Professor Dorothy Bosch Keller to Speak on “The Pleasure of Ruins: Algeria, Libya and Egypt” on Tuesday, October 6
Dorothy Bosch Keller, professor and chair of the Fine and Performing Arts Department at Saint Joseph College, will deliver a slide lecture/presentation based on her recent trip to Algeria, Libya and Egypt, where she toured ancient ruins. A renowned art historian, archeologist, and photographer, Professor Keller has traveled extensively throughout the Middle East, working with members of the Egyptian Council of Antiquities and participating in numerous excavations. On Tuesday, October 6, 2009, she will present “The Pleasure of Ruins: Algeria, Libya and Egypt” at 7:00 p.m. in The Bruyette Athenaeum’s Hoffman Auditorium at Saint Joseph College. The presentation is free and open to the public.
Framing her discussion of the topic of ancient ruins as a source of inspiration and learning, Professor Keller will guide audience members through the three nation’s complex sites. Her intent is to reveal how “myth, mystery and archeology intertwine to shed light on the past.” Highlights of the presentation include her trip to Algeria, which was only opened to Americans in the past year. There, Professor Keller visited the Roman city of Tipasa (founded by the Phoenicians) and Timgad, which housed the Roman military. In Libya, she visited the Roman coastal city Sabratha and Leptis Magna, the largest Roman city in North Africa.
“Because these two countries have rarely been visited by Westerners, the retrieval of key archeological information has been difficult,” Professor Keller said. “Although much is still buried and remains to be discovered, we are now at a point in history where the thrill of applied scholarship and discovery is being felt as these formidable civilizations are reassembled.”
Marking her 46thtrip to Egypt, she focused on the Delta, which is undergoing vast reconstruction and includes the remains of Dynasties 22 and 23. Professor Keller will also discuss her time in Tanis, known in Hebrew scripture as the city of Zoan.
“The Pleasure of Ruins: Algeria, Libya and Egypt” will feature photography from Professor Keller’s travels and will include a question and answer period. For further information, contact Professor Keller at dkeller@sjc.edu.
