Join us as we interview art historian, archaeologist and former director of ACOR Jordan Barbara Porter on our afikra Conversations series.
Date: Tuesday, May 3
Time: 12PM NYC | 5PM London | 7PM Beirut | 8PM Abu Dhabi
Hosted By: Mikey Muhanna (afikra)
Bio: Barbara A. Porter was the Director of the American Center of Oriental Research in Jordan from April 2006 to March 2020. ACOR was established in 1968 and its permanent headquarters in Amman opened in 1986 across from the University of Jordan. From the outset, ACOR (now the American Center of Research, www.acorjordan.org) has been intrinsically involved in the archaeology and heritage of Jordan and has worked closely with the Department of Antiquities. In her 14 years as director, she came to know the country well and she plans to share some insights into certain sites and periods. She also has a deep appreciation of the history of ACOR and its role in helping preserve Jordan’s past and will convey some of those efforts. She received her A.B. from Bryn Mawr College and her M.A., M. Phil., and Ph.D. from Columbia University’s Department of Art History and Archaeology. Her dissertation dealt with Old Syrian Popular Style Cylinder Seals. From 1978 to 1986, she was on the curatorial staff of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Egyptian Art and Ancient Near Eastern Art) in New York and in the 1990s taught at New York University. In the ten years before moving to Jordan, she led archaeological tours from Algeria to Iran—including several trips in Turkey. Early in her tenure as ACOR director, she was an organizer of the 10th International Conference on the History and Archaeology of Jordan (ICHAJ) that took place in Washington D.C. in May 2007. Eleven years later, she presided over ACOR’s 50th anniversary year.
This event is being videotaped for subsequent broadcast on the library website and other media. The audience is encouraged to offer comments and raise questions during the formal question and answer period, but please be advised that your voice and image may be recorded and later broadcast as part of this event. By participating in the question and answer period you are consenting to the possible reproduction and transmission of your remarks.