridle (from Cultural Collections)

Legend, History and Perception – the Holy Lance.

Friday 6^th May, 11am. Elizabeth Baynham,

Alexander’s Argyraspids: Tough Old Fighters or Antigonid Myth?

Friday 20^th May, 11am. Alan Libert,

TBA.

Friday 3^rd June, 11am. TBA,

TBA.

Staff, students and interested members of the public ALL WELCOME.

Please contact Jane Bellemore ( Jane.Bellemore@newcastle.edu.au or ph 4921 5231) with any queries.