The University of Chicago excavations at the ancient mound at Megiddo — biblical Armageddon — yielded stunning discoveries in the 1920s and 1930s that transformed our understanding of the ancient world. They unearthed biblical-era gates, palaces, stables, and temples, along with gold and ivory treasures, making international headlines in the process.
In this illustrated lecture, Professor Eric H. Cline, who himself excavated at Megiddo for twenty years, drew on archival records and rare photographs left by the participants to present a portrait of a bygone age of archaeology.
His story took us through the infighting that rocked the expedition, as well as the impact of their work on biblical archaeology as a whole. It then finished on a high, with 10 surprising and little-known facts about the excavations.
Dr Cline is Professor of Classics and Anthropology and Director of the Capitol Archaeological Institute at The George Washington University. A National Geographic Explorer, Fulbright and Getty scholar, and NEH Public Scholar with degrees from Dartmouth, Yale, and the University of Pennsylvania, he is an active field archaeologist with more than 30 seasons of excavation and survey experience in Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Cyprus, Greece, Crete, and the United States. These include ten field seasons at Megiddo, and eight seasons at Tel Kabri in Israel, where he is currently Co-Director.
