Near &amp; Middle Eastern Civilizations / en Experts from around the world to attend Persian-language symposium on women and Iran's future /news/experts-around-world-attend-persian-language-symposium-women-and-iran-s-future <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Experts from around the world to attend Persian-language symposium on women and Iran's future</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/GettyImages-1243516979-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=E2jwWnqO 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/GettyImages-1243516979-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=oM2ve9hV 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/GettyImages-1243516979-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Nj3khNcy 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/GettyImages-1243516979-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=E2jwWnqO" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-01-13T14:07:45-05:00" title="Friday, January 13, 2023 - 14:07" class="datetime">Fri, 01/13/2023 - 14:07</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">(Photo by Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images) </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/innis-college" hreflang="en">Innis College</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/iran" hreflang="en">Iran</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/near-middle-eastern-civilizations" hreflang="en">Near &amp; Middle Eastern Civilizations</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/women" hreflang="en">Women</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Experts from across the globe are preparing to discuss the ongoing women’s movement in Iran at&nbsp;<a href="https://utoronto.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvf-uupjgiGdepSNnnUUQGXvyvYYtYBnur">Women, Life, Liberty: Iran’s Democratic Future</a>, a Persian-language seminar organized by researchers at the ؿζSM.</p> <p>The academic symposium, billed as the first of its kind, takes place Saturday&nbsp;and looks retrospectively at the history of the women's movement in Iran and the prospects for the country’s future.</p> <div class="image-with-caption left"> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/MohamadTavakoli-Photo%5B325938%5D.jpeg" style="width: 250px; height: 354px;"><em>Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi</em></p> </div> <p>The event was organized by U of T’s&nbsp;<a href="https://iranianstudies.utoronto.ca/">Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Institute of Iranian Studies</a>&nbsp;and its director,&nbsp;<strong>Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi</strong>. A professor of history and Near and Middle Eastern civilizations in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, Tavakoli-Targhi has devoted countless hours to bringing this symposium to fruition.</p> <p>“We are the leading institute of Iranian studies in North America [and] we have had weekly events and seminars and discussions on various aspects of Iranian civilization, history and culture,” Tavakoli-Targhi says. “We also felt obligated that we should, rather than sit back and watch what is happening, begin to foster an academic conversation about the transition to this future democratic era.”</p> <p>The symposium comes amid the recent intensification of the women's movement and uprising in Iran. Protests and civil unrest flared following the death of 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini on Sept. 16, 2022.</p> <p>“Iran had a revolution in 1979, promising freedom and liberty but delivering the Islamic regime,” Tavakoli-Targhi says. “The question is: how can we, through our own participation, writing, thinking and discussing the movement, begin to foster this democratic ethos.”&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/GettyImages-1243387458-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>A protester holds a portrait of Mahsa Amini on in Istanbul on Sept. 20, 2022&nbsp;(photo by Oza Kose/AFP/Getty Images)</em></p> <p>Panelists at the symposium will range from human rights lawyers such as Mehrangiz Kar, an internationally renowned writer who covered the 1979 revolution, to prominent figures within the Iranian Canadian community such as Ali Ehsassi, a Toronto-area&nbsp;MP, to professors such as Nazila Ghanea at the University of Oxford, who is also the UN special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief.</p> <p>“We decided on a panel that is highly diverse, representing Iranian scholars and Iranian lawyers who are Iranian Jews, Iranian Baháʼís, Iranians from different religious denominations,” Tavakoli-Targhi says. “That diversity of the panels is a really distinctive feature of this seminar.”</p> <p>While the symposium will be entirely in Persian, Tavakoli-Targhi says English speakers can keep an eye out for his weekly seminars and discussion groups. Future symposiums may tackle topics such as intellectual freedom and autonomy of universities from state intervention.</p> <p>Those wishing to participate in Women, Life, Liberty: Iran’s Democratic Future&nbsp;can attend via&nbsp;Zoom&nbsp;or&nbsp;in-person&nbsp;at Innis Town Hall from 10:15 a.m. to 7 p.m.</p> <p>“In a sense, we are both looking back at the history and also the horizon of expectations for a democratic and pluralistic Iran,” Tavakoli-Targhi says. “And from that point of view, I think the symposium is rather unique.”</p> <p>Symposium participants and other community members are encouraged to consider a donation to the&nbsp;<a href="https://engage.utoronto.ca/site/SPageServer?pagename=donate#/fund/1902">Iranian Studies Student Scholarship Fund</a>.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 13 Jan 2023 19:07:45 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 179047 at PhD student wins Three Minute Thesis contest for presentation on medieval Persian poet /news/phd-student-wins-three-minute-thesis-contest-presentation-medieval-persian-poet <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">PhD student wins Three Minute Thesis contest for presentation on medieval Persian poet</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/FarazA-web-lead.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Lsa8SbRR 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/FarazA-web-lead.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=U-pUUovM 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/FarazA-web-lead.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=equw1IKW 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/FarazA-web-lead.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Lsa8SbRR" alt> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2021-04-13T12:51:38-04:00" title="Tuesday, April 13, 2021 - 12:51" class="datetime">Tue, 04/13/2021 - 12:51</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Faraz Alidina, a third-year PhD student in the&nbsp;department of Near and Middle Eastern civilizations, says the format of the annual 3MT contest "really forced me not to hide behind jargon,&nbsp;prolixity&nbsp;or complexity" (photo courtesy of Faraz Alidina)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/gayatri-kumar" hreflang="en">Gayatri Kumar</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/temerty-faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-music" hreflang="en">Faculty of Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/graduate-students" hreflang="en">Graduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/humanities" hreflang="en">Humanities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/near-middle-eastern-civilizations" hreflang="en">Near &amp; Middle Eastern Civilizations</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/school-graduate-studies" hreflang="en">School of Graduate Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>What do short stories from medieval Persian literature teach us about today’s political discourse?</p> <p><strong>Faraz Alidina</strong> can tell you&nbsp;– in less than three minutes.</p> <p>The third-year PhD student in the ؿζSM’s&nbsp;department of Near and Middle Eastern civilizations in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science recently won the 2021 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition for his research on the works of 13th-century Persian poet Farid al-Din Attar.</p> <p>“I feel very grateful that I was able to win because historically, at least at U of T, this competition has been dominated by students in the sciences,” says Alidina, adding&nbsp;that it can be particularly difficult to for humanities students to summarize esoteric-sounding research in such a short time.</p> <p>Alidina&nbsp;was one of a dozen competitors at the virtual 3MT final that saw graduate students from across U of T’s three campuses attempt to explain their research in under three minutes to a panel of non-specialist judges. The annual event,&nbsp;hosted by CBC Ideas producers <strong>Nicola Luksic </strong>and Tom Howell, had over 250 audience members cheering on the participants.</p> <p>Alidina, who says he was encouraged to enter the event by his PhD supervisor, Associate Professor <strong>Shafique Virani,&nbsp;</strong>won $500 for his first-place finish.&nbsp;<strong>Heather MacDonald </strong>of the Faculty of Music took second spot for her presentation on preventing oboe-related injuries, while&nbsp;<strong>Julie Sato</strong> of the department of psychology placed third for her work on postnatal nutrition and brain development in premature infants.&nbsp;<strong>Emily McGaugh</strong> of the department of physiology took home the People’s Choice Award for her presentation on how stem cells can help cure type 1 diabetes.</p> <p>For his presentation, Alidina opted to take a creative approach. He began with the story of Shahrzad, the famed storyteller of&nbsp;<em>One Thousand and One Nights</em>&nbsp;who hoped that her intriguing tales would delay her execution and persuade the murderous king to change his ways. Like Shahrzad, many writers in the medieval period&nbsp;– writing in Persian, Latin, Arabic&nbsp;and Italian – realized that princes and people were best convinced not by means of abstract principle, but through story.</p> <p>With his research, Alidina explained that he&nbsp;hopes to unpack the narrative techniques – or what the Arabic literary tradition calls the “science of rhetoric”&nbsp;–&nbsp;behind the short stories of the 13th-century poet Farid al-Din Attar, a writer with a style so persuasive that critics sometimes referred to it as “the horsewhip.” &nbsp;</p> <p>“These medieval authors used short stories not just to illustrate a point or an abstract ethical concept, but because stories actually provided a unique medium through which the consequences of ethical and political positions could be explored in their specificity,” Alidina said in a Zoom interview after the event. “Ironically, fiction is the best place where we can model the world as it is, in its uniqueness and its variance.”</p> <p>Probing medieval theories of persuasion is hardly an esoteric pursuit for Alidina, who holds a master’s degree in religion from Harvard University and an undergraduate degree in political science and Middle Eastern studies from McGill University. He says that understanding what persuades people has taken on new urgency in the age of alternative facts and conspiratorial thinking. Citing recent examples like Brexit, he notes that attributing human action to self-interest doesn’t always explain political and electoral outcomes.</p> <p>While he’s still in the early stages of developing his research, Alidina says that preparing for 3MT helped him articulate the major questions underlying his work.</p> <p>“The format of the competition really forced me not to hide behind jargon,&nbsp;prolixity&nbsp;or complexity. And I thought that was a useful exercise, regardless of whether I came in first or didn’t make it past the first heat.”</p> <p>Alidina hopes his victory will inspire more participation from students in the humanities.</p> <p>“In the humanities, we’re perhaps more inclined to have this purist vision of our intellectual lives&nbsp;– knowledge for the sake of knowledge. There’s nothing wrong with having that internal compass of curiosity, but that doesn’t mean we should shy away from thinking about how our work can play a role in the world in which we live.</p> <p>“The humanities has a very unique and specific voice, particularly in this time. We shouldn’t be afraid to speak a little louder.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 13 Apr 2021 16:51:38 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 169055 at With support from The Weeknd, U of T's Ethiopic program soars past $500,000 endowment goal /news/support-weeknd-u-t-s-ethiopic-program-soars-past-500000-endowment-goal <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">With support from The Weeknd, U of T's Ethiopic program soars past $500,000 endowment goal </span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Mulugeta%20Woodin.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=8dc98TOz 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Mulugeta%20Woodin.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Jra8Pu2a 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Mulugeta%20Woodin.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=8U-hcZAz 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Mulugeta%20Woodin.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=8dc98TOz" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2020-11-02T12:12:13-05:00" title="Monday, November 2, 2020 - 12:12" class="datetime">Mon, 11/02/2020 - 12:12</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Bikila Award president Tessema Mulugeta presents Arts &amp; Science Dean Melanie Woodin with The Weeknd’s cheque for $30,000 – pushing the Ge’ez course’s endowment past the $500,000 goal (photo by Diana Tyszko)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/lucianna-ciccocioppo" hreflang="en">Lucianna Ciccocioppo</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/centre-medieval-studies" hreflang="en">Centre for Medieval Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/ethiopic" hreflang="en">Ethiopic</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/near-middle-eastern-civilizations" hreflang="en">Near &amp; Middle Eastern Civilizations</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/new-college" hreflang="en">New College</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">U of T Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The future of the ؿζSM’s Ethiopic program – the only one of its kind in North America and among a handful in the world – just got brighter.</p> <p>The endowment that makes the program possible has surpassed its goal of $500,000&nbsp;thanks to another gift from Toronto native, <strong>Abel Tesfaye</strong>, the international, award-winning singer, songwriter and recording producer known as&nbsp;The Weeknd. This support enables U of T to offer at least one Ge'ez language course each year.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Our heartfelt thanks to The Weeknd for his ongoing commitment to Ethiopic studies at U of T,” said Professor <strong>Melanie Woodin</strong>, dean of the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science. “This gift means the endowment celebrates a significant fundraising milestone. For us, it signifies an important partnership with the Ethiopian-Canadian community, one we hope to continue to grow.</p> <p>“We share a vision and an understanding of the value in preserving the Ge’ez language. The impact of The Weeknd’s continued support is truly appreciated, for current and future faculty, students and alumni.”</p> <p>Ethiopic studies at U of T&nbsp;<a href="/news/u-t-launches-class-ancient-ethiopian-language-very-nature-university">launched three years ago with a course on Ge’ez</a>, an ancient language used primarily for liturgical Christian services. Currently, U of T is the only university in North America, and one of the very few universities in the world, that regularly offers a course on Ge’ez. It’s part of the Semitic group of languages, including Hebrew, Arabic and Aramaic, and remains a fundamental language for classical studies&nbsp;such as Latin and Greek.</p> <p>The program, jointly run by the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science’s department of Near and Middle Eastern civilizations&nbsp;and the&nbsp;Centre for Medieval Studies, was just shy of reaching its fundraising goal when The Weeknd,&nbsp;recently named one of <em>Time Magazine’s</em> 100 Most Influential People of 2020, made a $30,000 gift.</p> <p>This is The Weeknd’s second donation to U of T in support of the Ethiopic program.&nbsp;<a href="/news/weeknd-backs-u-t-s-bid-launch-north-america-s-first-ethiopian-studies-program">His first was a $50,000 gift in 2016, as part of the fundraising drive led by the&nbsp;Bikila Award</a>&nbsp;– an Ethiopian-Canadian organization that fosters academic and business excellence and encourages volunteerism – to galvanize its community to support the new endowment.</p> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/group%20with%20masks%20and%20cheque.jpg" alt></p> <p><em>From left: Bikila Award president Tessema Mulugeta, Bikila board member Behailu Atnafu, The Weeknd’s parents Walelegne Teshome and Samrawit Hailu, Faculty of Arts &amp; Science Dean Melanie Woodin and Professor Michael Gervers&nbsp;(photo by Diana Tyszko)</em></p> <p>Tessema Mulugeta, president of Bikila, called it “a pivotal moment in our history here in Toronto” while recently presenting The Weeknd’s cheque&nbsp;together with board member Behailu Atnafu and The Weeknd’s parents, Samrawit Hailu and Walelegne Teshome, to Woodin on a fall day at the Faculty Arts &amp; Science.</p> <p>“U of T’s Ethiopic studies will illuminate to the world the hidden, untouched millennial scripts in Ge’ez&nbsp;and uncover rich texts of philosophy, grammar, mathematics, astronomy, history, medicine and law,” said Mulugeta. “During this modern age, current and future generations of U of T students can continue to access Ethiopia’s past and unlock tantalizing deposits of wisdom from distant eras of human history.”</p> <p>For Professor <strong>Michael Gervers</strong>, who teaches Ethiopian history at U of T Scarborough and the St. George campus, more than 40 years of scholarly research, including digitizing church manuscripts in Ethiopia, has emphasized “how significant and important this culture is.” He gave the first gift in 2015 to launch the endowment campaign.</p> <p>“I spent decades in Ethiopia and saw that almost every single church I went to had manuscripts that nobody was reading except the monks and priests for their daily or weekly services. But there was all this other literature just sitting there.”</p> <p>Gervers explained that not many people are aware that the king of Ethiopia converted to Christianity before the Roman emperor Constantine did in Byzantium. “It goes right back to somewhere around 333 to 340 CE. And you can’t have a religion without a book,” said Gervers.</p> <p>With Ethiopia having a written historical tradition older than any other country in Africa, that’s a lot of books. In fact, it’s been recently discovered that the oldest complete Gospel manuscript in the world is from Ethiopia, opening up a plethora of new scholarship questions.</p> <p>Undergraduate student <strong>Saba Ebrahimpour</strong>, a member of&nbsp;New College who's studying Ge'ez, said it’s very important for her to read the literature in its original language.</p> <p>“When I was studying for this course, I was going through the Bible in the English translation&nbsp;and the professors were teaching us how to translate it,” she said.&nbsp;“I compared the two languages, and there were some differences between the two.”</p> <p>Ebrahimpour searched for other sources but found there weren’t any. And she said there are few professors who can teach Ge’ez,&nbsp;“So U of T has a very big job to do.”</p> <p>Ge'ez will be a significant component of graduate student <strong>Arshan Hasan</strong>’s research&nbsp;– and this first course is a vital start.</p> <p>“Of the classical Semitic languages, Ge'ez is one of the most understudied despite it being one of the most unique,”&nbsp;said Hasan. “It has a unique script in its family that really needs to be taught alongside the language, rather than self-taught. Grammatically it is so remarkable and so different from its sister languages while also still being very familiar.</p> <p>“It reopens many lost horizons.”</p> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/Arshan%20Hasan.jpg" alt></p> <p><em>Ge’ez student Arshan Hasan (photo courtesy of Arshan Hasan)</em></p> <p>Highlighting, remembering and teaching the history, languages and cultures in this cradle of civilization in the Horn of Africa are just some of the reasons Ethiopians in Canada have supported and continue to give to U of T’s program.</p> <p>“We were and are people of many literatures,” said Mulugeta. “The study of Ge’ez will help us make sense of ourselves, our early civilizations, our beliefs and cultures&nbsp;and, most importantly, our interconnectedness in the world.”</p> <p>The program, and particularly the Ge’ez course, has put U of T “on the map because we're doing it and nobody else is,” said Gervers. “The Ethiopic program at U of T has enormous potential.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 02 Nov 2020 17:12:13 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 166300 at History in 3D: U of T researchers piece together the past with new scanning technologies /news/history-3d-u-t-researchers-piece-together-past-new-scanning-technologies <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">History in 3D: U of T researchers piece together the past with new scanning technologies</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Spence-Morrow-Phnom-Mrec.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=uuseZLre 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Spence-Morrow-Phnom-Mrec.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=LflaZYWh 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Spence-Morrow-Phnom-Mrec.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=jHH1ai5q 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Spence-Morrow-Phnom-Mrec.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=uuseZLre" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2020-10-05T11:03:25-04:00" title="Monday, October 5, 2020 - 11:03" class="datetime">Mon, 10/05/2020 - 11:03</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Giles Spence Morrow, who completed his PhD at U of T, uses a scanner at a site in Cambodia (photo courtesy of Giles Spence Morrow)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/chris-sasaki" hreflang="en">Chris Sasaki</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/anthropology" hreflang="en">Anthropology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/archaeology" hreflang="en">Archaeology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/computer-science" hreflang="en">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/near-middle-eastern-civilizations" hreflang="en">Near &amp; Middle Eastern Civilizations</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>As director of the Tayinat archaeological project in Turkey,&nbsp;<strong>Tim Harrison</strong>&nbsp;saw the need and potential for 3D scanning and modelling technology.</p> <p>Harrison, chair of the ؿζSM’s department of Near and Middle Eastern civilizations in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, has for years conducted research in the region of the Orontes River, which flows from Lebanon through Syria and Turkey. Populated continuously for thousands of years, the region’s rich history is reflected in a wealth of archaeological finds.</p> <p>However, archaeological finds are rarely uncovered whole or in pristine condition.</p> <p>“We’ve found thousands of fragments of broken sculptures,” says Harrison. “It’s like a jigsaw puzzle, but it’s a three-dimensional puzzle and you only have maybe five per cent of the pieces.</p> <p>“So, we became very interested in the development of fast, high-resolution scanning technology that would help generate 3D images that we hope to eventually import into shape-matching software that will help solve these puzzles.”</p> <p>The 3D scanning and modelling that Harrison and his colleagues are doing is accomplished using portable, hand-held scanners that can be used in the field. They are also developing shape-matching software with a team led by&nbsp;<strong>Eugene Fiume</strong>, a professor emeritus in the faculty’s department of computer science.</p> <p>One goal is to&nbsp;create 3D models of pieces of pottery or statues and rebuild them digitally the way you might rebuild a broken coffee cup by fitting its pieces together. Another is to identify artifacts such as pieces of pottery by comparing their shape to a database of similar pieces.</p> <p>“Eventually, we also want to compare texture, colour, chemistry and mineralogy,” says Harrison. “The more layers of information you add, the more patterns and matches you can make. We're not quite there yet, but that’s the direction we’re headed.”</p> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/Tayinat-bust.jpg" alt></p> <p><em>A 3D model of&nbsp;the Lady of Tayinat, a statue from&nbsp;the&nbsp;Tayinat&nbsp;archaeological project&nbsp;(Image courtesy of the&nbsp;Tayinat&nbsp;Archeological Project; Tim Harrison; Steve&nbsp;Batiuk)</em></p> <p><strong>Stephen&nbsp;Batiuk</strong>, a senior research associate in the department of Near and Middle Eastern civilizations and a member of the Tayinat team, says&nbsp;“3D modelling quite literally introduces a new dimension to our research, providing us with new ways to measure objects, visualize them and help in reconstruction.</p> <p>“Plus, since many of these artifacts can’t leave the countries from which they were excavated, it extends our ability to do research on them beyond the field season and allows others who were not there to work on them as well.”</p> <p>As powerful as it is, 3D scanning is just one tool in the toolkit.</p> <p>In 2011, with funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC),&nbsp;Harrison and his colleagues launched an organization called Computational Research on the Ancient Near East, or&nbsp;CRANE. CRANE was originally conceived as an effort to build a large collaborative environment for different archaeological projects and researchers working mostly in the eastern Mediterranean. At its core are powerful computational tools for modelling ancient social groups, analyzing complex and diverse data sets from those researchers – and it will even be used to validate climate change models with archaeological data.</p> <p>The 3D capability is part of what Harrison refers to as “CRANE 2.0.” It’s made&nbsp;possible through a partnership grant –&nbsp;including&nbsp;funding from SSHRC and the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science –&nbsp;that provides support to the&nbsp;Archaeology Centre’s&nbsp;Digital Innovation Lab. With this&nbsp;support, researchers in other departments can apply the technology to their own realm of the ancient world.</p> <p>“The technology was purchased by CRANE for CRANE work,” says Batiuk. “But all archaeologists at U of T &nbsp;can benefit from us having bolstered the Digital Innovation Lab. This is a spirit of co-operation that CRANE is trying to promote, especially when using university funds.”</p> <p><strong>Ed Swenson</strong>&nbsp;is an associate professor in the&nbsp;department of anthropology&nbsp;and director of the university’s Archaeology Centre. Last winter, Swenson, his former doctoral student&nbsp;<strong>Giles Spence Morrow</strong>&nbsp;– who is now with the anthropology department at Vanderbilt University – and other colleagues conducted research at ancient sites from the Angkor Empire, which was based in present-day Cambodia and dominated much of Southeast Asia. The work was supported by a grant from the Hal Jackman Foundation.</p> <p>The team surveyed and conducted excavations of religious temples and complexes built near the end of the first millennium CE. They employed traditional archaeological methods and tools in their work, as well as drone cameras. They also used CRANE’s portable scanners to create 3D models of statues, stone monuments and architecture, and to record inscriptions to facilitate translation and share with other researchers.</p> <p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="422" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ovos2GSkUu4" width="750"></iframe></p> <p>One of their most remarkable discoveries: pieces of a statue that likely formed a three-metre-tall likeness of a divine figure. The team discovered two feet attached to a base. Nearby they found a shoulder, an arm, part of a leg and the torso. The head is still missing.</p> <p>The team scanned the pieces and re-assembled both the actual statue and its digital facsimile.</p> <p>“The application of 3D scanning to create models of architectural complexes and artifacts has revolutionized our research,” says Swenson. “It permits continued, detailed analysis long after the close of excavations and on-site laboratory analysis.</p> <p>“In other words, one can literally revisit and restudy sites that are accurately recreated in three-dimensional simulations. The models also offer an invaluable teaching resource as it allows students to fully experience and analyze virtual archaeological datasets.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 05 Oct 2020 15:03:25 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 165971 at 90 Queen’s Park: ‘An incredible new gateway to the campus’ /news/90-queen-s-park-incredible-new-gateway-campus <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">90 Queen’s Park: ‘An incredible new gateway to the campus’</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/ROM_FACADE%20GROUND%20LEVEL_EYE%20LEVEL%20PROPER-diverse__0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Q_oKzYGO 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/ROM_FACADE%20GROUND%20LEVEL_EYE%20LEVEL%20PROPER-diverse__0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=nEmfGRfF 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/ROM_FACADE%20GROUND%20LEVEL_EYE%20LEVEL%20PROPER-diverse__0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=NfIZuhLL 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/ROM_FACADE%20GROUND%20LEVEL_EYE%20LEVEL%20PROPER-diverse__0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Q_oKzYGO" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>rahul.kalvapalle</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2020-07-14T20:08:13-04:00" title="Tuesday, July 14, 2020 - 20:08" class="datetime">Tue, 07/14/2020 - 20:08</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">(all renderings by Diller Scofidio + Renfro)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/rahul-kalvapalle" hreflang="en">Rahul Kalvapalle</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institute-islamic-studies" hreflang="en">Institute of Islamic Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/anne-tanenbaum-centre-jewish-studies" hreflang="en">Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/school-cities" hreflang="en">School of Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-art-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Art &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-law" hreflang="en">Faculty of Law</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-music" hreflang="en">Faculty of Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/history" hreflang="en">History</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/near-middle-eastern-civilizations" hreflang="en">Near &amp; Middle Eastern Civilizations</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rom" hreflang="en">ROM</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The ؿζSM and members of the public are taking part in a virtual community consultation organized by the City of Toronto for the new building planned for 90 Queen’s Park.</p> <p>The site was acquired by U of T in 2009 and is envisioned as <a href="/news/new-u-t-building-create-cultural-and-intellectual-gateway-between-university-and-city">a major centre of scholarship in urban issues</a>, as well as a city landmark and key gateway to the St. George campus. Located on the site of Falconer Hall and the former McLaughlin Planetarium, it is adjacent to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM).</p> <p>The university hopes to obtain approval for the building in September and begin construction in the spring of 2021 on what would be a three-year project.</p> <p>The building will be home to U of T’s new <a href="https://www.schoolofcities.utoronto.ca/">School of Cities</a> as well as the departments of History, Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, the Institute of Islamic Studies and an arm of the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies. It will include spaces for the Faculty of Music, Faculty of Law and the ROM. A public plaza, outdoor café and 250-seat recital hall are also among the designs for the building.</p> <p>Since 2010, there have been many community meetings and workshops over U of T’s plans for the site, with resulting refinements and improvements. Ahead of the latest consultations, <em>U of T News</em> spoke to Assistant Vice-President, University Planning, Operations and Real Estate Partnerships <strong>Christine Burke</strong>, about the building, its envisioned impact on Toronto and the importance of the community engagement.</p> <hr> <p><strong>Tuesday’s virtual consultation follows over a decade of community meetings and consultations. Why has U of T placed so much importance on consulting with the city and community members on this particular project?</strong></p> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/Cafe%20Soffit%20View%20Redux_alt%202%20-%20more%20ppl.jpg" alt="Star-like soffit at the main entrance of 90 Queen's Park"></p> <p>We always consult broadly on our projects, but this one in particular has far exceeded what is typical for consultation on a project in the City of Toronto. At the university level, because this site has been in conception all the way since 1997 and then in our 2011 Campus Master Plan, there has been significant consultation both by the city as well as ourselves even before hiring architects.</p> <p>There have been several U of T-hosted consultation meetings held in advance of making the secondary plan application for the St. George campus in 2016, over five city-hosted consultation meetings as well as five additional city-led meetings, including Community Council and Council in 2017-18 on the secondary plan for the St. George campus, and this is one of the development sites covered in the secondary plan. But more specifically on this project, we’ve had two Community Liaison Committee meetings in advance of submitting a development application in February 2019, a public, joint city and U of T design review panel meeting and the city has hosted a community consultation.</p> <p>We’ve also had four additional working group meetings led by the local city councillor, and those included resident associations and other members of the public that are outside the typical radius reached during consultations.</p> <p>So this project in particular has had a significant amount of consultation, and we think that’s important at this gateway location. We have modified our plans significantly through this engagement, and we are pleased with how the design of the building and its significant public realm component has evolved. Tuesday’s further consultation is an opportunity for us to present all the changes and once again participate in public dialogue and clear up any misinformation.</p> <p><strong>Does this project involve a heritage district and are there plans for demolition of any heritage buildings?</strong></p> <p><strong><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/ROM%20-%20view%20to%20connector_ppl%20fix2.jpg" alt="street level view of the glass connection between 90 Queen's Park and the ROM"></strong></p> <p>There has been some community discussion about an existing Queen’s Park heritage district, but there is no such district. This site is not located within a heritage conservation district.</p> <p>However, we acknowledge that the site is critical given its proximity to key open spaces like Philosopher’s Walk as well as many heritage buildings like Falconer Hall, the ROM and being across the street from the buildings at Victoria University.</p> <p>We have heritage consultants who are working closely with us to ensure that the approach to the site is appropriate. One of the ways we’ve done that is, for example, the proposed building exposes the southern façade of the east wing of the ROM and allows the ROM heritage façade to remain clearly visible.</p> <p>We’re also cantilevering a very small portion over the rear part of Falconer Hall, which is one of our heritage buildings, so that it really maintains the prominence of Falconer Hall on Queen’s Park. The former Planetarium, which is not listed on the heritage register or designated, and determined to not be suitable for reuse, is being removed to make way for the large public plaza and new entrance/café.</p> <p>It’s true that the site is a complex one and has a significant number of heritage structures in its vicinity. There has been a lot of discussion with city heritage staff along the way and there has been special care taken to make sure that this is done right and we are working hard to blend the old and new in a thoughtful design.</p> <p><strong>What measures are being taken to ensure that the building is in step with the surrounding neighbourhood from an aesthetic standpoint?</strong></p> <p>Design excellence is important to the University in all of its capital projects. We play a key role in Toronto in terms of being a city builder so we take design excellence to heart.</p> <p>This is a prominent site in the city in the Bloor Street Cultural Corridor, so we felt that meant we needed to find the right architects for the project because it will be a landmark building. We engaged Diller Scofidio + Renfro, with Architects Alliance as the local firm, a firm of international renown, whose projects have included reimagining the High Line in New York City and several buildings at Columbia University.</p> <p>For this project, because of its integration with heritage and contemporary architecture, we were really looking for a firm that would be able to provide a calibre of design that would be unexpected but beautiful, have a presence and perform, at this key gateway to the campus.</p> <p>That doesn’t mean it would detract from its heritage context but rather try to find a design solution that would both engage the city as well as contextually fit in its very unique landscape. With this project we have integration of a historic building with a brand new building and a critical role to play along the street, to engage and welcome in the city.</p> <p><strong>How has the design of the building changed since the first proposal?</strong></p> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/ROM%20Perspective_Updated.jpg" alt="aerial view of the plaza and front facade of 90 Queen's Park"></p> <p>We have altered the design of the building significantly to both incorporate city and community feedback as well as ensure that aesthetic elements better respond to its surroundings.</p> <p>The height of the building has been reduced significantly over the years in response to community and city feedback and meets the test in terms of protection of the Ontario Legislative Assembly, so that is definitely something we’ve been mindful of in terms of determining the height. The height and overall massing and siting also follow&nbsp;a number of important planning and urban design principles. More recently, in response to feedback, we have further reduced the height of the building to 38.7 metres (plus mechanical penthouse), increased the amount of Falconer Hall to be retained, reduced the overhang of our recital hall over our heritage building, and further reduced program size including classrooms to bring the overall size of the building down by approximately 20 per cent of the original building application.</p> <p>As well, we have increased the amount of landscaped area. The building now has a very large courtyard and fully exposes the southern façade of the east wing of the ROM. This courtyard becomes the primary entrance to the building. The public realm will be enhanced – there’s going to be a lot of soft as well as hard landscaping, a café to draw people in and for the public and university community to co-mingle. In previous iterations, that realm was smaller.</p> <p><strong>What’s going to happen to the trees currently in the area?</strong></p> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/SOUTH%20PLAZA%20AERIAL%204_w%20fence_.jpg" alt></p> <p>There has been some concern raised that all the trees on the site are being removed, but that’s not accurate. There are four mature trees in front of Flavelle House and these are being protected in the plans. These include two of the largest mature oak trees near the site boundary that is being protected.</p> <p>While some trees will need to be removed to facilitate construction, only two of these are mature and in good health. &nbsp;All others are either not mature and/or are diseased and infested, or stunted in their growth right next to the foundation wall of the historic house.</p> <p>We are abiding by the city’s requirements for replacement trees that will be planted at a rate of 3:1, in fact we are exceeding this requirement with the addition of 31 new trees in total. As well, we have worked with a city arborist, and the tree proposal that we have in place has been approved by Toronto Urban Forestry, so we have their full support on the proposal.</p> <p><strong>Taking a step back, why did the university decide to demolish the McLaughlin Planetarium?</strong></p> <p>The planetarium hasn’t been operated as a planetarium since 1995 and it closed due to declining attendance and interest years before it was purchased by the university. While there has previously been private sector interest in redeveloping the site, the sale to the university was heralded at the time in anticipation of institutional use, and the opportunity to remain connected to the ROM. The university’s astrophysics group is&nbsp;now leading the effort to plan for a planetarium experience in the heart of the St. George campus.</p> <p>In terms of the building’s removal, the university made a lot of effort to look at adaptively reusing the building. We reached out to external consultants for their opinions as well and concluded that there were technical difficulties in altering the structure for other purposes.</p> <p>When you consider demolishing a building, there is interest from the city to consider whether it is a heritage building. Our heritage consultants – ERA Architects – conducted a heritage impact assessment as part of the application and concluded that the planetarium is not a significant cultural heritage resource and it is not appropriate for designation. Conserving Falconer Hall, and the heritage fabric around Flavelle House and the ROM has been at the forefront of the design thinking.</p> <p>There are some interesting ideas happening around potentially having some kind of commemoration in the area where the planetarium sits today. But the benefits to the public realm that are happening with the building’s removal and opening up the plaza to the ROM and displaying the heritage of Falconer Hall and the ROM have also been key considerations.</p> <p><strong>What do you see as the future for the new building?</strong></p> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/Hall_Back_.jpg" alt></p> <p>It’s a really fascinating juxtaposition of programs that are being planned for the building – as well as cultural elements such as the music recital hall to engage the city.</p> <p>What’s so interesting is it will be a place that draws together researchers, students, journalists, city planners and civic leaders from the university and around the world and be a place to explore – with the School of Cities in particular – and think about cities. For example, we can look at how Toronto has drawn people from around the world and from different backgrounds, how we’ve worked together to address challenges and inspire the cities of tomorrow when it comes to city planning and cultural diversity.</p> <p>So it’s not just about what’s happening inside the building. Its location right at the edge of where the campus meets the city and in the cultural corridor, adjacent to the ROM and near the provincial legislature, makes it an incredible new gateway to the campus.</p> <p>As with other gateway projects at the edges of our campus, such as the Daniels School of Architecture and the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Centre, this is an opportunity to interact and connect with the city, and the design reflects that. We want this to be a building where the University and city connect with each other, and we will continue to work hard to ensure that we achieve that.</p> <p><em>Note: <a href="/news/win-everyone-u-t-receives-green-light-proceed-centre-civilizations-cultures-cities">Further changes have been made</a> to the building’s envelope as part of formal mediation process</em></p> <h3><a href="https://updc.utoronto.ca/project/centre-for-civilizations-and-cultures/">Read more about the building</a></h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 15 Jul 2020 00:08:13 +0000 rahul.kalvapalle 165343 at U of T working to establish a research centre and archeological park in Turkey’s Amuq Valley /news/u-t-working-establish-research-centre-and-archeological-park-turkey-s-amuq-valley <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T working to establish a research centre and archeological park in Turkey’s Amuq Valley</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-10-26-turkey-resized.jpg?h=58088d8b&amp;itok=vPaWtTtb 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-10-26-turkey-resized.jpg?h=58088d8b&amp;itok=gMYniFQ9 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-10-26-turkey-resized.jpg?h=58088d8b&amp;itok=fF13OcUG 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-10-26-turkey-resized.jpg?h=58088d8b&amp;itok=vPaWtTtb" alt="Photo of Canadians at Tell Tayinat"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>noreen.rasbach</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-10-26T09:20:23-04:00" title="Friday, October 26, 2018 - 09:20" class="datetime">Fri, 10/26/2018 - 09:20</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">At Tell Tayinat in Turkey, from left: Ambassador Chris Cooter, his wife Karen Blumenschein, David Cameron, Timothy Harrison and Mark Engstrom (photo by Majed Dagher)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/sean-bettam" hreflang="en">Sean Bettam</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/archeology" hreflang="en">Archeology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/humanities" hreflang="en">Humanities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/near-middle-eastern-civilizations" hreflang="en">Near &amp; Middle Eastern Civilizations</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Archeologists at the ؿζSM are in advanced negotiations with Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism to establish an archeological park at Tell Tayinat, a site in southeastern Turkey, to deepen awareness and understanding of the Iron Age kingdom that ruled the region several millennia ago.</p> <p>A primary component would be an interpretation centre to showcase the site’s unique cultural heritage, said U of T archeologist Professor <strong>Timothy Harrison</strong> at a special reception this week hosted by Canada’s Ambassador to Turkey, attended by high-level Turkish officials, a U of T delegation, and members of the media.</p> <p>The park will also feature a state-of-the-art research and training facility that aims to preserve, protect and celebrate the area’s cultural heritage. Artifacts unearthed by U of T's Tayinat Archaeological Project date from more than 3,000 years ago. They include <a href="https://news.artsci.utoronto.ca/all-news/archaeologists-uncover-3000-year-old-lion-adorning-citadel-gate-complex-turkey/">a magnificently carved stone lion</a>, a <a href="https://news.artsci.utoronto.ca/all-news/global-lens/archeologists-unearth-extraordinary-human-sculpture-turkey/">sculpture of 9<sup>th-</sup>century BCE king Suppiluliuma</a>, and <a href="https://news.artsci.utoronto.ca/all-news/university-toronto-archeologists-discover-temple-sheds-light-called-dark-age/">the remains of a temple</a> thought to be constructed during the time of King Solomon in the 10<sup>th</sup>/9<sup>th&nbsp;</sup>centuries BCE.</p> <p>“Our goal is to establish a research centre and open air park to highlight Tayinat’s role as a strategic crossroads between the cultures and peoples of the Middle East,” said Harrison, director of the <a href="http://sites.utoronto.ca/tap/index.html">Tayinat Archaeological Project</a> launched in 1999.</p> <p>The site is located at the northern bend of the Orontes River at the intersection between the Anatolian highlands to the north, the Levantine coast to the south, and the lowland steppes of Syria to the east, two kilometres&nbsp;away. Refugee camps are located nearby and security walls along the Turkish-Syrian border are a reminder of the devastation of Syria’s 7½-years-long civil war.</p> <p>Harrison said such a facility offers the prospect of building cultural understanding while creating opportunities for economic development in a region devastated by conflict. Beyond cultivating local awareness and interest in this important heritage, the site will encourage tourism, and create employment opportunities for local craftspersons and cultural heritage and tourism professionals.</p> <p>“The threat of damage and destruction to the cultural heritage of the North Orontes Valley region is high, and has gained increased urgency with the encroachment and intensification of the ongoing Syrian civil war in the neighbouring Idlib and Afrin districts,” said Harrison, who is also chair of the department of Near &amp; Middle Eastern civilizations in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science at U of T.</p> <p>“The aim is to implement a training program that will create an enhanced ability within local communities to conserve and better-protect this cultural legacy – one that belongs to them and gives shape to their identities as communities today.”</p> <p>The development will also secure a permanent international research and training facility for current and future faculty and students at U of T and other institutions worldwide.</p> <p>Since 1999, Harrison and his colleagues on the Tayinat Archaeological Project (TAP) have been helping to advance understanding of early social complexity and the rise of state-ordered societies in the ancient world.</p> <p>The transition from the Bronze to the Iron Ages saw the collapse of the great imperial powers of Egypt and Mesopotamia, and in Anatolia, the Hittite Empire and its capital situated at Hattusha. It has been said that the Hittite Empire, at its height, rivalled and challenged the regional influence of pharaonic Egypt.</p> <p>“The cause of this disruption, and what happened during the Dark Age from 1200-900 BC – before Tayinat emerged as Kunulua, royal city of the Kingdom of Palastin or Patina, in the 9<sup>th</sup> century BC – has been a mystery that has captured the imagination of scholars for decades,” said Harrison. “By establishing an archaeological park on this site, we hope to be able to further tell the story about the Hittites that has slowly been revealed to us with each discovery we have made there.</p> <p>“We are excited for the opportunity to enable the public to visit and learn more about the civilization it represents.”</p> <p>The announcement comes amidst the 75<sup>th</sup> anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and Turkey.</p> <p>“As Ambassador of Canada to Turkey, I welcome the ongoing collaboration between Canadian scholars and Turkey’s Ministry of Culture to protect and promote the cultural heritage of a region just a few kilometres from the conflict in Syria – a country both Turkey and Canada are committed to assist,” said&nbsp;<strong>Chris Cooter</strong>, a U of T alumnus who has led Canada’s diplomatic operations in Ankara since 2016.</p> <p>Discussions are also underway between the two parties to expand their co-operation in another aspect of the cultural field, including through co-operation between museums in the respective countries.&nbsp;To that end, the delegation included&nbsp;<strong>Mark Engstrom</strong>, deputy director, collections and research at the Royal Ontario Museum, with the intention to stage a major exhibition in Toronto showcasing Anatolian civilization.</p> <p>A possible outcome is a major exhibition of heritage artifacts uncovered at Tayinat and elsewhere in Turkey, to be staged first in Turkey before travelling to Canada and elsewhere.</p> <p>“We’re so pleased to support this opportunity to bring these ancient societies to life so that people can make sense of how great civilizations of the ancient world contributed to life today,” said Professor <strong>David Cameron</strong>, dean of the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science at U of T.</p> <p>“I hope that both endeavours will document multiculturalism in a way that will resonate with people and reflect parallel experiences of today.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 26 Oct 2018 13:20:23 +0000 noreen.rasbach 145800 at Ambitious U of T-led project on ancient Middle East gets $2.5-million boost from federal government /news/ambitious-u-t-led-project-ancient-middle-east-gets-25-million-boost-federal-government <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Ambitious U of T-led project on ancient Middle East gets $2.5-million boost from federal government</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-08-01-harrison-resized.jpg?h=2fe880c3&amp;itok=nHj4OnOE 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-08-01-harrison-resized.jpg?h=2fe880c3&amp;itok=URiFxDX6 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-08-01-harrison-resized.jpg?h=2fe880c3&amp;itok=Ltp46VMG 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-08-01-harrison-resized.jpg?h=2fe880c3&amp;itok=nHj4OnOE" alt="Photo of Timothy Harrison"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>noreen.rasbach</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-08-02T00:00:00-04:00" title="Thursday, August 2, 2018 - 00:00" class="datetime">Thu, 08/02/2018 - 00:00</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">The Orontes Watershed represents a “microcosm of the larger Middle East in terms of its geography, its social complexity and its political history,” says Timothy Harrison, who is leading the CRANE project (photo by Diana Tyszko)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/jennifer-robinson" hreflang="en">Jennifer Robinson</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/factor-inwentash-faculty-social-work" hreflang="en">Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/gender" hreflang="en">Gender</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/humanities" hreflang="en">Humanities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/near-middle-eastern-civilizations" hreflang="en">Near &amp; Middle Eastern Civilizations</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/physics" hreflang="en">Physics</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">CRANE is one of two projects led by ؿζSM scholars to receive lucrative global partnership grants</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>An ambitious project that pools together knowledge from top archeologists working in the Orontes Watershed, a geographical region rich in ancient history, is expanding thanks to a $2.5-million grant from the Canadian government.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.crane.utoronto.ca/">Computational Research on the Ancient Near East</a>, or CRANE, led by archaeology Professor<strong> Timothy Harrison,</strong> is one of two projects at the ؿζSM sharing almost $5 million in new partnership grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).</p> <p><strong>Shelley Craig</strong>, an associate professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, is also receiving $2.5 million in funding for her collaborative study on how information and communication technologies can be used to negotiate gender and sexual minority youth identity and well-being.</p> <h3><a href="/news/25-top-u-t-scholars-named-canada-research-chairs">Read more on Craig’s research</a></h3> <p>“Competition is fierce among scholars in the social sciences and humanities for these generous grants, which enable scholars to have flexibility and take risks in their work,” said <strong>Vivek Goel</strong>, U of T’s vice-president of research and innovation. “We’re incredibly proud that U of T professors Harrison and Craig have been chosen by SSHRC this year.”</p> <p>CRANE, which started in 2012 thanks to a previous SSHRC grant, is studying more than 13,000 years of civilizations that dotted the banks of the Orontes, an ancient riverine superhighway flowing from modern-day Lebanon north to Turkey.</p> <p>The Egyptians under Ramses II battled the Hittites along these banks; the Romans built bridges over the river and dammed a section to form an artificial lake in Syria. At various points in the past, the Assyrians, Greeks, Macedonians and the Crusaders all converged here, too.</p> <p>The area represents a “microcosm of the larger Middle East in terms of its geography, its social complexity and its political history,” explained Harrison via Skype from Antioch, an ancient Greek city on the river in southern Turkey.</p> <p>The sheer weight of history and the scattered documentation by hundreds of researchers in dozens of countries over decades of work is just one of the massive complications for CRANE. The current political climate in the Near East region is another – it’s actually illegal for researchers from certain countries to work together.</p> <p>Archaeologists also tend to be competitive and “quite proprietary of their data,” he said.</p> <p>In the years since it started, CRANE has made significant progress and, in version 2.0, it’s geographically expanding to the whole Eastern Mediterranean.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__8950 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/2018-08-02-img_3832-resized.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>The city of Antakya, called Antioch in ancient times, on the Orontes (photo courtesy of CRANE)</em></p> <p>“Colleagues think we’re absolutely crazy or delusional,” said Harrison, who has conducted excavations for two decades in the Orontes Watershed.</p> <p>“It is kind of crazy to bring together researchers who are working in Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Israel, but it is what we’re trying to do. We’re crazy enough to at least try.”</p> <p>CRANE, he said, is creating “a third-party, neutral space that’s free from the confines of politics or geography.”</p> <p>It’s all about building trust and extolling the benefits of collaboration, he said, admitting he still gets choked up when he’s asked to explain the project, which was first proposed by colleagues back in the 1990s.</p> <p>Now, CRANE is at the forefront of creating cutting-edge tools all partners can use such as a common database that contains detailed archeological inventories and artifact registries from thousands and thousands of sites.</p> <p>They’ve partnered with computer scientists on machine learning algorithms that can shape-match artifacts, as well with big data experts at the Argonne National Laboratory to develop large-scale computer models and simulations of ancient social groups. The supercomputers can reconstruct the earliest origins of the region and make modern-day predictions.</p> <p>Partners involved include U of T, the University of British Columbia, Carleton University, the University of Chicago, Cornell University, Durham University and the University of Bologna, collaborators in Europe and in the Near East, as well as industry partnerships with IBM Canada in CRANE 1.0 and Autodesk in 2.0.</p> <p>“It exponentially opens things up” for studying human history, said Harrison. “We don’t know what connections or insights can be gleaned. I don’t think we can anticipate where it might go.”</p> <p>Already, teamwork has paid off for organizations like UNESCO, which is working to document the destruction wrought on the region’s cultural heritage during Syria’s devastating civil war. When approached, all CRANE needed to do was hit send on the data and they had it almost immediately.</p> <p>“That’s an unanticipated outcome from CRANE 1.0,” Harrison said. “There’s been an explosion in groups and researchers in Europe and North America that want to participate.</p> <p>“I think everyone collectively recognizes that sharing and collaborating means we can participate and contribute to big global questions.”</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__8951 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/2018-08-02-unfinished-statues-resized.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="681" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>Unfinished statues from the Iron Age site of Yesemek in the Islahiye valley (photo courtesy of CRANE)</em></p> <p>One of those questions is the impact of climate change on very localized environments over time. U of T physicist <strong>Richard Peltier</strong>, a globally renowned climate change expert, is conducting research around “downscaling” of large computational models to make predictions at the local level, perhaps down to the kilometre.</p> <p>“CRANE will test their climate models against the archaeological and paleo data sets that we’re building", said Harrison. “We’ll test the climate models they’re building in SciNet to ‘ground truth’ their models against some of the empirical data sets we’ve been building. It’s a really exciting new project.”</p> <h3><a href="/news/new-u-t-supercomputer-most-powerful-research-machine-canada">Read more on SciNet and Niagara, U of T’s new supercomputer</a></h3> <p>Harrison is passionate about the importance of social sciences and humanities in dealing with the big global problems we now face.</p> <p>“When physicists and microbiologists are coming to us and asking us to set up partnerships and collaborations with them, they’re realizing that we have something important to contribute to these larger questions,” he said.</p> <p>“I think that we’re sometimes our own worst enemy. We’ve allowed ourselves to be marginalized because we’ve gotten into such esoteric and highly specialized fields – everyone is trying to protect their own data. By not collaborating, we’ve marginalized ourselves.</p> <p>“We believe deeply and fundamentally that the past – the long record of human history – is directly connected to the present and to the issues of the day, whether it’s dealing with climate, the environment, political conflict or even nutrition. We believe we can contribute to questions in all of those fields. The past and its archaeological record has an enormous rich body of knowledge that can contribute to that.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 02 Aug 2018 04:00:00 +0000 noreen.rasbach 139881 at Trump's Jerusalem move: Two U of T experts share their views /news/trump-s-jerusalem-move-two-u-t-experts-share-their-views <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Trump's Jerusalem move: Two U of T experts share their views</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-12-08-jerusalem-getty.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=vn5gFcR2 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-12-08-jerusalem-getty.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=2AacveLn 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-12-08-jerusalem-getty.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=j2r4TmuW 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-12-08-jerusalem-getty.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=vn5gFcR2" alt="Photo of Jerusalem"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-12-11T00:00:00-05:00" title="Monday, December 11, 2017 - 00:00" class="datetime">Mon, 12/11/2017 - 00:00</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump prompted protests around the world by declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel (photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/noreen-ahmed-ullah" hreflang="en">Noreen Ahmed-Ullah</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/near-middle-eastern-civilizations" hreflang="en">Near &amp; Middle Eastern Civilizations</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">U of T Mississauga</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump unleashed&nbsp;new upheaval in the Middle East by declaring that the hotly contested&nbsp;city of Jerusalem is Israel's capital and committing to move the U.S. embassy to the Holy City.</p> <p>The decision, which upended seven decades of U.S. foreign policy, has triggered protests across the world. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised the issue again on Monday during a visit to Brussels, saying&nbsp;he believes eventually European countries will follow Trump's lead. The announcement has been condemned by Palestinian leaders, who see East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.</p> <p><em>U of T News </em>spoke with two university experts on Jerusalem's significance as a Holy City for three of the world's major faiths, and&nbsp;its disputed status.</p> <p><strong>Jens Hanssen</strong> is an associate professor of Arab civilization and Middle Eastern&nbsp;history at U of T Mississauga and the department of Near and Middle Eastern civilizations and department of history at the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science.&nbsp;<strong>Janice Stein</strong>&nbsp;is the Belzberg Professor of Conflict Management in the department of political science at the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science. She was the&nbsp;founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs.</p> <hr> <p><strong>Can you explain why Jerusalem’s status is so contentious?</strong></p> <p><strong>Jens Hanssen:&nbsp;</strong>Jerusalem’s status is contentious because Israel is flaunting international law, and&nbsp;while no relevant state has recognized its contraventions, the international community has shied away from imposing sanctions on the Israeli state. Trump and his ambassador David Friedman’s coup to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel&nbsp;represents a major break with international consensus and with modern history.&nbsp;</p> <p>In the 19<sup>th</sup> century, Ottoman Jerusalem was a well-run city,&nbsp;a magnet for&nbsp;Christian powers to invest in missions and churches,&nbsp;with a&nbsp;municipal council that had&nbsp;regular and fiercely contested elections.&nbsp;This changed when the British created two municipalities&nbsp;and divided the city into a western and eastern administrative unit sometime around&nbsp;1943. When the 1947 UN&nbsp;resolution&nbsp;recommended the partition of Palestine, it stipulated that the Holy City be “established as a&nbsp;<em>corpus separatum</em>&nbsp;under a special international regime.”</p> <p>In 1948, Zionist forces conquered western Jerusalem. The UN recognized neither this&nbsp;<em>fait accompli</em>, nor the Jordanian claim to East Jerusalem two years later. Then, in the 1967 war, Israel invaded and occupied East Jerusalem too. A PhD&nbsp;student of mine&nbsp;has recently written a dissertation on how the Arab municipality was dissolved and the Israeli mayor created a regime of de-Arabization and economic underdevelopment for East Jerusalem during his almost 30-year reign. In 1967, the UN Security Council demanded that all Palestinian, Syrian and Egyptian territories that Israel conquered during this war should be returned – including Jerusalem. Instead, the Knesset passed a law in 1980 claiming “Jerusalem, complete and united, [a]s the capital of Israel.” Again, the UN&nbsp;refused to sanction this and insisted that East Jerusalem was an integral part of the Palestinian territories under Israeli occupation.&nbsp;</p> <p>Since then, Israel and its West Bank settlers have laid siege to Arab Jerusalem, encircling it with ever growing settlements, Israeli-only highways, checkpoints, etc. East Jerusalemites are stateless people who risk their residency by living outside the city. They can hardly buy property&nbsp;and are hamstrung by Israel’s bureaucratic red tape. Over 14,000 Jerusalemites have had their residency revoked this way and been expelled since 1967.&nbsp;Last summer, I visited East Jerusalem&nbsp;for the first time since 1993.&nbsp;I was shocked at the choking atmosphere everywhere, not least the spatial encroachment of the Hebrew University on Issawiyya, a Palestinian village which is a suburb of East Jerusalem. Even inside the old city, radical American Jewish settlers have started forcibly occupying buildings, unfurling enormous Israeli flags on the façades and throwing garbage on their neighbours, like in Hebron.</p> <p><strong>Janice Stein:</strong>&nbsp;Jerusalem is the site of historical memory for Jews for some 3,000 years and for Arabs who have lived there for thousands of years. Both Jews and Muslims attach religious meaning to Jerusalem: For Jews, it is their holiest site, and for Muslims, it is their third holiest site after Mecca and Medina.</p> <p>Both religious, historical and national narratives are intertwined in a tiny geographical space that competing religions and nationalisms have never been able to share precisely because it is such a significant marker of identity and meaning.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Why did&nbsp;Trump declare&nbsp;Jerusalem the capital of Israel? Did Israel ask for this?</strong></p> <p><strong>Janice Stein:</strong>&nbsp;Israel’s leaders have asked governments around the world to recognize Jerusalem as their capital for a long time. Trump’s decision is best explained by U.S. domestic politics and his desire to fulfill his promise to his base.&nbsp;</p> <p><em>The following is an excerpt from Stein's recent op-ed in the Globe and Mail:</em>&nbsp;Dig a little deeper and the hand of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia is not hard to see. Saudi Arabia's conflict with Iran is intensifying. The assassination of the former president of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, by the Houthis, whom Saudi Arabia sees as the allies of Iran, pushes the prospect of any resolution of this conflict far off into the distance. Saudi Arabia faces a deepening of a quagmire directly on its southern border. The crown prince has been quietly encouraging Israel to act more vigorously against militias in Syria that are supported by Iran. Not that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needed much encouragement: Syria is on its northern border and Israel's government, like the Saudi government, sees Iran as an overwhelming threat.</p> <p>Prince Mohammed, or MBS as the Americans call him, apparently had a testy meeting with Mr. Abbas [the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas]&nbsp;last week. Not for the first nor for the last time in Palestinian history, Mr. Abbas was metaphorically told to take what was on offer now&nbsp;because the offer would get no better and, anyway, the Saudis and the Arab world had bigger issues to worry about than the borders of a Palestinian state. Make a deal, he was told, and get out of the way so that we can build the coalition that we need to confront Iran.</p> <p>Not surprisingly, Mr. Abbas was not receptive, and so the conflict goes on, as it has for the past 100 years. Leaders flirt with history, manipulate symbols, tell stories, respond to domestic political interests, but the conflict goes on. That has not changed.</p> <h3><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/trumps-stance-on-jerusalem-changes-everything-and-nothing/article37225287/">Read more of Stein's op-ed in <em>The Globe &amp; Mail</em></a></h3> <p><strong>Jens Hanssen: </strong>Back in 1995, a Republican&nbsp;Congress passed a law recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and demanding the government move the U.S. embassy there. Since then, every president had to sign a waiver every six months to postpone the relocation. It is nuts!&nbsp;</p> <p>And remember, Trump is only coming good on his election promise. In fact, I recall he boasted that previous presidents had merely campaigned on this issue, but only he has come&nbsp;through. Previous presidents were probably dissuaded by wise advisers and international lawyers. But Trump has sacked any knowledgeable staff that he may have had. And he picked his friend and bankruptcy lawyer, David Friedman, as U.S. ambassador to Israel whose only knowledge of Israel comes from heading the American Friends of Bet El organization that is funding the colonization of the West Bank and has worked to derail the two-state solution since the 1990s.&nbsp;</p> <p>Nevertheless, Trump’s decision is also whimsical and first and foremost a domestic issue, and he seems to have broad support among his base.&nbsp;Internationally, this move may destroy the recently concocted unholy alliance between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Arabia’s&nbsp;Crown Prince&nbsp;Muhammed bin Salman, and it looks like the United Sates’ Arab allies were not considered in the matter. Even Egypt, whose moribund economy so depends on U.S. and Saudi largesse, has rejected this unilateral move. With the crises in Yemen and Syria showing no signs of abating, and Saudi, Israeli&nbsp;and American lust for military action against Iran growing, opening the Jerusalem question is reckless.</p> <p>Netanyahu may be celebrating this as a victory publicly – he called it, and you cannot make this stuff up,&nbsp;“a great victory for peace.”&nbsp;But, I doubt he’d have wanted Trump’s statement at this time. Better timing for Netanyahu would have been to wait until after the Saudis were engaged militarily with Iran first.</p> <p><strong>What’s the value in this for America or for Trump?</strong></p> <p><strong>Jens Hanssen:</strong> Judging by past history, Trump needs to lead America to war&nbsp;if he wants to win a second term. Up until now, the candidates for war were Iran and North Korea. Given how bankrupt the U.S. treasury is, Trump will need reckless allies to do the heavy lifting and then rally the American public opinion behind the cause without the military and human costs of the Iraq and Afghanistan invasions. Israel today is so right wing and reckless that it might be a willing instrument in&nbsp;such a scheme.&nbsp;I see no value in Trump’s venture for America, particularly Americans abroad.</p> <p><strong>Janice Stein:&nbsp;</strong>There is no foreign policy upside, only downside, only benefit to his domestic base.</p> <p><strong>Anyone who knows anything about Mideast politics would know that this would&nbsp;trigger unrest and violence in the region and kill the peace process. Was Trump not aware of this, or has he written off the peace process?</strong></p> <p><strong>Janice Stein:</strong>&nbsp;It is not clear at all that he has written off the peace process.</p> <p>His words were circumscribed although his tone was not. In fact, his speech was tone deaf to the concerns of Palestinians. It is possible that he may be planning to ask Israel’s government for a concession that is of the same order of magnitude of the gift he gave, once the rage dies down.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Jens Hanssen: </strong>The so-called peace process has been killed so many times that perhaps now the general public might finally stop pretending otherwise. The last semblance of a viable peace initiative was launched by the Saudi government in 2002. It was endorsed by 21 Arab states in 2007 and offered Israel recognition of its right to exist and a normalization of diplomatic ties in exchange for acceptance of the establishment of a sovereign independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Radical Palestinian factions, Syria and the Israeli government rejected the deal.</p> <p>Today, the American and Israeli governments have dropped the façade of the peace process and are set to impose, with or without Saudi help, a series of gradual administrative and ad hoc military measures to push the remaining 400,000 Palestinians out of East Jerusalem and establish a&nbsp;<em>fait accompli</em> with the settlements in the West Bank and the Syrian Golan Heights.</p> <p>With Trump's totally gratuitous statement on Jerusalem and the total disregard for Palestinian life and property, the legitimacy of Palestinian resistance will only grow.</p> <p>Reflecting on all this terrible news, I cannot shake off the image of Trump as a Nero figure taking down not just his own country in the space of four, maybe eight years, but also the whole Middle East with it.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 11 Dec 2017 05:00:00 +0000 ullahnor 124156 at Celebrating a U of T initiative: Volunteers taught English to young Syrian newcomers and gained lasting friendships in return /news/celebrating-u-t-initiative-volunteers-taught-english-young-syrian-newcomers-and-gained-lasting <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Celebrating a U of T initiative: Volunteers taught English to young Syrian newcomers and gained lasting friendships in return</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-10-10-nmc-cesi3.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=IzjkebWL 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-10-10-nmc-cesi3.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=AjcANZvb 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-10-10-nmc-cesi3.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=fUX5DiRc 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-10-10-nmc-cesi3.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=IzjkebWL" alt="Photo of Nanaa and Fancy"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-10-13T00:00:00-04:00" title="Friday, October 13, 2017 - 00:00" class="datetime">Fri, 10/13/2017 - 00:00</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Syrian newcomer Hanen Nanaa (left) and U of T student Muriam Fancy (right) are both members of the university's Near &amp; Middle Eastern Civilizations-Cultural Exchange and Support Initiative (photos by Noreen Ahmed-Ullah) </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/noreen-ahmed-ullah" hreflang="en">Noreen Ahmed-Ullah</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hart-house" hreflang="en">Hart House</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/humanities" hreflang="en">Humanities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/near-middle-eastern-civilizations" hreflang="en">Near &amp; Middle Eastern Civilizations</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/syrian-refugees" hreflang="en">Syrian refugees</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>It began with the&nbsp;germ of an idea: ؿζSM students wanted&nbsp;to do something to help young Syrians&nbsp;newly arriving&nbsp;in Canada as refugees.&nbsp;</p> <p>Almost two years later, the&nbsp;small initiative started&nbsp;by students in U of T's Near and Middle Eastern civilizations department with volunteers reaching out to refugees at&nbsp;their hotels&nbsp;has blossomed into a full-blown program of Saturday workshops and field trips that has helped more than 150 Syrian newcomers. The language and cultural exchange taps into a&nbsp;volunteer corps&nbsp;of 200 people – students from across the three campuses, community members, faculty and a roster of 160 Arabic translators.</p> <p>Last week, the Near &amp; Middle Eastern Civilizations-Cultural Exchange and Support Initiative (NMC-CESI) celebrated how far it's come with an evening of music,&nbsp;food,&nbsp;speeches and art at Hart House.&nbsp;</p> <p>“When the government started talking about accepting Syrian refugees, my friend Rob&nbsp;asked how could we help. We’re not able to help people inside [Syria]. We should at least help the people coming here. We decided to do something,” recalled&nbsp;<strong>Rasha Elendari</strong>, co-founder and president of NMC-CESI, as she spoke to a crowd of supporters, U of T student volunteers and Syrian newcomers.</p> <p>“We had no idea how long the initiative would last –&nbsp;half a year, one year. It kept growing and growing. And now, look at how far we have come.”</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__6345 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/2017-10-10-nmc-cesi-reception-6.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px; margin: 10px;" typeof="foaf:Image">&nbsp;<br> <em>Some&nbsp;of the Syrian newcomers in the NMC-CESI program display&nbsp;their artwork at the Oct. 6 reception. The group is hoping to organize an exhibit of their works at a later date</em></p> <p>At the weekly workshops, Syrian youths learn English and&nbsp; U of T students&nbsp;brush up on their Arabic. Some of the young Syrians are enrolled in full-time, English-language programs. At least one started classes this year at U of T Scarborough, and some have found jobs.</p> <p>NMC-CESI&nbsp;focuses on young people aged&nbsp;18 to 25, a critical age for refugees&nbsp;because they are trying to learn a new language, finish high school&nbsp;and&nbsp;pursue&nbsp;universities&nbsp;and colleges.&nbsp;</p> <p>“We wanted to make sure that they have a community where they could feel belonging and&nbsp;interact with Canadian students their age to get assistance about applications,&nbsp;other important tests, and in return, they would exchange language and culture with the students who are learning Arabic and specializing in various Middle Eastern studies,” Elendari said.</p> <h3><a href="/news/finding-home-u-t-students-carve-space-syrian-newcomers">Read more about Elendari</a></h3> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__6335 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/2017-10-10-nmc-cesi-reception-4.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px; margin: 10px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>NMC-CESI President&nbsp;Rasha Elendari is&nbsp;a PhD student of Middle Eastern archaeology at the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science's department of Near and Middle Eastern civilizations</em></p> <p>Syrian newcomers in the program say volunteers have&nbsp;helped them strengthen their language skills, as well as assist with&nbsp;school work.</p> <p><strong>Sarah Lazakani</strong>&nbsp;has been attending&nbsp;NMC-CESI workshops&nbsp;for the past 1½ years. She was born in Syria and completed high school there, before&nbsp;fleeing with her family&nbsp;first to Turkey and then Lebanon.&nbsp;This fall, she&nbsp;joined&nbsp;U of T Scarborough for health studies.</p> <p>“I got to develop my speaking skills,” Lazakani said.&nbsp;“Whenever I need help with readings and stuff, I can bring it to the group, and they can help me with it.”</p> <p>Hozana Omar&nbsp;also finished high school in Syria. She's now taking classes at an English-language school&nbsp;but comes to the NMC-CESI events for a place to connect with friends.</p> <p>“I meet Syrian people here.&nbsp;I meet different people from different backgrounds and also learn English language,” she said.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__6347 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/2017-10-10-nmc-cesi-9.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px; margin: 10px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>Syrian newcomers&nbsp;Hozana Omar (left) and&nbsp;Sarah Lazakani (right) have both benefited from the program, which has helped them with&nbsp;English skills and connected them with U of T students. Lazakani is now studying at U of T Scarborough</em></p> <h3><a href="/news/finding-home-u-t-students-carve-space-syrian-newcomers">Read more about NMC-CESI</a></h3> <p>The program is sponsored&nbsp;by&nbsp;the Faculty of Arts &amp;&nbsp;Science, the department of Near and Middle Eastern civilizations&nbsp;and Victoria College.&nbsp;Hart House, the Munk School of Global Affairs, the Multi-Faith Centre, New College, Woodsworth College, the Arts and Science Students’ Union, School of Graduate Studies, and the departments of anthropology, political science, sociology and&nbsp;English have also offered assistance over the last two years.</p> <p>Hart House&nbsp;Warden <strong>John F. Monahan</strong> spoke at the reception,&nbsp;recognizing the effort of&nbsp;students and&nbsp;volunteers behind the program.&nbsp;</p> <p>“The NMC-CESI is a wonderful example of what students here at the ؿζSM have to offer,” he said. “When the Canadian government decided to increase Syrian refugee settlement to Canada, the graduate students at the NMC recognized the contribution they could make to those offers and the opportunity to connect with newcomers in practical ways. I think it is amazing that since then, over 200 students have volunteered with the program in various ways, whether through translation or cultural exchange or just through acts of friendship.”</p> <p><strong>Robert Martin</strong>, the group's&nbsp;co-founder, said the initiative has received a lot of media attention, and the Greater Toronto Area community has also pitched in. NMC-CESI has been able to organize field trips to the museum and, thanks to the Jays Care Foundation, were able to have&nbsp;students and newcomers watch a Blue Jays game in a private box.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Not only are Syrians learning English, but the volunteers and U of T students, they’re learning Arabic. Everyone is benefiting from this,” he said.</p> <p>“For many of us, Saturday has become the best day of the week. It’s the day I look forward to. In many ways, we’ve sort of just become like a big family.”</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__6384 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/2017-10-12-syrian-band.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px; margin: 10px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>SYCA or Sound of Young Canadian Arabs&nbsp;was founded in August 2016 by Syrian Arab immigrant and refugee musicians. The band blends Arabic and Syrian music into a more contemporary style. Two of the members are Syrian newcomers and part of NMC-CESI (photo by&nbsp;Feras Azzam)</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 13 Oct 2017 04:00:00 +0000 ullahnor 118614 at Majestic 3,000-year-old female statue uncovered in Turkey: excavation led by U of T archaeologists /news/majestic-3000-year-old-female-statue-uncovered-turkey-excavation-led-u-t-archaeologists <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Majestic 3,000-year-old female statue uncovered in Turkey: excavation led by U of T archaeologists</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-08-11-Turkey-Female-Statue.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=bgowNpOt 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-08-11-Turkey-Female-Statue.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=WOdnnqay 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-08-11-Turkey-Female-Statue.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=BB38pypx 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-08-11-Turkey-Female-Statue.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=bgowNpOt" alt> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-08-11T13:23:32-04:00" title="Friday, August 11, 2017 - 13:23" class="datetime">Fri, 08/11/2017 - 13:23</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">This statue was uncovered at a citadel gate complex in Turkey by U of T archaeologists leading the Tayinat Archaeological Project (photo courtesy of the Tayinat Archaeological Project)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/sean-bettam" hreflang="en">Sean Bettam</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Sean Bettam</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/near-middle-eastern-civilizations" hreflang="en">Near &amp; Middle Eastern Civilizations</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/archaeology" hreflang="en">Archaeology</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The remains of a majestic female statue uncovered at the archaeological site of Tayinat in Turkey may challenge our understanding of the public role of women in the ancient world.</p> <p>Excavations led by ؿζSM archaeologists in southeast Turkey near the Syrian border have unearthed a beautifully carved head and upper torso of an unknown&nbsp;female figure. The remnants are largely intact, although the face and chest appear to have been intentionally –&nbsp;possibly ritually –&nbsp;defaced in antiquity.</p> <p>The statue was found within a monumental gate complex that would have provided access to the upper citadel of ancient Kunulua&nbsp;–&nbsp;later Tayinat&nbsp;–&nbsp;the capital of the Iron Age Neo-Hittite Kingdom of Patina (ca. 1000-738 BC). It was located&nbsp;approximately 75 kilometres west of the Syrian city of Aleppo.</p> <p>“The discovery of this statue raises the possibility that women played a more prominent role in the political and religious lives of these early Iron Age communities than the existing historical record might suggest,”&nbsp;says <strong>Timothy Harrison</strong>, a professor&nbsp;in the&nbsp;department of Near &amp; Middle Eastern civilizations in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science.&nbsp;</p> <h3><a href="http://www.newsweek.com/huge-ancient-statue-iron-age-goddess-face-purposefully-destroyed-discovered-649626">Read more at <em>Newsweek</em></a></h3> <p>The statue also provides valuable insight into the innovative character and cultural sophistication of the&nbsp;Iron Age cultures that emerged in the eastern Mediterranean following <a href="http://news.artsci.utoronto.ca/all-news/university-toronto-archeologists-discover-temple-sheds-light-called-dark-age/">the collapse of the great civilized powers of the Bronze Age at the end of second millennium BC</a>.</p> <p>“Her striking features include a ring of curls that protrude from beneath a shawl that covers her head, shoulders and back,”&nbsp;says&nbsp;Harrison, who is&nbsp;the&nbsp;director of the&nbsp;Tayinat Archaeological Project, which since 1999&nbsp;has&nbsp;been&nbsp;helping&nbsp;advance our understanding of early social complexity and the rise of state-ordered societies in the ancient world.</p> <h3><a href="http://www.archaeology.org/news/5805-170811-turkey-iron-age-statue">Read more at <em>Archaeology Magazine</em></a></h3> <p>The preserved remnants are made of basalt and measure 1.1 metres long and 0.7 metres wide, suggesting the full figure of the statue would have been four to five metres high. The lower body is missing.&nbsp;</p> <p>“The statue was found face down in a thick bed of basalt stone chips that included shard-like fragments of her eyes, nose and face, but also fragments of sculptures previously found elsewhere within the gate area,&nbsp;including the head of the Neo-Hittite King Suppiluliuma that we discovered in 2012,” Harrison says. “The recovery of these tiny fragments will make it possible to restore much, if not all, of the face and upper body of the original figure.”</p> <p>Suppiluliuma, who ruled in the early ninth century BC, was named after a famed Bronze Age Hittite warrior and statesman who challenged the then-dominant Egyptian Empire for control of the lands between the Mediterranean and the Euphrates River.</p> <p>“That parts of these monumental sculptures have been found deposited together, suggests there may have been an elaborate process of interment or decommissioning as part of their destruction,”&nbsp;says Harrison.</p> <p>The identity of the female figure has not yet been determined, but the archaeological team has some ideas.</p> <p>“It is possible that she is a representation of Kubaba, divine mother of the gods of ancient Anatolia,”&nbsp;says Harrison. “However, there are stylistic and iconographic hints that the statue represents a human figure, possibly the wife of King Suppiluliuma, or even more intriguingly, a woman named Kupapiyas, who was the wife –&nbsp;or possibly mother –&nbsp;of Taita, the dynastic founder of ancient Tayinat.”</p> <p>Two inscribed monuments carved in Hieroglyphic Luwian, the ancient language of the Hittites, found near Hama in Syria more than 50 years ago, provide a description of Kupapiyas, the only named female known from this region in the early part of the first millennium BC. She lived for more than 100 years&nbsp;and appears to have been a prominent matriarchal figure, though no memory of her is preserved in any historical sources for the first millennium BC.</p> <p>The <a href="http://news.artsci.utoronto.ca/all-news/archaeologists-uncover-3000-year-old-lion-adorning-citadel-gate-complex-">presence of lions</a>, sphinxes&nbsp;and colossal human statues in the citadel gateways of the Neo-Hittite royal cities of Iron Age Syro-Anatolia continued a Bronze Age Hittite tradition that accentuated the symbolic role of these transitional spaces as boundary zones between the ruling elite and their subjects.</p> <p>By the ninth and eighth centuries BC, these elaborately decorated monumental gateways had come to serve as dynastic promenades, legitimizing the power and authority of the ruling elite.</p> <p>The Tayinat gate complex appears to have been destroyed following the Assyrian conquest of the site in 738 BC, when the area was paved over and converted into the central courtyard of an Assyrian sacred precinct. Tayinat was then transformed into an Assyrian provincial capital, equipped with its own governor and imperial administration.</p> <p>“Scholars have long speculated that the reference to Calneh in Isaiah's oracle against Assyria (Isaiah 10:9-10) alludes to their devastation of Kunulua,” Harrison says.&nbsp;“The destruction of the Luwian monuments and conversion of the area into an Assyrian religious complex may represent the physical manifestation of this historic event, subsequently memorialized in Isaiah's oracle.”</p> <p><a href="http://National Geographic Spain also featured the discovery."><em>National Geographic Spain</em></a> also featured the discovery of the statue.</p> <p>TAP is an international project, involving researchers from numerous countries, and more than 20 universities and research institutes. It operates in close collaboration with the Ministry of Culture of Turkey&nbsp;and provides research opportunities and training for both graduate and undergraduate students.</p> <p>The 2017 season was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and U&nbsp;of T.</p> <p><em>With files from Tayinat Archaeological Project</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 11 Aug 2017 17:23:32 +0000 ullahnor 112185 at