Event Home

The Berthouville Treasure showcases the sophisticated silversmithing technologies employed by ancient artisans to create sumptuous silver sculpture and vessels. Found by chance in the 19th century, this collection has recently undergone extensive conservation and study using modern imaging technologies that revealed new information about the practice of individual artists and that of workshops in Gaul and Rome. Although silversmithing has evolved from how it was practiced in antiquity, much remains startlingly the same. Please join silversmith Wendy Yothers for a gallery conversation about the materials and processes used in ancient silversmithing and how Roman techniques compare with present-day metalworking practices.

The neighborhood offers rich ground to explore the social life of the ancient city—an intermediate unit of study, smaller than issues of top-down urban planning or state action but larger than the intimate details of the household. Yet despite this potential, the archaeology and history of neighborhoods remains underappreciated. This conference takes full advantage of a growing number of scholars interested in the communal and cultural aspects of city districts. Thematic topics include the conceptual and methodological implications of the neighborhood, its role in community formation, and its relevance in understanding long-term urban developments. Conference speakers, drawn from diverse departments with research in disparate regions and periods, all share a commitment to understanding and comparing neighborhoods. Their work relies not solely on quantification but on social foundations, not only on big data but also on close, comprehensive readings of the dynamic sphere of daily interaction among city residents. The interdisciplinary exchange and dialogue created by this event will set an exciting new research agenda for future studies on the archaeology of neighborhood life.