The first Library Lunchtime Lecture for this academic year, entitled “All That Glitters Is Not Gold, Nor All That Sparkles Silver: Ancient Anatolian Jewelry Unveiled,” will take place this week, on Thursday, October 23, and will be delivered by Asst. Prof. Thomas Zimmerman, acting chair of the Department of Archaeology. In his talk, Dr. Zimmerman will describe how the skillful manufacture of jewelry items using a huge variety of different materials has a long and eventful history in ancient Turkey, making it a fascinating arena for studying ancient craftsmanship at large. The talk will survey the history of jewelry making in ancient Anatolia, from early shell beads shaped in the Upper Paleolithic (ca. 40,000 BCE), to the Troian treasures, with over 17,000 pieces of fine gold and silver jewelry, to the breathtaking beauty of Lydian gold and lapis lazuli necklaces from the 6th century BCE. Special focus will be put on delicate manufacturing techniques as well as current scientific spectral analyses of Anatolian jewelry items to reveal their actual chemical composition, with partly surprising, partly revealing results—showing that tampering and deceiving are not modern, but indeed very ancient faculties. If you would like to attend this sparkling gem of a lecture, come to the Main Campus Library Art Gallery by 12:40 p.m. on Thursday. The talk will be in English, and lunchtime refreshments will be provided.
