Archaeology Seminar Series Lecture by Alumna, Natalie Susmann
During the Spring of 2024, Boston University’s Archaeology Program will be hosting a series of lectures. Our next lecture is titled “Ancient Sanctuaries and Modern Voices: Using Digital Tools to Reimagine Sacred Spaces.” We are thrilled to have Alumna, Dr. Natalie Susmann (Brandeis University) joining us to share their work. The talk is Wednesday, April 10th in the Gabel Museum of Archaeology, STO 253, 675 Commonwealth Avenue, 12:20-1:10. Lunch will be provided.
Ancient worshipers transformed ancient Greek sanctuaries into dynamic, sensory-filled spaces. Archaeological and textual data makes it easy for us to imagine a collective experience: noisy, sometimes crowded, with smells of smoke and roasting meat. Worshipers were diverse, and they undoubtedly processed these sensory triggers differently. Using the touchstone Argive Heraion sanctuary in the Greek Peloponnese, this talk explores contemporary datasets for reimagining sacred landscapes. We can delve into tourist websites and scholarly literature to reveal layered experiences. A tourist’s experience is not the same as an ancient worshiper, but their personal narrative reminds us how the same space is seen, felt, and heard differently. Using these approaches, we can reinvigorate existing data and rethink old interpretations of sacred landscapes.
Natalie M. Susmann, Phd
Head of Brandeis Digital Scholarship Lab
Lecturer, Classical and Early Mediterranean Studies
Lecturer, Anthropology
she/her/hers