Bilkent Archaeology Day is an annual event that is held in the spring. On April 26, Bilkent University’s Archaeology Club and Archaeology Department held the sixth iteration of this joint event. The theme was, “Immortalizing the Essence: Portraiture for Private and Public Spaces.”
Portraits were destined for the darkness of the tomb, like the plastered and painted skulls of the Neolithic or, in different times and places, the portrayals of the deceased on Fayum mummy portraits. Others were meant for the bright light of public and private spaces, infused, for example, with the sober grandeur and dignity of Assyrian and Hittite kings or Roman emperors. Yet all were intended to immortalize the essence of the person they portrayed and to capture the soul and character through portraiture, whether idealized or realistic, whether inspired by ritual or political factors.
Each year, Bilkent Archaeology Day is divided into two main sessions: the Students’ Symposium in the morning and the Department Symposium in the afternoon. This year, 13 speakers presented at the event, hailing from Bilkent University as well as other institutions in Turkey and abroad.
Provost Prof. Orhan Aytür gave the opening speech for the event. Prof. Dominique Kassab Tezgör, Department Chair, FHL Dean Prof. Simon Wigley and Archaeology Club President Belen Gürkaynak (senior student) opened the morning session. Six undergraduate and graduate speakers participated in the Students’ Symposium: F. Zehra Demirci, Buse Acar, E. Aze Bol and S. Oğuzcan Ünal from Bilkent University, Mert Akkaya from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University and İsmail Ceylan from Ahi Evran University. The main theme of this year, facial features, was approached from various periods and perspectives. Interdisciplinary topics such as anthropology, physiology, history and numismatics were also addressed.
Faculty members, alumni and colleagues from other institutions in Turkey and abroad participated in the Department Symposium, aiming to strengthen their collaborations.
Prof. Roland Smith, of the Department of Archaeology and director of the Aphrodisias excavation, was the keynote speaker. The talks that followed were organized by periods, with Adjunct Asst. Prof. Müge Durusu-Tanrıöver (Bilkent University LAUD and Temple University, Philadelphia), Assoc. Prof. Ali Büyükkarakaya (Hacettepe University) and Assoc. Prof. Emma Baysal (Ankara University) for pre- and protohistory; Prof. Julian Bennett of the Department of Archaeology for the Roman period in Anatolia and Dr. Caroline Thomas for the Roman period in Egypt.
Graduate students, Zeynep Temiz and Uğur Tanrıverdi, moderated the event.
The afternoon session and the weekend field trip to Sagalassos were organized by the students of the club. With energy, enthusiasm and creativity, they prepared files for all the participants and listeners, designed and printed the program and offered small gifts.
The intention is to continue the tradition of Bilkent Archaeology Day as an annual highlight of the Department of Archaeology.
