Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Environmental Studies Program Anagnostis Agelarakis received the distinction of having one of the most exciting Top 10 Discoveries named by Archaeology magazine (www.archaeology.org)
For nearly two decades, Dr. Agelarakis, an archaeologist and expert in physical/forensic anthropology and paleopathology, has worked to unearth the untold stories of people buried some 2,800 years ago at the site of Orthi Petra in Eleutherna, Crete, illuminating the role of women in the “Dark Ages” of Greece. Last summer, the remains of four females who shared a genetic dental trait, ranging in age from about seven to seventy, were excavated in an eighth-century B.C. monumental funerary building. Rare jewelry and other precious artifacts from the tomb, including a stone altar, a miniature bronze saw and ladle, and a rare glass phiale for rituals and for pouring libations, suggest these women played an important role in Eleutherna. The discovery of a powerful female bloodline where an important high priestess and her three female protégés were laid to rest, challenge the scholarly community to reevaluate their importance and role in the “Dark Ages” of Greece.
Dr. Agelarakis joined Adelphi University in 1990. A specialist in archaeological anthropology, human ecology, and ethnography, he has contributed to numerous excavations spanning the millennia throughout the eastern Mediterranean, and in recent years, has written for Archaeology magazine. Since 1990, more than 100 Adelphi students have had the opportunity to assist him on numerous research trips to Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, and Israel during summer field seasons. In addition, more than 50 of his undergraduate students have been nationally recognized for their research in forensics and physical anthropology.
To learn more about Adelphi University, visit www.adelphi.edu. For more information on the Department of Anthropology, visit http://academics.adelphi.edu/
About Adelphi University: Adelphi University, chartered in 1896, was the first institution of higher education for the liberal arts and sciences on Long Island. Through its schools and programs—The College of Arts and Sciences, Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Honors College, Ruth S. Ammon School of Education, University College, and the Schools of Business, Nursing, and Social Work—the co-educational university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as professional and educational programs for adults. Adelphi University currently enrolls nearly 8,500 students from 41 states and 63 foreign countries. With its main campus in Garden City and centers in Manhattan, Hauppauge, and Poughkeepsie, the University maintains a commitment to liberal studies in tandem with rigorous professional preparation and active citizenship.
