Revelations and Archaeology at Sardis

media release: Join us for an exploration of the archaeological history of an ancient capital that became a historic Christian city.

Sardis, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is known from the Bible as one of the seven cities of Revelation. But before that, it was the capital of Lydia, a legendary ancient empire where coinage was first invented. Excavations at this ancient Turkish city have revealed major changes in pagan sanctuaries during the fourth and fifth centuries AD—a period shaped by the recognition and spread of Christianity in the eastern Roman Empire.

For the last 18 years, Dr. Cahill (University of Wisconsin– Madison) has directed the excavations at Sardis. In this lecture, he will reflect on what he has learned through decades of fieldwork.

This lecture is sponsored by the Madison Biblical Archaeology Society and the Archaeological Institute of America – Madison.

Speaker Bio:

Nicholas Cahill specializes in the archaeology of Greece, the Near East, and especially Anatolia. His work focuses on cultural relationships between the Mediterranean and Near East during the Iron Age, as well as Greek and Near Eastern urbanism and household archaeology. He has excavated at Sardis since 1979 and has served as the expedition’s director since 2008. Cahill earned his B.A. from the University of Michigan and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. He is Professor of Greek and Roman Art and Archaeology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.