R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar: Following Pots from the Dead Sea Plain to Pittsburgh

Talk: Following Pots from the Dead Sea Plain to Pittsburgh

Speaker: Dr. Morag Kersel and Meredith Chesson

When: Thursday, March 11, 2027, 6:00–7:00 p.m.

Where: Art Theater and online via Zoom

Tickets: Free. Museum admission not required.

In the early 1960s, archaeologist Paul Lapp noticed a flood of Early Bronze Age (3600–2000 BCE) pots in antiquities shops in Jerusalem and Amman, unmistakably looted from the prehistoric cemetery at Bâb adh-Dhrâʿ, a site along the Dead Sea Plain in Jordan. In response, Lapp and colleagues initiated excavations in the cemetery to save pots and other grave goods from also ending up on the antiquities market. Many of these items now reside at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Since 2011, Morag Kersel and Meredith Chesson have been following Early Bronze Age pots from these same Dead Sea sites. They conduct pedestrian and drone surveys, use archival resources, and collect ethnographic interviews to trace how these vessels have moved, and to reconstruct their social, economic, and political meanings from 5,000 years ago to today.

Registration is required to attend R.W. Moriarty Science Seminars. Register here to attend in person or click here to join us via Zoom. 

Upcoming R.W. Moriarty Science Seminars

Learn about scientific discoveries directly from the experts in the field. Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s scientific research staff and invited speakers discuss their latest findings on numerous scientific topics at the R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar series.