Founded in 1968, the Niagara Peninsula Society of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) hosts monthly illustrated lectures on diverse topics related to the study and practice of archaeology and art history, including the preservation of cultural heritage, Classical and Near Eastern archaeology, and underwater archaeology.

The Department of Classics and Archaeology is pleased to be affiliated with the Niagara Peninsula Society of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) and to help facilitate its programming. AIA lectures are free and open to the public. All are welcome to attend!

Our events this year will include a mixture of online and in-person events.

Online lectures will be held using MS Teams. Over the course of the year, a link will be added to each of the events listed below. If you would like to join us for an online event, please visit this page and click on the link associated with that event (about two weeks before the event). This link will take you to a registration form that will give you the MS Teams link needed in order to join the event. Please save the link in order to use on the day to join us. You will need to register for each online AIA event that you want to attend.

During the lectures, we ask that audience members mute their microphones and turn off their cameras. The moderator and speaker will hold Q&A time after each lecture. If you would like to ask a question, this can best be done by typing a question in the chat area.

In-person lectures and events are usually held in either the Rankin Family Pavilion (RFP) 214/215 or Academic South (STH) 215 on the Brock University campus. Parking is free in Lots 1 and 2 (previously known as Zone 1 and 2) and all accessible parking on campus on weekends.

Please visit this page REGULARLY to see UPDATED DETAILS ON SOCIETY EVENTS AS WE WORK TO FOLLOW UNIVERSITY COVID PROTOCOLS FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY.

Sunday, September 22 @ 2:00 pm [RFP 214/215 and Online]
Mont Allen (Southern Illinois University)
“Corpse Wine: The Fermentation of the Dead in Roman Sarcophagi”
Reception: 1:00 pm
Join us afterwards at the Wine & Grape Festival for music, food, and beverages. https://niagarawinefestival.com

Saturday, October 26 @ 1:00 pm [Salem Chapel, St. Catharines]
INTERNATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGY DAY
Salem Chapel Tour
For this event, please register in advance.
Cost of admission: $5.00
Duration: 90 minutes
*Note that this venue is not wheelchair or scooter accessible. For more information, please visit http://salemchapelbmechurch.ca/tours–contact.html
*Will be held rain or shine, so please dress accordingly

Sunday, November 17 @ 3:00 pm [RFP 214/215]
Alexander Smith (SUNY Brockport)
“Cultural Cohesion, Colonialism, and the End of the Balearic Iron Age: Excavations at Torre d’en Galmés, Menorca”
To register click here.

Sunday, January 19 @ 3:00 pm [TBA]
Maria Liston (University of Waterloo)
“Ancient Enemies: Skeletons of Macedonians and the Theban Sacred Band from the Battle of Chaironeia, 338 BCE”

Wednesday, February 5 @ 6:00 pm [Online]
Yvonne Korshak
“Pericles and Aspasia: Bringing classical Athens to life”

Friday, March 7 @ 6:30 pm [TBA]
Patricia Kim (NYU)
“Monumental Queens in the Hellenistic World”
Reception: 5:30 pm

Sunday, March 23 @ 12-3 pm [TBA]
Archaeology Fair
This event is free and interactive for ages 7+. Snacks and beverages will be supplied.

For further information call the Department of Classics and Archaeology at 905-688-5550, ext. 3575; or find us on Facebook @AIANiagara.

Celebrating International Archaeology Day

The Niagara Peninsula Society has been involved in celebrating International Archaeology Day for the past few years with a variety of activities. This year, several undergraduate students from BUAS and graduate students enrolled in Archaeological Ethics (pictured above left) were at the downtown branch of the St Catharines Public Library to share their love of archaeology with the general public and discuss recent threats to cultural heritage from groups such as ISIL. Previous Archaeology Day celebrations have involved making (and tasting wine) in ceramic storage jars, displays at the St Catharines Farmers’ Market and hands-on discussions of artifacts in Brock’s Cypriote Museum. Brock has a long tradition of Cypriote archaeology; several lectures have been held to recognize the university’s association and in memory of Brock Classics professor and Cypriote archaeologist Danielle Parks who passed away tragically in 2007.

Fred Truckenbrodt Travel Grant for Students

The Niagara Peninsula Society established a travel grant for students to be awarded each year for three consecutive years (2012, 2013, 2014) in memory of Fred Truckenbrodt, a long-time member of our society who was passionate about archaeology and travel in the Mediterranean and deeply committed to the AIA and its activities. The 2014 recipient of the award was Brian Abfal, an undergraduate major in Classics, who participated in Brock’s Archaeological Practicum (CLAS 3F75) in Gournia; he is pictured (above right) receiving his award from Dr. Angus Smith who led the practicum there in the summer of 2014.