Pounder reveals alum archaeologists

Uncovering an artifact from the earth and reconstructing an ancient culture through examination and interpretation of the materials is just part of the job for an archaeologist. Every trace of what remains from a past society helps to build an understanding of how the society functions; every artifact is a piece in the larger societal puzzle. It is this enigmatic challenge that often finds archeologists whose own lives become engrained in their work. Robert Pounder, Professor Emeritus of Classics, will give a lecture on this relation of life and work, covering the lives of two prominent American archaeological couples: Bert Hodge Hill and Ida Thallon Hill (Vassar class of 1897), and Carl Blegen and Elizabeth Pierce Blegen (Vassar class of 1910).

"This lecture will provide a biographical sketch of [these] four prominent American archaeologists of the first half of the 20th century and discussion of their intertwined personal and professional lives," wrote Pounder in an e-mailed statement.
Pounder will discuss the personal lives and professional work of these four iconic archaeologists, and the way in which the two were intimately connected.
"It will also offer brief analysis of their work in Greece and its influence on archaeology as a science and social institution," Pounder explained.

Pounder said that lectures by retired faculty members are a longstanding tradition in the Classics Department. "In the Vassar Classics Department there has long been a tradition of inclusion of retired professors in departmental activities, even though retirees have no formal duties," he said.

Pounder's lecture, entitled "Bert & Ida & Carl & Libbie: Four Lives in Archaeology," will focus on the lives of these four American archaeologists as well as covering the influence archaeology has had on the analytical study of ancient civilizations. "Archaeology is the study of ancient cultures through examination and interpretation of material remains, which may include artifacts, architecture, skeletal remains or flora and fauna," explained Pounder.
Unlike other lectures that solely focus on the technical results of archaeology, Pounder's lecture will flow in and out of the archeologists' personal lives to navigate their lifetime careers in archaeology and their influence on the field's development. "Lectures such as this attempt to place prominent scholars in a human context and to view their scholarly achievements in terms of their personal lives," explained Pounder.

Pounder explained that, because of the lecture's focus on the lives as well as the work of the four archaeologists, it will be interesting and accessible even to audiences who know nothing about classics or archaeology. "This lecture is really about human commitment and accommodation to circumstance and defiance of societal convention," wrote Pounder. "As such, it may interest classicists and general audiences alike."

The lecture should be interesting to a general audience at Vassar in particular, since both Elizabeth Pierce Blegen and Ida Thallon Hill were Vassar alumnae, and Ida Thallon Hill was also a Vassar professor.

Though he has retired as a professor, Pounder currently works for the College part-time as a Special Assistant to President Catharine Bond Hill. He explained that this job consists of "assisting President Hill and my colleagues in the fundraising efforts that are vital to institutional strength."