Category: Classics, Philosophy, and Religion
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The possibility of an Intelligent Designer
By Hermela Million Faculty Mentor: Mehdi Aminarazavi Abstract Attribute of design are complexity, structure, function, art, and intentionality. When an intelligent designer designs it is with a specific function in mind. Even if an intelligent designer makes adjustments to a product it is because there is a plan or function for the product. Philosophically, for…
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Re-Imagining Tibetan Buddhist Mandalas: The Practical Incorporation of Contemporary Aesthetics with Traditional Vajrayana Symbolism
By Kaelyn Escuadra Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Barry Abstract Vajrayana or Tantric Buddhism, along with its beliefs and practices, has largely remained hidden from the world; however, the rich tradition has much to offer religiously, philosophically, and through its artwork. This project provides a brief overview of Tibetan Buddhist history, the development of the field…
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Museum of Ancient Mediterranean Cultures at the University of Mary Washington
Student Presenters: Vonne Daszkilewicz, Shilah Morris, Jessica Thorne Faculty Mentor: Liane Houghtalin Abstract: Preview the incipient Museum of Ancient Mediterranean Cultures at the University of Mary Washington. This museum will be an immersive experience, where visitors will be able to move in a reconstructed ancient space, touch the objects there, and experience what it was…
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The Growth and Development of Sarmizegetusa Ulpia Traiana: Taking a Look at the Roman Capital of Dacia from Beginning to End
By Jessica Thorne Faculty Mentor: Liane Houghtalin Abstract Sarmizegetusa Ulpia Traiana served as the capital of the Roman province of Dacia (modern Romania) from 106 CE, when Trajan (r. 98-117 CE) brought the province into the Empire after defeating the Dacians at the end of the second Dacian War, until 271 CE, when Aurelian (r.…
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The Curia Julia: Its History, Materials, Use, and Preservation through the Centuries
By Katharine Bogen Faculty Mentor: Liane Houghtalin Abstract The Curia Julia has one of the most fascinating histories out of all the buildings in Rome. Julius Caesar began its construction (44 BCE) in the Forum Romanum as the meeting place for the Roman Senate, and it continued to serve as such until the eventual fall…
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Beyond Romanization: An Indigenous Study of Cultural Change in Classical Britain
By Brooke D. Prevedel Faculty Mentor: Liane Houghtalin Abstract The Roman Empire is among the best-known empires in the world, renowned for unifying vastly different peoples and lands. The process of these unifications was, at times, something resembling peaceful, but other times, much more violent. Regardless of the method of acquisition, peoples brought into the…
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Like a Shadow or Even a Dream: Memory and Haptic Motifs on Classical Attic Funerary Stelai
By Vonne Daszkilewicz Faculty Mentor: Liane Houghtalin Abstract During the third quarter of the fifth century BCE, Athens witnessed the revival of funerary stele reliefs. Sculpted motifs representing touch and interaction, often situated within familial scenes, characterized the grave monuments and contributed strongly to their tactility. Haptic stele motifs promoted the construction of memory by…
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Using Geological and Archaeological Dating Techniques to Make Historical Conclusions about Santorini: Unlocking Hidden Potential for Aegean Chronologies
By Melody Zeher Faculty Mentor: Liane Houghtalin Abstract The Santorini eruption and tsunami have been argued by historians to be the primary cause of Minoan Palatial decline. To prove this, there has been extensive work done on constructing Aegean chronologies as well as on dating the eruption. Because of the widespread ash fallout, there is…
