Professor Antonio Sagona
Professor, Classics and Archaeology
- Telephone:
- (+61 3) 8344 4160
- Email:
- a.sagona@unimelb.edu.au
- Fax:
- (+61 3) 8344 4161
- Location:
- Room G15, Old Quadrangle
The University of Melbourne VIC 3010
Biography
Antonio (Tony) Sagona has over 25 years of experience in archaeological fieldwork, mostly in Turkey, where he co-directed, with Claudia Sagona, major projects at Sos Höyük and Büyüktepe Höyük. Presently, he is involved with two new major and long-term projects. One is in the Republic of Georgia, in the Caucasus, on the frontier between the ancient Near East and the Eurasian steppelands, which seeks to examine the archaeology in the Iberian Plain. The other is an historical and archaeological survey of the ANZAC Battlefield area at Galliopli. He has supervised to completion 21 PhD, 22 MA, and over 50 BA (Hons) theses, and is currently supervising a host of others. Tony Sagona has written five books, edited six others, and written many articles; he is also Editor of the journal Ancient Near Eastern Studies, and its monograph series, published by Peeters Publishers, in Leuven. He is an elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities.
Recent Grants and Awards (from 2002)
- 2008–2010
R. Sloggett, A. Sagona and D. Lau, ARC-DR – DP0879758 (Archaeological Conservation: The Development of Analysis and Assessment Protocols for Adhesives used on Archaeological Pottery) - 2006-2009
A. Sagona, G. Tsetskhladze, C. Ogleby and C. Sagona, ARC DP - DP0773040 (A Study of the Archaeology of Caucasian Iberia). - 2005
A. Sagona, Melbourne International Collaborative Research Grant, Ref no. 18883 (Kerkenes Dagh: An Ancient Fortress in central Turkey). - 2004
A. Sagona & G. Tsetskhladze, Melbourne International Collaborative Research Grant, UMC 16751 (The Mtskheta Archaeological Project)
A. Sagona, Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE), AINGRA04132P for AMS dating (Beyond the Land of the Golden Fleece: The Mtskheta Archaeological Project). - 2003
A. Sagona, Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE), AINGRA03/101, for AMS dating (Cultural Interaction in late prehistoric Trans-Caucasus and Eastern Anatolia). - 2002
A. Sagona, Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE), Grant no. 02/115, for AMS dating (Project title: Cultural Interaction in Late Prehistoric Trans-Caucasus).
A. Sagona, F. Andersen & A. Rainey, Univ of Melbourne Visiting Research Scholars Award, Ref. No. UMC12, 227. (Project title: Language and Ethnicity in the Levant during the second and first millennia BCE).
A. Sagona and C. Sagona, University of Melbourne, International Collaborative Research Grant, Ref. No. UMC 12,249. (Project title: Maltese Archipelago Archaeological Project).
Research
Research Strengths
The archaeology of the ancient Near East, especially Anatolia and Caucasus.
Current Projects:
An Historical and Archaeological Survey of the ANZAC Battlefield at Gallipoli
Type of Project: Archaeological field work
Collaborators: Assoc Prof. Chris Mackie and others in many other disciplines.
This is part of a multi-disciplinary, international and collaborative project, involving the Department of Veterans' Affairs (Canberra), Turkish and New Zealand experts, and a host of researchers from Australia. The primary aim of the project is to provide a holistic picture of the battlefield area, using archaeological, historical and literary data. My part in the project is to coordinate the extensive archaeological investigations with a view to providing the respective governments with all the essential data required for a comprehensive heritage management plan. While the focus of the survey will be the 1915 battlefield, we will record other archaeological sites and material in order to place the modern conflict in its proper cultural and geographical context.
Georgian-Australian Investigations in Archaeology (GAIA)
Type of Project: Archaeological field work
Collaborators: Dr Claudia Sagona in Classics and Archaeology, and others in many other disciplines.
The Caucasus, the isthmus between the Black Sea and the Caspian, has always stood as a pre-eminent frontier. This multi-disciplinary project is investigating the ancient cemetery at Samtavro and the nearby mound site at Tchkantiskedi, with a view studying the Iberian Kingdom and its antecedents. It aims to examine the concept of borderlands by evaluating the dramatic transformation of the society, settlement and landscape from the 3500 BC to the 6th century AD in the region of Mtskheta.
Publications
Books
- Sagona, A. and Zimansky, P., 2009, Ancient Turkey. London: Routledge. xxii + pp. 412. ISBN 978-0-415-48123-6
- Sagona, A. The Heritage of Eastern Turkey: From the Earliest Settlements to Islam. Macmillan, New York & Melbourne, 2006.
- Sagona, A. and Sagona, C. Archaeology at the North-East Anatolian Frontier. Vol. 1. An Historical Geography and a Survey of the Bayburt Province, Peeters Press, Louvain: xxiv + pp. 600, (2004). ISBN 90-429 1390-8
- Sagona, A. G. The Asvan Sites 3: Keban Rescue Excavations, Eastern Anatolia. The Early Bronze Age (British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara Monograph no. 18), London and Ankara: xx + 250 pp. inc. 160 figs and 3 colour plates, (1994). ISBN 1 898249 02 4. ISSN 0969–9007.
- Sagona, A. G. (1984) The Caucasian Region in the Early Bronze Age, (British Archaeological Reports International Series 214), Oxford: 3 vols, 563 pp. inc 155 figs, 4 tables, 18 maps and 24 plates, (1984). ISBN 0 86054 277 7.
Edited Volumes
Books
- Rubinson, K. S. and Sagona, A. (eds), 2008, Ceramics in Transition: Chalcolithic Through Iron Age in the Caucasus and Anatolia. Peeters Press, Louvain.vii + pp. 368. ISBN 978-90-429-1998-3
- Sagona, A. and Abramishvili, M. (eds), 2008, Archaeology in Southern Caucasus: Perspectives from Georgia. Peeters Press, Louvain.vii + pp. 477. ISBN 978-90-429-1800-9
- Çilingiroglu, A. and Sagona, A. (eds), 2007, Anatolian Iron Ages 6: The Proceedings of the Sixth Anatolian Iron Ages Colloquium Held at Eskisehir, 16–20 August 2004. Peeters Press, Louvain.ix + pp. 347. ISBN 10 90-429-1801-2
- Sagona, A. (ed.), 2004, A View from The Highlands: Studies in Honour of Charles Burney, Peeters Press, Louvain: xx + 762 pp. inc. figs ISBN 90-429-1352-5.
- Sagona, A. G. (editor and senior author), 1994, Bruising the Red Earth: Ochre Mining and Ritual in Aboriginal Tasmania, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne: xvii + 186 pp. inc. 51 figs and 6 colour plates ISBN 0 522 84602 5.
- Sagona, A. G. and Zimmer, J. K. (eds), 1988, Images of the Ancient World: Archaeology at the University of Melbourne, Chisholm Institute of Technology, Melbourne: 167 pp. inc. 16 figs, 68 b/w plates and 8 colour plates. (1988).
Journal Issues
- 1–11. Sagona, A. (ed.) Ancient Near Eastern Studies vols 36–45 (1999–2010). Louvain: Peeters. ISSN 0065-0382.
Book Chapters (from 2002)
- Sagona, C. and Sagona, A. (in press, accepted 2008) 'The mushroom, the Magi, and the keen-sighted seer', in The Black Sea, Greece, Anatolia and Europe in the First Millennium BC: Studies Dedicated to Jan Bouzek, edited by G. Tsetskhaladze (10,000 words)
- Sagona, A., (in press, accepted 2009), 'Anatolian and the Trans-Caucasus: themes and variations (ca. 6400–1500 BC)', in Oxford Handbook on Anatolian Studies, edited by S. Steadman and G. MacMahon. Oxford: Oxford University Press
- Longford, C., Drinnan, A., and Sagona, A., 2009, 'Archaeobotany of Sos Höyük, northeast Turkey', in New Directions in Archaeological Science (Terra Australis 28), edited by A. Fairbairn, S. O'Connor and B. Marwick, pp. 121–36. Australian National University E Press: Canberra. ISBN 9781921 536489
- Sagona, C. and Sagona, A., 2009, 'Encounters with the divine in the late prehistoric period of eastern Anatolia and southern Caucasus', in Studies in Honour of Altan Cilingiroğlu. A Life Dedicated to Urartu, On the Shores of the Upper Sea, edited by Haluk Saglamtimur, Eşref Abay, Zafer Derin, Aylin Ü. Erdem, Atilla Batmaz, Fulya Dedeoğlu, Mücella Erdalkiran, Mahmut Bilge Baştürk, Erim Konakcı, pp. 537–63. Istanbul: Arkeoloji ve Sanat ISBN 978-605-396-052-2.
- Rubinson, K. S. and Sagona, A., 2007, 'Introduction', in Ceramics in Transition: Chalcolithic Through Iron Age in the Caucasus and Anatolia, edited by Rubinson, K. S. and Sagona, A., pp. 1–8. Louvain: Peeters.
- Connor, S. and Sagona, A., 2007, 'Environment and society in the late prehistory of southern Georgia, Caucasus, in Les cultures du Caucase (VI-IIIème millénaires av. notre ère). Leurs relations avec le Proche-Orient, edited by B. Lyonnet. pp. 21–36. CNRS Éditions: Paris. [Review: See Lyonnet B. (ed.). 2007. Les cultures du Caucase (VIe-IIIe millénaires avant notre ère). Leurs relations avec le Proche-Orient. By P.L. Kohl].
- Sagona, A., 2006, 'Ortaçad'dan önce Kars/Kars before the Middle Ages', in Kars: Beyaz Uykusuz Uzakta, edited by F. Özdem, pp. 11–30. Istanbul: YKY. (in Turkish).
- Sagona, A and Sagona, C., 2004, 'Frontiers and mountains: fifteen years of archaeology in north-east Anatolia', in Archaeology from Australia, edited by T. Murray, pp. 361–373. Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing.
- Sagona, A., 2004, 'Social boundaries and Ritual Landscapes: The Late Prehistory of Trans-Caucasus', in A View from The Highlands: Studies in Honour of Charles Burney, edited by A. Sagona, pp. 485–549. Louvain: Peeters.
- Çilingiroğlu, A. and A. Sagona, 2004, 'Charles Burney in the Near Eastern highlands', in A View from The Highlands: Studies in Honour of Charles Burney, edited by A. Sagona, pp. 3–13. Louvain: Peeters.
- Kiguradze, T. and Sagona, A., 2003, 'On the origins of the Kura-Araxes cultural complex', in Archaeology in the Borderlands: Investigations in Caucasia and Beyond, edited by A. T. Smith and K. Rubinson, pp. 38–94. Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute Press.
Journal Articles (from 2002)
- Sagona, A. (in press, 2010) 'Past and Present Directions in the Archaeology of the Trans-Caucasus', Journal of Archaeology of the Turkish Academy of Sciences/Türkiye Bilimler Akademisi Arkeoloji Dergisi 13 (25 pages)
- Sagona, A, Nikolaishvili, V., Sagona, C., Ogleby, C., Pilbrow, V., Giunashvili, G., Manegaladze, G., (in press, 2010) 'Archaeology in the central Caucasus', Journal of Archaeology of the Turkish Academy of Sciences/Türkiye Bilimler Akademisi Arkeoloji Dergisi 13 (25 pages)
- Sagona, A, Nikolaishvili, V., Sagona, C., Ogleby, C., Pilbrow, V., Giunashvili, G., Manegaladze, G. (2010), 'Excavations at Samtavro, 2008–2009: An interim report', Ancient Near Eastern Studies 47: 1–136.
- Nel, P., Lonetti, C., Lau, D., Tam, K., Sagona, A. G., Sloggett, R. S., (in press, 2010). 'Analysis of adhesives used on the Melbourne University Cypriot pottery Collection using a portable FTIR-ATR analyzer', in Vibrational Spectroscopy.
- Connor, S. E., Thomas, I., Kvavadze, E. V., Arabuli, G.J. Avakov, G. S. and Sagona, A., 2004, 'A survey of modern pollen and vegetation along an altitudinal transect in southern Georgia, Caucasus region,' Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 129: 229–250.
- Sagona, A., 2003, 'Leben und Tod in dem Schatten von Paländoken Berge, Erzurum', Georgica: Zeitschrift für Kultur, Sprache und Geschichte Georgiens und Kaukasiens 25: 1–25.
- Sagona, A., 2003, 'Comment' on E. Hovers, S. Ilani, O. Bar-Yosef and B. Vandermeersch, "An early case of color symbolism: Ochre use by modern humans in Qafzeh Cave", Current Anthropology 44 (Aug-Oct 2003): 516.
- Sagona, A. and Sagona, C., 2003, 'The upper levels at Sos Höyük, Erzurum: A reinterpretation of the 1987 campaign', Anatolica Antiqua 11: 101–110.
- Sagona, A., 2002, 'Archaeology at the headwaters of the Aras', Ancient West and East 1: 46–50.
Other Publications
Exhibition Catalogue
Entries in Exhibition Catalogues & Encyclopaedias- Sagona, A., (in press, 2011), 'Obsidian' in Encyclopedia of Ancient History, edited by R. Bagnall, K. Brodersen, C. Champion, A. Erskine and S. Hübner. New York Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN: 978140517935
- Sagona, A., 'Sos Höyük', (in press, 2010), in Reallexikon der Assyriologie und Vorderasiatischen Archäologie 12, fasc.7/8, edited by Streck, M. P et al. Berlin: W. de Gruyter
- Sagona, A., 2003, 'Punic Urn', 'Cypriote 'Tulip' Bowl', 'Jar handle with L'MLK stamp impression', 'Cypriote horse and rider figurine', 'Phoenician ivory plaque', 'Iranian decorated bronze belt', in Treasures: Highlights of the Cultural Collections of the University of Melbourne, edited by C. McAuliffe and P. Yule, pp. 68–73, 134–135, 244–247. Parkville, Vic.: Melbourne University Publishing
- Sagona, A., 1999, 'Georgian history and culture in the Early and Middle Bronze Ages', in National Treasures of Georgia, edited by O. Soltes, pp. 60–61. London: Peter Wilson Publishers Ltd & Foundation for International Arts and Education
Conference Papers (since 2002)
- Kobayashi, K. and Sagona, A., 2008, 'A survey of obsidian sources in the provinces of Erzurum, Erzincan, Rize and Bitlis, 2006', in Proceedings of the 25th International Symposium of Anatolian Survey (Araştırma Sonuçları Toplantısı), Ankara, vol. 2: 185–196
- Sagona, A. and Sagona, C., 2002, 'Excavations at Sos Höyük, 2000', in Proceedings of the XXIIIth International Symposium of Anatolian Excavation (Kazı Sonuçları Toplantısı), Ankara, vol. 1, pp. 265–268