Introductory slide .ppt | Introductory slide .jpg
Topic: Shipwrecks
A special lecture in honor of J. Richard (Dick) Steffy has been established by the Archaeological Institute of America. The Lecture is made possible by the generous contributions made by the members and friends of our sister organization, the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, and by members of the AIA’s Underwater Interest Group/Subcommittee.
The first lecture, held during the 2008–2009 season, was designed to highlight Dick’s life work on wooden shipbuilding and the interpretation of shipwrecks as they relate to archaeology. According to Jim Delgado, AIA member and head of INA, “Dick’s interests were diverse; he advised on the oldest hulls yet discovered, as well as 19th-century ships.”
In his obituary in the New York Times, it was noted that “among the ships Dr. Steffy reconstructed were the Kyrenia, named after the Cypriot port near where it sank; an 11th-century merchant ship wrecked near Turkey; a first-century Roman boat found buried in Italy; and a British vessel scuttled in the York River in Virginia in 1781.”
A faculty member at Texas A & M University and the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant, Dr. Steffy was known both for his meticulous reconstructions and his engaging lecture style. We are delighted that his friends and colleagues chose to honor his life and work by establishing this lecture fund.
