Digging Deeper Lecture Series | Current Work at Vindolanda: Archaeological Leather and the Precarious Future of Organic Evidence

Join the Kelsey Museum for our first Digging Deeper lecture of the new academic year! This free, public event will feature a presentation by Dr. Elizabeth M. Greene, Canada Research Chair in Roman Archaeology at the University of Western Ontario, followed by a question-and-answer session.

The Roman site of Vindolanda on the northern frontier of Britain has provided one of the best assemblages of organic material from anywhere in the empire. Over 8,000 leather finds—including nearly 5,000 shoes—and countless wood and bone objects have provided a more complete picture of life in the past than is typical of most sites. However, this invaluable resource is also under threat from environmental shifts, and Vindolanda is also leading the way on several initiatives to understand how climate change is affecting archaeological remains. This talk will first present current work on archaeological leather and then focus on its role in assessing the impact of climate change over the past five decades.

Dr. Greene’s presentation, which is supported by the Kozma Lecture Fund, will take place in the Rackham Amphitheatre, located on the fourth floor of the Rackham Building (915 E. Washington Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109).

This event is free and open to all visitors. If you have any questions or concerns regarding accessing this event, please contact the education office by calling (734) 647-4167. We ask for advance notice as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.