SMU researchers working with US government to recover remains of lost service personnel

Dr. Aaron Taylor and Dr. Jonathan Fowler work with a 500 Noggin ground-penetrating radar, shown here

A Saint Mary’s University archaeology team is assisting the US government in identifying and recovering the remains of service personnel lost on foreign battlefields.

The Defense Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency (DPAA) is the US government agency responsible for locating, recovering and identifying the remains of unaccounted-for US Department of Defense personnel from past conflicts. This project will focus on World War II (WWII) battlefields and aircraft crash sites. Saint Mary’s is the first university in Canada to partner with DPAA on a project of this nature.

“We have been developing our remote sensing expertise at Saint Mary’s University for several years now, providing assistance to different organizations across Canada,” says Dr. Jonathan Fowler, a professor in the Department of Anthropology.

“For us, these are more than projects. In many instances, we work with people looking for closure and do our best to provide them with that. This is about people who have been lost and bringing them home.”

Dr. Fowler is one of Canada’s leading researchers in archaeological geophysics and remote sensing. His ground-penetrating radar research has successfully mapped burials associated with the 1873 sinking of the SS Atlantic and identified nearly 300 unmarked graves in the pre-Deportation Acadian cemetery at Grand-Pré National Historic Site. Dr. Fowler has also worked with the Sipekne'katik First Nation in recent years related to the former Shubenacadie Residential school site.

The first search project with DPAA is in the final planning stages. It will offer opportunities to students for archaeological field experience in France this summer. Dr. Aaron Taylor BA'09 MA'12 will direct the project.

“Students will participate in excavations of a downed WWII US aircraft in an attempt to recover the remains of an aircrew member who perished in the crash,” says Taylor. “Students will be trained in archaeological field methods and best practices while following forensic archaeology techniques meeting DPAA protocols and guidelines.”

More on this story:

• Canadian Press/CBC article, “Halifax university's technology to help U.S. find missing soldiers on former European battlefields”

• Interview on The Todd Veinotte Show (hour three)

• To find out more about the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), visit dpaa.mil

Meet your Valedictorian: Mehak Tekchandani BA’22 CertHRM’22, Faculty of Arts

Mehak Tekchandani

Mehak Tekchandani of New Delhi, India landed a terrific job in Toronto last summer, soon after finishing her studies at Saint Mary’s University. Just a week into her new post as an associate consultant with IBM Canada, she returned briefly to Halifax to be valedictorian at the fall graduation. Hurricane Fiona had other ideas and the ceremonies were postponed. Mehak is thrilled to be back on campus this week to graduate summa cum laude and receive her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology, with a minor in economics and certificate in human resource management.

During her time at Saint Mary’s, Mehak excelled as a co-op student, and volunteered at the Language Centre and as vice-president for the Speak Up Society. She worked and lived on campus as a research assistant, teaching assistant, residence assistant and residence service officer. She capped off her final year representing Saint Mary’s at the National Model United Nations conference in New York, where the university’s team received a Distinguished Delegation Award last April. 

Why did you choose to study at Saint Mary’s University?
To be honest, it was more about Saint Mary’s University choosing me. I was given the Presidential Scholarship, which was a big help for me in achieving my academic goals. It was also my first time staying away from my family and SMU had an amazing reputation for being international-friendly and located in the heart of Halifax, a perfect blend of a big city and small town. Looking back, I couldn’t have asked for anything better.
Do you have a favourite space on campus?

Definitely Tim Hortons! I will never forget the conversations that brewed at those white round tables.   

How was your Model United Nations experience? 
We met people from all over the world. It was fascinating to hear their thoughts and how one action has a different ripple effect all over the globe. I realized how big the world really is and how much there is to know and explore. If you are at SMU, I would highly encourage you to take this course! I’d also like to acknowledge those who made our trip possible: Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray, who helped us with the US visa process, and our amazing professor Dr. Marc Doucet, who was a constant support and a rock for our team of delegates.
Can you tell us a bit about your work with IBM Canada?

There’s a lot to learn and a lot to contribute. Young professionals like me are eager to make a mark in their chosen field but I think it’s important to take a seat back from time to time and truly understand how the system works. This helps make those contributions all the more meaningful. People are diverse, inclusive and incredibly encouraging. I am looking forward to what this journey has to offer. 

 What’s the inspiration behind your wonderful new blog?

The power of words is unimaginable and I love storytelling in all its forms. My blog “Predictable People” is a set of fictional stories of street vendors and others you pass by. How do people make bonds? How do people truly understand each other? How do we change a mindset? My hope is for readers to be a little more brave and a little more kind, for it could mean the world to so many. And it would mean the world to me, if you gave the blog a read 😂.

 Do you have any advice for future students coming to Saint Mary’s? 

Please get involved. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Remember to celebrate little victories along the way. University can be hard sometimes but there is always help; it’s just a matter of reaching out. Lastly, make friends and make meaningful memories. I am deeply thankful to my friends, who have been a constant support and made SMU feel like home away from home.

Watch Mehak’s valedictory speech on January 27 at 10 a.m. via the convocation live-stream.  

Read Mehak’s blog

Dr. Pádraig Ó Siadhail reflects on three decades with Irish Studies

Pádraig Ó Siadhail

When Dr. Pádraig Ó Siadhail emigrated from Ireland for an academic career at Saint Mary’s, faculty members and students were still using manual typewriters. During his 31 years as D’Arcy McGee Chair of Irish Studies, the biggest shift he saw over time was the advent of computer technology and the internet, he says.

Now Professor Emeritus, Dr. Ó Siadhail has contributed to a major shift in Irish Studies over the same timeframe: growth in the study of the Irish diaspora, and how the Irish maintain their cultural connections when they live in other countries. 

“It’s a two-way process,” he says. “It’s not just about providing our students with opportunities to learn about Ireland, but it’s also about the stories of what happens to Irish people when they come to Canada, the contributions they make, and the way in which their attachment to their homeland plays out in different ways.”

Born and raised in Derry, Ó Siadhail completed his PhD at Trinity College Dublin in 1985, at a time when Ireland was experiencing a significant period of emigration. He came overseas to Saint Mary’s for a one-year contract, which was renewed twice before it became a permanent position. He held the D’Arcy McGee Chair from 1991 to the summer of 2022. As the sole full-time faculty member in Irish Studies, he taught core courses in Irish language, culture and society, as well as cross-listed English and Linguistics courses.

In the earlier years, Ó Siadhail worked closely with Dr. Cyril J. Byrne to establish the undergraduate Irish Studies program. As a result of their work, Saint Mary’s was the first Canadian university to offer a major in Irish Studies. The program has earned an international reputation for its emphasis on Irish language instruction.    

“When Cyril established the endowed chair in 1986 and then the academic program, from day one he stressed the importance of providing Irish language training to our students,” says Ó Siadhail. He adds that faculty members such as Dr. Seán Kennedy, with his work as a Samuel Beckett scholar and on the Queering Ireland conferences, have also expanded the program’s academic reach far beyond Canada.  

A past president of the Canadian Association for Irish Studies (2009-2012), Ó Siadhail has served for many years on the editorial committee of the Canadian Journal of Irish Studies. In recent years, his own research has focused on the Irish language in a transnational context. He recently completed a book manuscript on the Irish language and South Africa, and he’s diving into a new project on the story of Irish in Canada.

Among his nine book publications are a murder mystery, a collection of short stories, a history of Irish-language theatre, and award-winning biographies of Piaras Béaslaí, an influential player in the early 20th-century Irish cultural revival, and of PEI-born Katherine Hughes, an activist in the cause of Irish independence.

Though he’s no longer teaching, Ó Siadhail remains working on campus several days a week… and still logs plenty of computer time! When he’s not busy with his research, he hopes to catch up on some travelling and get back to fiction writing again.

“I will always remain interested in what’s happening with the Irish Studies program,” says Ó Siadhail. He’s also a keen follower of the Huskies men’s soccer team—his  son Cian is an accomplished athlete who was team captain last year.

Dr. Ó Siadhail’s impact as D’Arcy McGee Chair will be recognized during the Convocation ceremony on January 27 at 10 a.m. Watch via the convocation live-stream.

Learn more about Irish Studies at SMU

Saint Mary’s students research Sable Island horse skulls

Sable Island is a place of mystery and history, a remote island in the North Atlantic fabled for its sand dunes and shipwrecks, and almost impossible for the average person to access. But for naturalists and biologists, there is much to learn, especially from studying the wild horses who thrive there.  

On a November evening, dozens of Haligonians gathered in the McNally Theatre Auditorium to hear the latest Sable Island research and get up close to the skulls of these unique horses collected over 30 years by Zoe Lucas, President of the Sable Island Institute.  Katharyn Chadwick and Richard Orton, doctoral students at Saint Mary’s University, collaborated on the project with the Sable Island Institute, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History and was possible due to funding from SMU Works. The project involved 716 skulls and more than 13,000 measurements and over 6000 photographs. Members of the public were invited to ​view​ the skulls on display, ask questions​,​ and even carefully touch the specimens. ​Two​ skull​s​ stood out​, one​ for ​a​​ ​large growth protruding from the upper jaw and ​the other for an ​odd deterioration​ and pitting of the​ lower jaw.  The researchers want to know if anyone can suggest what caused th​ese​ malformation​s; suggestions include a bone abscess or tumour, and a root canal abscess​.  

More importantly, why study this group of horses and their skulls for clues about their development,​ variation in skull morphology and age?​ Richard and Katharyn explain that ​​since the horses first arrived on Sable Island there have been numerous introductions of other horse breeds, to improve breeding stock, provide additional labour and produce foals for resale back on the mainland. This has likely led to a complex mixing of the population, with genetic work revealing traces of Morgan, Clydesdale, and Thoroughbred.​ Sable Island horses have been isolated for at least 50 years and it is common that island populations exhibit unique traits.

“However, we do not always understand the biological mechanisms underpinning such unique adaptations,” says Katharyn Chadwick. “ Therefore, a deeper understanding of the ​skull ​morphology might further our understanding of the evolution of the Sable Island horses​ and highlight any unusual morphologies unique to this population​​.”

One of the main aims of the project was to catalogue this unique collection, photographing each skull, estimating age, and noting gender unusual features, post-mortem/storage damage and injuries. Finally, thousands of bagged teeth were paired with the correct skulls.​​     ​​ 

​​​From the teeth, several well-described aging metrics commonly used in equine studies were recorded for each horse. Using data collected by Zoe Lucas on known age horses, the researchers hope to confirm the suitable use of these metrics for the Sable Island horses.​​     ​​ 

“Kate and Richard’s study of the horse skulls is an important contribution to the Sable Island Institute’s long-term research program. There is still much to be learned from the collection, and now we have a detailed inventory and preliminary data that will assist in planning follow-up work,” says Zoe Lucas. “This unique and extensive reference collection will enable the Institute to study variations within the Sable population. It will also provide a basis for comparisons with other groups and breeds of horses, as well as with Sable Island horses living on the Island decades from now. This project has been a very productive and encouraging collaboration, and the Sable Island Institute looks forward to further work with Saint Mary’s University and the Nova Scotia Museum.”

Both PhD candidates have travelled from other countries to pursue their studies at the Frasier Lab at Saint Mary’s University. In addition to their research project on the Sable Island horses, they will be addressing conservation concerns of the North Atlantic Right Whale using different genetic approaches. Specifically, Katharyn Chadwick’s thesis is centered on understanding how ship strikes and non-lethal entanglements lead to ​changes in ​gene​     ​​ expression​​     ​​ via epigenetic​ modifications, while Richard Orton is assessing the impact of genetic mutation on reproductive success in North Atlantic Right Whales. 

Celebrating excellence: Saint Mary’s faculty recognized for external research funding

Dr. Gavin Fridell, Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in International Development Studies and Dr. Adam Sarty, Associate Vice-President, Research.

Dr. Kevin Kelloway, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Occupational Health Psychology and Dr. Adam Sarty, Associate Vice-President, Research.

Researchers at Saint Mary’s University continue to be recognized for their important work in their fields, securing over $11 million dollars in external funding in the form of research contracts, Canada Research Chair positions and tri-council grants, over the last 12 months.

A celebration to honour 90 researchers from faculties of Science, Arts, and the Sobey School of Business took place in the McNally Theatre Auditorium on November 10th. A few examples of how their research contributions will impact our communities include investigating healthcare resource planning for older adults, exploring how to retain international students in Atlantic Canada, and enhancing Canadian vaccination strategies using machine learning and business analytics.

Special recognition was given to Dr. Gavin Fridell, Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in International Development Studies (2012 to 2022) and Dr. Kevin Kelloway, Tier 1 CRC in Occupational Health Psychology (2008 to 2022) for completing their CRC terms during their academic careers at Saint Mary’s University.

Our ecosystems will benefit from Saint Mary’s researchers that are implementing small-scale fisheries guidelines, conducting salt marsh restoration and community-based watershed monitoring. Other research is determining the future impacts of freezing and storing sperm to assist the endangered Inner Bay of Fundy Salmon population.

The quality of research happening here at Saint Mary’s University is something that we should all be proud of, congratulations again to the CRCs who recently completed their terms, and all of those that have been recognized.

Telling unheard stories: unlocking museum collections

The soul of a community is embodied by culture and the telling of stories, but what happens when the stories told are not aligned with lived experiences? Partnering with the Association of Nova Scotia Museums and communities across Nova Scotia, Dr. Kirrily Freeman is working to help museums unlock their collections and ensure that history is told accurately. Her students gain experience ensuring that the history and heritage of African Nova Scotian, Acadian, Gaelic and Mi’kmaq communities are better represented in Nova Scotian museums.  

“Community engagement is integral to the whole process,” says Dr. Freeman. “Communities are telling us what is needed, what is missing and what needs to be done to move forward. This knowledge will influence not just how we proceed but hopefully will shape the future of museum work in the province.” 

Maggie MacIntyre, Executive Director of the Association of Nova Scotia Museums, is excited about the short and long-term benefits of this partnership with Saint Mary's.

“Working with students is giving us the capacity to move community-centered work forward,” she says. “In the long run, we see it playing a big role in creating the next generation of museum professionals.”   

Dr. Freeman says their priority is to ensure marginalized groups have access to their communities’ histories and material culture. “We all benefit from having a more inclusive, more nuanced, more comprehensive representation of the past.”

Did you know? Dr. Kirrily Freeman is piloting two new courses, ‘Museum Fundamentals: Unlocking Community Collections’ and ‘Heritage Field Placement’, as part of a newly proposed Public Humanities and Heritage major in the Faculty of Arts.  

Related stories:

• In her own words: An inspiring introduction to the Lynn Jones Collection

• Faculty of Arts appoints Dr. Kirrily Freeman as Director of Outreach and Experiential Learning

• What’s in a name? For the Ta’n Weji-sqalia’tiek Mi’kmaw Place Names Project, a Lot

Nova Scotia launches new Atlantic Media Preservation Laboratory, Margaret Perry exhibit

Dr. Jennifer VanderBurgh

Artists, researchers and film lovers will have better access to Atlantic Canada’s remarkable film heritage through a new lab at the Nova Scotia Archives, partially inspired by the work of Saint Mary’s University led research team.

The Atlantic Media Preservation Laboratory, a partnership between the archives and the Atlantic Filmmakers Co-operative, will help ensure film from earlier eras is protected and preserved. The lab will preserve the work of artists like film pioneer Margaret Perry, the subject of the new online exhibit Margaret Perry: A Life in Film.

“Margaret Perry is one of the most influential, yet unknown, people in Nova Scotia in the 20th century,” says Saint Mary’s University Associate Professor Dr. Jennifer VanderBurgh, and lead of the research team examining Margaret Perry and her work. “Her promotional films about the province offer us a glimpse into how Nova Scotia saw itself in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s, or at least how the government wanted others to see the province. Perry was very interested in highlighting women's labour, co-operative labour, and how things were done or made. The films reflect her interests and understanding of Nova Scotia.”

To support the new lab, the Province of Nova Scotia provided $35,000 to the filmmakers co-operative toward a $70,000 archivist Lasergraphics motion picture film scanning systems scanner. The federal government also provided additional funding.

“Archival films have the power to change the world by helping us understand and bring awareness to important issues, events and people of the past,” says Pat Dunn, Minister of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage. “This new specialized film lab is the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada and will help ensure our stories continue to be told.”

The exhibit on Perry’s work officially launched on in September, as part of FIN Atlantic International Film Festival and can be found here.   

Faculty of Arts appoints Dr. Kirrily Freeman as Director of Outreach and Experiential Learning

Dr. Kirrily Freeman (centre) with MA (History) student Naomi Kent (left) and Pam Corell of the SMU University Art Gallery (right).

The Faculty of Arts is very pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Kirrily Freeman as its first Director of Outreach and Experiential Learning. The appointment is for a three-year term, effective September 1, 2022 through August 31, 2025, says Dr. Mary Ingraham, Dean of Arts.  

“This position will assist us in recruitment and outreach to schools and community organizations, as well as support and enhance experiential learning opportunities for our students,” Ingraham says.

In her new role, Freeman will provide leadership and support to departments and programs in developing, expanding and promoting outreach programs and experiential learning opportunities.  

“This new position is very exciting,” says the history professor. “This is an opportunity to build on our strengths as a Faculty in community engaged research, teaching and service. I’m really looking forward to supporting my colleagues in their outreach work, bringing a range of experiential learning opportunities to our students, and fostering community partnerships for the Faculty of Arts.”

Freeman brings a depth of experience to this work, having served for seven years as Coordinator of the Nova Scotia Provincial Heritage Fair, an annual event involving partnerships with schools, government departments and cultural organizations across the province.  

She forged a new memorandum of understanding between the Faculty of Arts and the Association of Nova Scotia Museums (ANSM), which is building museum studies programming and research internships for Saint Mary’s students. She and students in a pilot Museum Fundamentals and Decolonizing Collections course were involved in community consultations across the province this summer as part of ANSM’s “Unlocking Community Museum Collections” digitization strategy.

In another recent project, Freeman collaborated with community leaders in creating a tribute to the No. 2 Construction Company, Canada’s “Black Battalion” in the First World War, which was a highlight in this summer’s Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo.

“Universities have a duty to serve the communities of which we are a part. Our professors and students in the Faculty of Arts are a great resource, and in turn we can learn so much from engagement and partnership with communities. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to help the Faculty of Arts enhance its efforts in this area,” she says.  

An historian of modern Europe, Freeman focuses on the cultural history of western Europe in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in her teaching and research. Her publications include The Town of Vichy and the Politics of Identity: Stigma, Victimhood & Decline (Palgrave Pivot, 2022), Reading the Postwar Future: Textual Turning Points from 1944 (Bloomsbury, 2019), and Bronzes to Bullets: Vichy and the Destruction of French Public Statuary, 1941-1944 (Stanford, 2009). She recently created two interactive web-based story maps, The Destruction of Bronze Statues in the Second World War and The Destruction of Church Bells in the Second World War.

Photo: Dr. Kirrily Freeman (centre) with MA (History) student Naomi Kent (left) and Pam Corell of the SMU University Art Gallery (right).

Celebrating excellence: Dr. Danika van Proosdij elected as a new Fellow of The Royal Society of Canada

Dr. Danika van Proosdij

Saint Mary’s University is proud to share that Dr. Danika van Proosdij has been elected as one of the new Fellows by The Royal Society of Canada (RSC) and its members.  

“Being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada is an incredible honour. It should come as no surprise to anyone who has had the pleasure of working with Danika that her outstanding contributions to her field of research are being recognized,” says Dr. Adam Sarty, Associate Vice-President, Research, and Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at Saint Mary’s University. 

Dr. van Proosdij is the Director of TransCoastal Adaptations: Centre for Nature-Based Solutions and a professor with the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Saint Mary’s. Dr. van Proosdij is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and is studying how coastal systems respond to natural and human drivers of change and is leveraging this understanding to integrate nature-based adaptation options in the protection of coastal communities. She has over 25 years of applied ecosystem-based coastal adaptation projects and vulnerability assessments in Canada and abroad.  

One hundred and two new Fellows have been elected by their peers for their outstanding scholarly, scientific and artistic achievements. Recognition by the RSC for career achievement is the highest honour an individual can achieve in the Arts, Social Sciences and Sciences. 

On Friday, November 25, 2022, the RSC will welcome the 2022 class of new Fellows and new Members of the RSC College and present awards for outstanding research and scholarly achievement. The ceremonies will be held in person in Calgary, Alberta.  

Founded in 1882, the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) comprises the Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences and The College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. The RSC recognizes excellence, advises the government and the larger society, and promotes a culture of knowledge and innovation in Canada and with other national academies around the world. 

Pioneering N.S. filmmaker Margaret Perry focus of three-night event series with FIN, N.S. Archive

Margaret Perry

The career work of pioneering Nova Scotia filmmaker Margaret Perry is being showcased with a digital release, artist interventions, and three nights of events from the Atlantic International Film Festival, the Nova Scotia Archives and a team led by a Saint Mary's University researcher.

"Margaret Perry is one of the most influential yet unknown people in Nova Scotia in the 20th century. Her promotional films about the province offer us a glimpse into how Nova Scotia saw itself in the 40s, 50s and 60s, or at least how the government wanted others to see the province," says Saint Mary's University Associate Professor Dr. Jennifer VanderBurgh, and the lead organizer behind the events. "Although these are technically government films, they are also documentaries and artist-made works. Perry's influence can be felt in all her films. She was very interested in highlighting women's labour, cooperative labour, and how things were done or made. The films reflect her interests and understanding of Nova Scotia."

The event series, Activating an Archive: Margaret Perry and the Nova Scotia Film Bureau, mark the digital release of the career work of Margaret Perry, one of Canada's most important and least-known woman filmmakers and early film bureaucrats.

The events are:

• Monday, Sept. 19, 2022, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

  • A reception at the Public Archives of Nova Scotia.

• Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, at 6:10 p.m.

  • A sample screening of Perry’s work in film and a Q&A at FIN, the Atlantic International Film Festival.

• Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, at 7 p.m.

  • A talk by Dr. Jennifer VanderBurgh at the Halifax Central Library, discussing the collection, the process of digitizing/activating it (and some related ethical complexities), and the discovery of materials that shed new light on Perry’s artistic development and filmmaking practice. 

Dr. Jennifer VanderBurgh

Starting out in New Brunswick as a wartime projectionist where she taught herself to make short films about everyday life, Perry went to Ottawa to work with John Grierson at the National Film Board of Canada. In 1945, Perry moved to Halifax to become Director of the Nova Scotia Film Bureau, where between 1945-1969 she made and oversaw the production of over fifty promotional films that depicted Nova Scotia as a tourist destination, an industrial and agricultural centre, and a complex site of cultural heritage.

"For a long time, this collection has been ignored, often without being seen, on charges of being boring government film,” says Dr. VanderBurgh. “In reframing and animating this collection as artist-made works, we're reconsidering the significance of these films, what they remember, and some of the ethical considerations and responsibilities of activating the collection in Nova Scotia today."

More information about Margaret Perry and the Nova Scotia Film Bureau Films and the research of Dr. Vanderburgh and her research team.

Unearthing the story of Italy's Indigenous communities

Photo credit: Roberto Lalinga

---

Students at Saint Mary’s University are helping to shed new light on previously overlooked perspectives from the ancient past, thanks to new research partnerships that have taken root in Italy.

The Metaponto Archaeology Project field school was “a life-changing experience” for students who took part in it this spring, says Dr. Sveva Savelli, assistant professor in Ancient Studies and Intercultural Studies. She taught the new field course in May at the Incoronata “greca” excavation site near the town of Pisticci (Matera), along with Dr. Spencer Pope of McMaster University, under the auspices of the Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio della Basilicata.

Dr. Sveva Savelli
Photo: Simone Foresta

Fourth-year philosophy major Ken Finlay agrees. “I would highly encourage anybody with even the slightest interest in archaeology to sign up for the field school. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience and is sure to deepen your interest in classics even further,” says Finlay, who aims to pursue a law degree after graduating with his Bachelor of Arts.

Located in the “instep of the boot” on the map of southern Italy, the site was home to thriving Indigenous communities (the Oenotrians) between the 9th and 7th centuries BCE when Greek settlers began arriving. Past archaeology efforts in the region, now known as Basilicata, have focused mainly on the Greek settler histories. This research goes farther back, investigating the colonial dynamics during a period when the Oenotrians and Greeks first interacted in the area, prior to the founding of the Greek colony of Metaponto.

“It’s very interesting because it seemed to be a very peaceful relationship, mostly traders and potters who arrived. Incoronata “greca” was a place where the relationship was fruitful for both communities,” says Savelli, co-director of the research project along with Pope.

The research has been underway for a number of years but reached a key milestone this spring with the discovery of a structure believed to be an Oenotrian hut, plus a motherlode of artifacts, she says.

“It has been an amazing season. We were not expecting quite so many archaeological finds. Our students were incredibly lucky in this sense. We basically pulled out thousands of shards of pottery!”

Available again next spring, the field course builds on Saint Mary’s existing strengths in archaeology research and education. Another offering in Italy through the ancient studies program is Dr. Myles McCallum’s annual field course at the Villa of Titus Archaeology Research Project near Castel Sant’Angelo, which resumed in May and June after a two-year hiatus during the pandemic. In both field courses, students learn many aspects of what it means to be an archaeologist, from excavation skills to lab tasks such as sorting and cataloguing artifacts—and most importantly, teamwork.

“Students were not aware of the collegial aspect of this profession,” says Savelli. “So working together as a team, especially coming out of this period of COVID isolation, really created an excitement in the group.” Visiting scholars at the field school shared expertise in everything from topography to how to use a microscope in archaeometry. Finlay said another big highlight for students was their own research presentations—each student researched a nearby temple or monument, then gave their presentations at those actual sites.

“It was a cultural experience for them,” says Savelli, who is from Rome and worked at Queen’s University before joining Saint Mary’s in July 2020. There was a lot of interest from the local community as well. Media outlets reported on a visit from Pisticci Mayor Domenico Albano, who also held a special dinner for the students and researchers.

“There is a Canadian connection already,” says Savelli. “In the town it’s like a parade, everybody stops us. Many people have a cousin or brother who moved to Canada.”

Partnership with the National Archaeological Museum of Naples

National Archaeological Museum of Naples

Museum Director Paolo Giulierini

The Piana Campana: A Land Without Borders
Photo credit: Livia Pacera MANN/Electa

---

Here on campus this fall, students have another unique opportunity for hands-on research experience in Savelli’s new course, ANCS/ICST 3506: Cultural Property Protection in a Global World. Through a partnership between Saint Mary’s and the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli (MANN), led by Museum Director Paolo Giulierini, the class will collaborate with the museum on a project involving the “Spinelli Archaeological Collection” led by Senior Curator Dr. Emanuela Santaniello.

“Students will be involved in the tracking of archaeological finds from the necropolis of Suessula, in the interland of Naples, that are now dispersed in museums all over Europe and North America,” says Savelli.

Mapping these objects will help the museum lay the groundwork for future exhibitions, narrating the story of how cultural heritage has scattered to different parts of the world. With some creativity, other museums housing artifacts could take part in presenting this international picture, even in a digital format.

“I hope the class becomes a workshop and a think tank on cultural property and the international issues related to its restitution and repatriation,” says Savelli.

She worked closely with the museum last year as a member of its research team behind an exhibition, “The Piana Campana. A Land without Borders.” Still ongoing, the exhibition focuses on Iron Age interactions among Greek settlers, Etruscans and Indigenous communities in the Piana Campana region north of Naples.

It’s all part of a bigger project that will enable more field schools, student exchanges and internships in the future. The opportunities for students stem from a memorandum of agreement between the museum and Saint Mary’s, signed in 2020 to foster scientific and academic cooperation.

“Through this partnership, ancient studies in Italy take a prime position in our international academic offerings,” says Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray, President and Vice-Chancellor of Saint Mary’s. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for us to collaborate with one of the most important archaeological museums in the world, whose holdings include the Farnese and Pompeian Collections and thousands of other artifacts from Etruscan, Greek, and Egyptian civilizations.”

Dr. Giulierini adds: “The MANN is pleased to offer educational opportunities for Canadian students and faculty, and to provide first-hand knowledge of ancient material culture.”

The partnership complements the field projects at Villa di Tito and Incoronata “greca”, says Savelli, enhancing opportunities for students to learn about the conservation and management of archaeological collections. As a researcher, the most intriguing aspect for her is taking a fresh look at colonial times in the ancient world, and seeing what it can teach us about the present.

“This is really about how each country defines its own identity through its past. And it’s not just about the past—for us in Canada, it’s also about our reality.”

---

Learn more about the Ancient Studies program and field schools available through the Faculty of Arts. Follow the Metaponto Archaeology Project on Instagram at @metaponto_arch_proj and the Villa of Titus Archaeology Project on Facebook at @villaditito.

Related stories:

• SMU archaeologist brings history into focus with LiDAR and 3D tech

• Saint Mary’s University Anthropologist Investigates Former Shubenacadie Residential School Site

• Honouring the Landscape of Grand Pré: Students reflect on research connections

SMU researcher says learning about and living the ideals of fair trade starts with a conversation

Dr. Gavin Fridell (centre), with Joey Pitoello and Vicki Matthews of Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-op in Grand Pré, Nova Scotia. Just Us! serves as a community partner and case study for Fridell’s fair trade classes at Saint Mary’s University. CREDIT: Ian Selig.

Creating local to global connections in a meaningful way to foster equitable, ethical and sustainable trade relationships is what the fair trade movement is all about.

And according to Saint Mary’s University (SMU) researcher Dr. Gavin Fridell, the challenge is to achieve these objectives by combining certification and advocacy into a united movement.

Fridell says that while there’s no one road to fair trade, people who are interested can, “use that fair trade cup of coffee or banana as a moment of reflection on what you think the world needs.” PHOTO CREDIT: Ian Selig.

A Canada Research Chair in International Development Studies at SMU, Fridell studies issues around trade from both social and social justice lenses, including perspectives of politics and history.

As a long-time advocate for price regulations, and after years of collaboration with groups including the Canadian Fair Trade Network, Fridell also delves into more abstract mechanisms of fair-trade advocacy, rules and politics in the global trading world.

“There’s a need for real government support and government policies for small farmers to thrive,” Fridell says. “If you remove government support, you open up the market to the largest players, who very often crush the small ones.”

Locally, the Just Us! Coffee Roaster Co-Op in Grand Pré models many of the objectives that Fridell advocates for. Run as a democratic co-operative with an awareness of social, environmental and economic impact, partnered with small-producer farm co-ops in the global south, Just Us! serves as a community leader and case study for his students, including a class field trip to the roaster.

In his classes and on the broader university campus, Fridell says he’s observed interest in fair trade from others, but that the challenge is translating these interests into impact, and lessening barriers to doing so.

“I don’t think there’s one simple road, but you can use that fair trade cup of coffee or banana as a moment of reflection on what you think the world needs,” says Fridell. He says this awareness can be the beginning for thinking politically about what it means to live in a world with so much unfair and unsustainable trade.

For those interested in advancing the goals of Fair Trade, Fridell recommends The Fair Trade Handbook: Building a Better World, Together. Published in October 2021, the handbook features contributions from fair-trade organizations and researchers, including Fridell as author and co-editor.

“The book is designed to motivate ideas and energize people to get involved in fair trade, but the discussion also acknowledges the limits of fair trade,” says Fridell. “The book can be read as a continual dialogue which is, I think, what fair trade should be, ultimately.”

For more information on Dr. Gavin Fridell’s research, visit smu.ca/researchers/arts/gavinfridell/.