Tiglath-Pileser & the Nimrud Citadel Project

Problems & Solutions

Speaker: Dr. Samuel M. Paley (The University at Buffalo, The State University of New York)

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

8:00 PM

Room 108, Koffler Institue for Pharmacy

569 Spadina Ave, Toronto, Ontario

Part of the virtual reality project of the Nimrud citadel is the publication of the Polish Center of Archaeology’s excavations of the early 1970s. The Center, under the direction of the late Janusz Meuszynski, worked in the area of two temples and on a collection of bas-reliefs, some in situ, that were identified as coming from the palace of Tiglath-pileser III, king of Assyria (744-727 BC). This talk will review what information the Polish excavation found related to Tiglath-pileser’s palace and re-assess the reconstruction of the bas-relief decoration and plan made by Richard Barnett and Margaret Falkner in their “re-publication” of Austen Henry Lanyard’s 19th Century excavation, and expand on some issues raised by Julian Reade and Hayim Tadmor. The project is a joint effort of Samuel Paley (The University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York), Richard Sobolewski (Polish Center of Archaeology, Warsaw, Poland) and Donald Sanders (Learning Sites, Inc., Williamstown, MA).

The ‘Je tiens l’affair!’ episode and Champollion's death

Speaker: Gonzalo Sanchez, M.D.

Friday, February 16, 2007

7:15 PM

Room 142, 5 Bancroft Ave, Toronto, Ontario

“Stroke” has been generally accepted as causing Jean François Champollion’s premature death at age 41, on March 4th, 1832. What kind of stroke was it? What health problems led to it? What was known in the early 19th Century about Champollion’s illnesses? Was he treated by competent physicians? What are possible explanations for the earlier reported prolonged unconsciousness after discovering the key to the translation of Egyptian hieroglyphs? What do we know about the last three months of his life? Could he have awakened and talked the day before his death? What is the final diagnosis? These are questions that can be answered with reasonable medical certainty based upon Champollion’s medical history and Dr. Jean Cruveilhier’s statement issued upon the death of the decipherer. The picture that emerges from studying Champollion’s health record and his death brings new dimension to our understanding of his extraordinary life.

Dr. Sanchez is with the University of Arizona Egyptian Expedition.

Upcoming Lecture

Of cannibals and kings -

Interpreting the so-called “Cannibal Spell” (Pyramid Text 273-74 and Coffin Text 573)

Speaker: Prof. Katja Goebs (University of Toronto)

Friday, March 16, 2007

7:15 PM

Room 142, 5 Bancroft Ave, Toronto, Ontario