Nov 27: Byzantine Jewelry in Life and Death

Join us November 27, 2023, at 7:30pm, to explore the role of jewelry in life and death through the archaeology of the Byzantine period.

What can jewelry tell us about the people who lived in a small Epirote village during the late Middle Ages? Where does it belong in the long, intriguing history of Byzantine art? ese two questions are the departure points of my talk, in which I explore the value and meaning of several jewelry pieces unearthed during excavations of a Byzantine cemetery at the village of Parapotamos in Thesprotia, Epiros. My goal is to help us understand these precious objects outside of the museum, and place them back in the original cultural context where they were made and worn.

Dr. Georgios (Yorgos) Makris specializes in Byzantine art and archaeology, placing particular emphasis on the material culture and landscape of monasticism as well as the dissemination and usage of portable objects across the medieval eastern Mediterranean.

We’ll be gathering at 7:30pm at 4500 Arbutus Street in the Upper Hall. Light refreshments should be available as well. We hope to see you there!