December 9, 2013
The Central Texas Society of the AIA celebrated International Archaeology Day 2013 by holding its sixth Annual Ancient Archaeology Playdate, in which faculty and students at UT Austin present the results of their current fieldwork and research. The playdate is organized by Professor Rabun Taylor, who presided over this year’s presentations. There was a series of exciting reports this year, oriented heavily to Pompeian research: Ivo van der Graaff, a recent PhD in UT’s Art History program and currently a lecturer in Classics, discussed his innovative dissertation work on the walls of Pompeii; Jackie DiBiasie, a PhD candidate in the Classics department, presented some preliminary conclusions about the distribution of graffiti in Pompeian houses, the topic of her dissertation; and Ben Crowther, a second-year PhD student in Classics, discussed his summer research on doorways and access to public space around the Quadriporticus near the Triangular Forum at Pompeii. Undergrad Ryan Baker rounded out the session with an exciting presentation on his work with UAVs and aerial 3D photogrammetry. A highlight of the afternoon came when Ryan passed around one of the drones his start-up company has built. The audience included both members of the general public and the UT community, and ranged in age from elementary school students to senior citizens.
International Archaeology Day Blog
