The next Badaro Talks lecture ”Ancient Lives, Modern Discoveries: Life and Death in Saida in the 2nd mill BC” will be given by FIME’s new resident scholar Nina Maaranen, an osteoarchaeologist, specialising in the ancient Near East and the study of skeletal human remains.
When: Thursday 24th of April at 6pm.
Where: The FIME premises at 30 Badaro Street, Chaoui Building, 5th floor meeting room.
You can also attend online via Zoom.
We kindly request you to RSVP at the latest on Wednesday 23rd of April through this link, or send an email to us at institute@fime.fi. Let us know if you’re attending in person or online.
Abstract:
Long before Saida was known as the Phoenician city of Sidon, it thrived as a dynamic harbour town with far-reaching trade networks across the eastern Mediterranean. Today, in the heart of modern Saida, the ongoing Sidon Excavation Project has unearthed a wealth of information which spans over 5,000 years of continuous human occupation. Among its most intriguing findings is a Middle Bronze Age cemetery from around 2000-1550 BC — a window into a time when written records are scarce, and archaeology takes centre stage.
Who were the people of this ancient harbour town? Were they locals or newcomers? What rituals marked their celebrations, and what did they eat? The presence of fish in burials is curious, while weapons placed with some individuals hint at tales of conflict or power. Through decades of meticulous excavation, the project has pieced together these mysteries and many more, shedding light on the vibrant past of the Levant and enriching our understanding of life in ancient Sidon and the wider Levantine area.
Bio:
FIME resident scholar Dr Nina Maaranen is an osteoarchaeologist, specialising in the ancient Near East and the study of skeletal human remains. Nina first joined the Sidon Excavation in 2017, and has been collecting, analysing and publishing data of the Sidon assemblage ever since. Currently, she investigates the impact of urbanisation on human health during the Middle Bronze Age, using Sidon as a case study.
