Archaeologist to speak Feb. 7

Dr. Elizabeth Fentress of the Institute of Archaeology at University College London, will speak at 7 p.m. on Feb. 7 in room UC 200.

Her lecture entitled "Islamizing the Berbers: Excavations at Volubilis and the first centuries of the Arab conquest of North Africa" is sponsored by the Department of Geography at Fresno State, the Fresno County Archaeological Society and the San Joaquin Valley Chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America.

Fentress has been excavating at Walili ( Volubilis) since 2000. Her work has revealed a substantial section of the town that was built during the time of Idriss, including the earliest Islamic baths in North Africa. Her research sheds new light on the Arabization of housing and city planning in the region as well as the continuity of buildings and construction techniques from the Roman period. She provides a new view of the transition of Late Roman North Africa to Islam.

Fentress’ research interests focus on Roman archaeology, especially that of North Africa, and she has directed excavations in Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco, as well as at Cosa, Italy. She is the author of several important works, most recently Romanization and the City.

For further information contact Dr. James Kus at 8-5236 or 325-8020.