Activities and Achievements
Congratulations to Professor Heather D. Baker on the recent publication of Documentary Sources in Ancient Near Eastern and Greco-Roman Economic History: Methodology and Practice (Oxbow Books, 2014). Co-edited with Michael Jursa (University of Vienna), this volume brings together documentary sources from both Mesopotamia and the Greco-Roman world to upturn the conventional view of a fundamental divide between these regions' economic institutions. More on this new title >>
Dr. Stephen D. Batiuk, CRANE Project Manager and NMC Research Associate, was recently invited by the Republic of Georgia's Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Wine, and National Wine Agency to present on his research on ancient wine production and its relation to the Early Transcaucasian Culture of the Early Bronze Age. Dr. Batiuk delivered two lectures, gathered data in the Georgian National Museum's collections, and was invited to join an international research project on Georgian vine and wine culture. Dr. Batiuk will return to Georgia in mid-April to take part in excavations of the Neolithic site Gadachrili Gora, which has produced some of the earliest evidence of ancient wine production. More on Dr. Batiuk's Georgian lectures >>
NMC PhD candidate Noa Shaindlinger recently presented a paper at the 113th Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association (AAA) in Washington, DC. Titled, "Itineraries of Return: The Politics of Hope in Palestine," Noa's analysis was part of a panel that explored spatial, institutional, and embodied expressions of settler colonialism in Palestine-Israel. Noa also played a leading role at the 48th Annual Meeting of the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) in Washington, DC, in her capacity as Graduate Student Representative to MESA's Board of Directors. More on MESA's Graduate Student Office >>
NMC PhD student James M. Tucker has been awarded the Canadian Friends of Hebrew University/U of T Endowment Fund to study at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the direction of Professor Michael Segal, Director of the Hebrew University Bible Project. Advised by Professor Sarianna Metso, James' research focuses on the social function and role of the scribe/sage in Second Temple Judaism, particularly in Qumran scrolls. As such, he seeks to examine the matrix of interpretive traditions evidenced in scribal activity, with special emphasis on issues of interpretive techniques (e.g., transmission and interpretation of Halakha, use and non-use of extant sources available to the scribe/sage) and social issues influencing scribal practices. More on this award >>
On January 23rd, the Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations Undergraduate Student Union hosted a panel discussion on the current crisis in the Middle East, focusing on the rise of the Islamic State in Syria/the Levant and its implications for the region's communities and material heritage. This event featured wide-ranging analyses from NMC Professors Jens Hanssen, Timothy Harrison, and James Reilly. View more event photos >>
Get Involved
The Canadian Institute in Egypt (CIE), a registered nonprofit, promotes research in history, language, literature, archaeology, philosophy, science, and the arts. The CIE welcomes the participation of anyone who seeks to advance Canada's peacekeeping efforts within the CIE's mandate, whether individually or under the banner of an organization. Directed in large part by NMC graduate students and alumni, the CIE facilitates educational, technical, and cultural work in a wide range of fields. Check out the CIE's new crowdfunding venture >>
Upcoming Opportunities
Call for Nominees for the University of Toronto's 2015 Early Career Teaching Award. This award recognizes tenure-stream assistant professors and promotion-stream lecturers who demonstrate exceptional commitment to student learning and pedagogical innovation. Deadline: February 13, 2015. Read more >>
Call for Nominees for the University of Toronto's 2015 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Award.
This award recognizes faculty, staff, and students who have contributed to the advancement of anti-racism in their units, divisions, organizations, and/or communities, and who demonstrate ongoing commitment to equity and diversity. Deadline: February 9, 2015. Read more >>
Call for Nominees for the 2015 SSHRC Impact Awards. The university is allowed to submit one nomination for each of four SSHRC Impact Awards. The awards are the Gold Medal, the Insight Award, the Connection Award, and the Partnership Award. To nominate a candidate for consideration by the university's review committee, send the name of the candidate, the name of the award for which you are nominating him/her, the candidate's CV, and a 1-page rationale for why they should be the university's institutional nominee to Dr. Elissa Strome by 5:00 PM on February 13, 2015. Read more >>
View more professional development opportunities and calls for applications >>
Upcoming Events
January 29th, 4 PM (BF 200B)
Grafting a New Canon onto the Turkish Literary Field: The First Turkish Publishing Congress and the Will to Translate by Professor Sehnaz Tahir Gurcaglar (Bogazici University and York University). Presented by the Seminar in Ottoman and Turkish Studies. Read more >>
January 30th, 6 PM (SF 1105)
Film screening of Desperate Hours (64 minutes, directed and produced by Victoria Barrett, 2002). Sponsored by the Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations in partnership with the Canadian Society for the Advancement of Turkish Studies and the Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey. Read more >>
January 30th, 4 PM (BF 200B)
Jahannam-i Shahvati: Hidayat as a Late-Interbellum Demonographer by NMC alumnus Dr. Arshavez Mozafari. Presented by the Foundation for Iranian Studies. Read more >>
January 30th, 7 PM (ES B142)
Of Hatshepsut and Hawks: Research on New Finds from the Abydos Votive Zone by Professor Mary-Ann Pouls-Wegner. Presented by the Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities. Read more >>
February 6th, 1:30 PM (BF 200B)
A Mamluk City of the Dead: The Northern Cemetery of Cairo by Dr. Hani Hamza, author of The Northern Cemetery of Cairo (Mazda, 2001) and a two-volume work on Mamluk Egypt, Misr al-mamlukiyya: qira'at jadida/Mamluk Egypt: A New Interpretation (Dar al-'ayn li-l-nashr, 2014). Read more >>
February 11th, 7 PM (BF 315)
This Image is Enchantingly Beautiful: The Sensory Perception of Ancient Egyptian Art in 18th to 20th century Europe by Ulrike Dubiel (Free University of Berlin). Presented by the Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities. Read more >>
February 11th, 8 PM (ES B142)
Traces of Race: Notions of the Other in Early Mesopotamian Thought by Professor Piotr Michalowski (George C. Cameron Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, University of Michigan). Presented by the Canadian Society for Mesopotamian Studies. Read more >>
February 26th, 6:30 PM (MS 2170)
Translating the Arabic Novel: A Conversation between Sonallah Ibrahim and Robyn Creswell, moderated by Professor Jeannie Miller. Sponsored by the Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, the Arab Canadian Cultural Group, the Institute for Islamic Studies, the Middle Eastern History and Theory Workshop, the Toronto Arabic Studies Colloquium, and the Egyptian Students' Association. Reception to follow. Read more >>
View our complete event listings >>
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© University of Toronto. Edited and produced by Eugenia Tsao.