The Changing Face of Contemporary Egyptology: Old Perspectives and New Directions
January 30, 2013
Hosted by Dr. Joseph Schuldenrein
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Guest Information
Episode Description
Egyptian civilization for centuries has been a source of inspiration and curiosity for academic scholars, treasure hunters, grave looters, and the general public. Our image of Egyptologists is that their investigative techniques are traditional and focus on refining Dynastic sequences, architectural elements, and hieroglyphics. However, the field has been transformed over the years and is addressing more anthropological questions, ranging from settlement geography to social organization, using technologies such as GIS, geoarchaeology and remote sensing. Of critical import at present, is the transformative direction Egyptological research will take in the wake of the Arab Spring and the re-organization of the Department of Antiquities and Heritage Management infrastructures. Today’s guest, Dr. Donald Redford, has witnessed the evolution of Egyptological research over the course of half a century and will share his insights on the changing landscape of Egyptian studies over the years.
Indiana Jones: Myth, Reality and 21st Century Archaeology
Archives Available on VoiceAmerica Variety Channel
This show targets an audience interested in archaeology. It explores myths surrounding this exotic, often misunderstood field and acquaints listeners with the contemporary practice of unearthing the human past. Themes range from Dr. Schuldenrein’s own “Indiana Jones”-like adventures in the land of the Bible to his team’s archaeological forensics effort to unearth Kurdish mass graves in Iraq. That undertaking helped convict Saddam Hussein in 2006. Topical issues contribute to the evolution vs. creationism controversy based on updated fossil records and innovative DNA studies. An episode highlights the main funding source for archaeology in the U.S. (Hint: the oil and gas industry). Experts reveal the latest high-tech approaches to buried archaeological landscapes that provide clues to understanding climate change, past, present and future.
Dr. Joseph Schuldenrein
Joseph Schuldenrein is president and senior scientist of Geoarcheology Research Associates (GRA) in Yonkers, New York. He has been a Visiting Scholar at New York University since 1996. His professional expertise is in geoarchaeology, a sub-discipline that introduces earth science techniques to traditional archaeological excavation. Joe has worked extensively across North America and the Old World. He received his doctorate in 1983 at the University of Chicago. Recent research in North America has concentrated on the urban archaeology of New York City and Native American landscapes of the Atlantic Coast. Joe’s projects in South Asia have ranged from Human Origins investigations to the beginnings of civilization of the Indus Valley. During the Iraq war Dr. Schuldenrein’s team helped direct a forensic archaeological mission in support of the Saddam Hussein prosecution. His newest venture is an assessment of Cultural Heritage Sites in war-torn Afghanistan (2011). Dr. Schuldenrein publishes widely in numerous archaeological and geological journals. He is a reviewer for American Antiquity, Geoarchaeology, and Quaternary Science Reviews. He has acted as Principal Investigator or Consulting Scientist for grants awarded by the National Science Foundation, Wenner-Gren, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute for Aegean Prehistory. Dr. Schuldenrein has been interviewed for PBS, as well as national and regional TV and radio outlets over the past 30 years.
