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Research and Excavations at Sardis

A tall, brown mudbrick wall with a glass partitioned roof. A person crouches in the corner.
A view of the Monumental Mudbrick Structure at Sardis, showcasing the newly installed covering, which was designed to protect the Lydian fortification wall and adjacent structures from the elements, with archaeologist Okan Emre Güney. This covering was made possible through the generous support of the William C. Kohler Bequest. © Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College.

Lecture

In-Person
Harvard Art Museums, Menschel Hall, Lower Level
32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA, Enter at Broadway for evening programs

This event encourages but does not require registration; see further details below.

In this year’s Sardis Biennial Lecture, Professor Nicholas Cahill of the University of Wisconsin–Madison will discuss recent excavations at Sardis in Türkiye. The Archaeological Exploration of Sardis has been sponsored by Harvard University and Cornell University since 1958 and is authorized by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Discoveries include monumental remains of the early Lydian palace and a new sector of well-preserved houses destroyed by Cyrus the Great in 547 BCE. Work continues on the largest Roman arch in the world and on late antique houses built atop a sanctuary to the emperor Claudius. A protective roof was built over the Lydian fortification, and a team of local women conserved the mosaics of the Synagogue—the largest in the ancient world.

Speaker:
Nicholas D. Cahill, Field Director, Archaeological Exploration of Sardis, and Professor of Greek and Roman Art and Archaeology, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Free admission, but seating is limited and registration is encouraged. You can register by clicking on the event on this form, beginning Saturday, March 29, after 10am.

The lecture will take place in Menschel Hall, Lower Level. Doors will open for seating at 5:30pm from the Broadway Street entrance.

This lecture will be recorded and made available for online viewing; check back shortly after the event for the link to view.

Limited complimentary parking is available in the Broadway Garage, 7 Felton Street, Cambridge.

The Harvard Art Museums offer free admission every day, Tuesday through Sunday. Please see the museum visit page to learn about our general policies for visiting the museums.

The Harvard Art Museums are committed to accessibility for all visitors. For anyone requiring accessibility accommodations for our programs, please contact us at am_register@harvard.edu at least 48 hours in advance. Please include the name and date of the program in the subject line of your email.