John Peter Oleson
Encyclopedia
John Peter Oleson is a Canadian classical archaeologist and historian of ancient technology
. His main interests are the Roman
Near East
, maritime archaeology
(particularly Roman harbours), and ancient technology, especially hydraulic technology, water-lifting devices, and Roman concrete
construction.
, USA, Oleson was schooled at the Loomis School in Windsor, Connecticut
(1960–64). He received his BA
in Classics
at Harvard University
in 1967, where he studied with Herbert Bloch
. Oleson received his MA
(1971) and PhD
(1973) in Classical Archaeology
at Harvard University, working in particular with George M.A. Hanfmann
and David Mitten.
From 1973–1976 Oleson taught in the Classics Department of Florida State University
, Tallahassee. Since 1976 he has been a member of the Greek and Roman Studies Department of the University of Victoria
, Canada
, where he was appointed Distinguished Professor in 2003. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
in 1994. From 1997 to 2001 he was a member of Council of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
of Canada. From 1999–2002 he was a Trustee of the Board of the Royal British Columbia Museum
. He was appointed a Killam Research
Fellow for 2000–2002. Since 1997 he has been a member of the Board of the American Center for Oriental Research
in Amman
.
Between 1970 and 1975 Oleson worked with Anna McCann Taggart on the archaeological excavation of the Etruscan
and Roman harbours at Cosa
, Pyrgi
, and Populonia
, and from 1980 to 1985 he was a co-director of the Caesarea Ancient Harbour Excavation Project. In 1997, along with McCann Taggart, he was a project archaeologist at the Skerki Bank
Deep Water Shipwreck Survey, directed by Robert Ballard
. From 1986 until 2005 he directed survey and excavation at the site of Hawara (modern Humayma), a Nabataean, Roman, and Early Islamic
centre in the Hisma Desert of southern Jordan
. Since 2001 he has co-directed the Roman Maritime Concrete Study with Christopher J. Brandon and Robert L. Hohlfelder.
Oleson has published ten books and more than 95 articles concerning ancient technology, marine archaeology, the Nabataeans, and the Roman Near East. He has presented more than 150 refereed public papers and invited lectures since 1976. Oleson has also been active as an editor: His Handbook of Engineering and Technology in the Classical World was awarded the Eugene Ferguson
book award by the Society for the History of Technology
in 2009. In 2010 the Royal Society of Canada awarded Oleson the Pierre Chauveau Medal
for "distinguished contribution to knowledge in the humanities."
Ancient technology
During the growth of the ancient civilizations, ancient technology was the result from advances in engineering in ancient times. These advances in the history of technology stimulated societies to adopt new ways of living and governance....
. His main interests are the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
Near East
Near East
The Near East is a geographical term that covers different countries for geographers, archeologists, and historians, on the one hand, and for political scientists, economists, and journalists, on the other...
, maritime archaeology
Maritime archaeology
Maritime archaeology is a discipline within archaeology as a whole that specifically studies human interaction with the sea, lakes and rivers through the study of associated physical remains, be they vessels, shore side facilities, port-related structures, cargoes, human remains and submerged...
(particularly Roman harbours), and ancient technology, especially hydraulic technology, water-lifting devices, and Roman concrete
Roman concrete
Roman concrete was a material used in construction during the late Roman Republic through the whole history of the Roman Empire. Roman concrete was based on a hydraulic-setting cement with many material qualities similar to modern Portland cement...
construction.
Life
Born in 1946 in Hackensack, New JerseyHackensack, New Jersey
Hackensack is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and the county seat of Bergen County. Although informally called Hackensack, it was officially named New Barbadoes Township until 1921. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 43,010....
, USA, Oleson was schooled at the Loomis School in Windsor, Connecticut
Windsor, Connecticut
Windsor is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, and was the first English settlement in the state. It lies on the northern border of Connecticut's capital, Hartford. The population was estimated at 28,778 in 2005....
(1960–64). He received his BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1967, where he studied with Herbert Bloch
Herbert Bloch
Herbert Bloch was professor emeritus of Classics at Harvard and a renowned authority on Greek historiography, Roman epigraphy and archaeology, medieval monasticism, and the transmission of classical culture and literature....
. Oleson received his MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
(1971) and PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
(1973) in Classical Archaeology
Classical archaeology
Classical archaeology is the archaeological investigation of the great Mediterranean civilizations of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Nineteenth century archaeologists such as Heinrich Schliemann were drawn to study the societies they had read about in Latin and Greek texts...
at Harvard University, working in particular with George M.A. Hanfmann
George M.A. Hanfmann
George Maxim Anossov Hanfmann was a famous archaeologist and scholar of ancient Mediterranean art.-Biography:...
and David Mitten.
From 1973–1976 Oleson taught in the Classics Department of Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
, Tallahassee. Since 1976 he has been a member of the Greek and Roman Studies Department of the University of Victoria
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where he was appointed Distinguished Professor in 2003. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
in 1994. From 1997 to 2001 he was a member of Council of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada is an arm of the Canadian federal funding agency. SSHRC supports a wide range of research and scholarship in the social sciences and humanities. The current president of the Council is Chad Gaffield.- History :SSHRC was formally...
of Canada. From 1999–2002 he was a Trustee of the Board of the Royal British Columbia Museum
Royal British Columbia Museum
The Royal British Columbia Museum is a natural history and human history museum in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, founded in 1886. The "Royal" title was approved by Queen Elizabeth II and bestowed by HRH Prince Philip in 1987, to coincide with a Royal tour that year...
. He was appointed a Killam Research
The Killam Trusts
The Killam Trusts were established in 1965 after the death of Mrs. Dorothy J. Killam, the wife of Izaak Walton Killam. Mr. Killam was a Canadian business figure. He died in 1955, but before his death he and his wife discussed in extensive detail a scholarship plan, on which the Killam Trusts were...
Fellow for 2000–2002. Since 1997 he has been a member of the Board of the American Center for Oriental Research
American Schools of Oriental Research
The American Schools of Oriental Research, founded in 1900, supports and encourages the study of the peoples and cultures of the Near East, from the earliest times to the present. It is apolitical and has no religious affiliation...
in Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
.
Between 1970 and 1975 Oleson worked with Anna McCann Taggart on the archaeological excavation of the Etruscan
Etruscan civilization
Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to a civilization of ancient Italy in the area corresponding roughly to Tuscany. The ancient Romans called its creators the Tusci or Etrusci...
and Roman harbours at Cosa
Cosa
Cosa was a Latin colonia founded under Roman influence in southwestern Tuscany in 273 BC, perhaps on land confiscated from the Etruscans...
, Pyrgi
Pyrgi
Pyrgi was an ancient Etruscan port in Latium, central Italy, to the north-west of Caere. Its location is now occupied by the burgh of Santa Severa....
, and Populonia
Populonia
Populonia or Populonia Alta today is a frazione of the comune of Piombino . As of 2009 its population was 17...
, and from 1980 to 1985 he was a co-director of the Caesarea Ancient Harbour Excavation Project. In 1997, along with McCann Taggart, he was a project archaeologist at the Skerki Bank
Skerki Banks
The Skerki Banks are an area of relatively shallow open sea, situated in the central Mediterranean in the Strait of Sicily between Sicily and Tunisia, at approximately ....
Deep Water Shipwreck Survey, directed by Robert Ballard
Robert Ballard
Robert Duane Ballard is a former United States Navy officer and a professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island who is most noted for his work in underwater archaeology. He is most famous for the discoveries of the wrecks of the RMS Titanic in 1985, the battleship Bismarck in 1989,...
. From 1986 until 2005 he directed survey and excavation at the site of Hawara (modern Humayma), a Nabataean, Roman, and Early Islamic
Muslim history
Muslim history is the history of Muslim people. In the history of Islam the followers of the religion of Islam have impacted political history, economic history, and military history...
centre in the Hisma Desert of southern Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
. Since 2001 he has co-directed the Roman Maritime Concrete Study with Christopher J. Brandon and Robert L. Hohlfelder.
Oleson has published ten books and more than 95 articles concerning ancient technology, marine archaeology, the Nabataeans, and the Roman Near East. He has presented more than 150 refereed public papers and invited lectures since 1976. Oleson has also been active as an editor: His Handbook of Engineering and Technology in the Classical World was awarded the Eugene Ferguson
Eugene S. Ferguson
Eugene S. Ferguson was an engineer and historian of technology.After holding a number of engineering positions in manufacturing he moved into engineering education and then the history of technology. His 1977 paper on visual reasoning is frequently cited...
book award by the Society for the History of Technology
Society for the History of Technology
The Society for the History of Technology, or SHOT, is the primary professional society for historians of technology. Founded in 1958, its flagship publication is the journal Technology and Culture...
in 2009. In 2010 the Royal Society of Canada awarded Oleson the Pierre Chauveau Medal
Pierre Chauveau Medal
The Pierre Chauveau Medal is an award of the Royal Society of Canada "for a distinguished contribution to knowledge in the humanities other than Canadian literature and Canadian history". It is named in honour of Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau and is awarded bi-annually. The award consists of a...
for "distinguished contribution to knowledge in the humanities."
Works
- Sources of Innovation in Later Etruscan Tomb Design, Rome: Giorgio Bretschneider Editore, 1982, ISBN 88-85007-67-8
- Greek and Roman Mechanical Water-Lifting Devices: The History of a Technology, PhoenixPhoenix (classics journal)Phoenix, originally The Phoenix, is one of two journals of the Classical Association of Canada , and the oldest classics journal published in Canada.-History:...
, supplementary Vol. 16, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1984, ISSNInternational Standard Serial NumberAn International Standard Serial Number is a unique eight-digit number used to identify a print or electronic periodical publication. Periodicals published in both print and electronic form may have two ISSNs, a print ISSN and an electronic ISSN...
- Bronze Age, Greek and Roman Technology: A Select, Annotated Bibliography, New York: Garland Publishing, 1986, ISBN 0-8240-8677-5
- The Roman Port and Fishery of Cosa, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1987 (co-author), ISBN 0-691-03581-4
- The Harbours of Caesarea Maritima. Vol. 1: The Site and the Excavations, BAR International Series, supplement 491, 1989 (editor and co-author), ISBN 0-86054-628-4
- The Harbours of Caesarea Maritima. Vol. 2: The Finds and the Ship, BAR International Series, supplement 594, 1994 (editor and co-author), ISBN 0-86054-768-X
- Classical Views/Echos du monde classique, Vols. 30 to 37 (1986 to 1994) (co-editor), ISSNInternational Standard Serial NumberAn International Standard Serial Number is a unique eight-digit number used to identify a print or electronic periodical publication. Periodicals published in both print and electronic form may have two ISSNs, a print ISSN and an electronic ISSN...
- Greek and Roman Technology: A Sourcebook, London: Routledge, 1997 (co-author), ISBN 0-415-06136-9
- Deep-Water Shipwrecks off Skerki Bank: The 1997 Survey, Journal of Roman Archaeology, supplement 58, 2004 (co-author), ISBN 1-887829-58-X
- Handbook of Engineering and Technology in the Classical World, New York: Oxford University Press, 2008 (editor), ISBN 978-0-19-973485-6 (corrected, paperbound edition 2010)
- Humayma Excavation Project, 1: Resources, History and the Water-Supply System, ASORAmerican Schools of Oriental ResearchThe American Schools of Oriental Research, founded in 1900, supports and encourages the study of the peoples and cultures of the Near East, from the earliest times to the present. It is apolitical and has no religious affiliation...
Archaeological Reports, Vol. 15, 2010, ISBN 978-0-89757-083-1
External Links
- Personal website at University of Victoria