January 31, 2024
Congratulations to the individuals, projects, and publications that received awards at the 2024 AIA Award Ceremony in Chicago, IL! Are you interested in applying for any upcoming AIA Awards with spring deadlines (February-April)? We have reached out to last year’s winners to learn about their projects, experiences, and what drew them to the field of archaeology.
Lyvia Morgan – “Wall Paintings and Social Context: The Northeast Bastion at Ayia Irini”
Award: James R. Wiseman Book Award
Deadline: March 15
What drew you to archaeology?
Fascination with what I saw at the Heraklion Museum on Crete, visited as an undergraduate.
What’s next for you professionally?
Currently working on two books. One is on Aegean paintings from an Egyptian palace – The Hunt Frieze at Tell el-Dab’a (Avaris). The other is of broader scope, entitled Art and Ritual Space. The Power of Paintings in Ancient and Medieval Worlds.
How did you get started with your publication?
Having completed my doctorate on the Thera Miniature Frieze, I was invited by the then director of excavations at Ayia Irini on Kea, Elizabeth Schofield, to work with the late Ellen Davis on the wall paintings from the site. In the first season, Ellen and I divided the material. She focused on a frieze of birds from House A, while I was drawn to the miniature paintings from the Northeast Bastion.
Give us the quick public-facing elevator pitch about your award-winning publication:
At the Bronze Age town of Ayia Irini on Kea, two banqueting rooms, uniquely situated within the fortifications, were painted with a Miniature Frieze and large panels of plants. Human actions set within townscapes, landscapes, and the sea vividly express the social life and environment of the people for whom this harbor town was vital within the trading network of the time.
Questions? Learn more about AIA Awards here or reach out to awards@archaeological.org
