ASU Herberger College School of Art Faculty Exhibition

October 18, 2008 – January 25, 2009
Opening Reception: Friday, October 17, 7-9 p.m.

Nancy Serwint, Associate Professor, Art History and Acting Director

“Gender in the Sanctuary:  Votive Offerings and Deity at Ancient Marion.”  Chapter by N. Serwint in Gender through Time in the Ancient Near East, ed. D. Bolger. Book; 6 ½" x 9 1/2" x 1.25" Courtesy of the author

This article, authored by Nancy Serwint, was an invited contribution to be included in the book Gender through Time in the Ancient Near East.  Among an international cadre of authors, Serwint discusses how a select group of remarkable votive offerings from the archaeological site of ancient Marion on the island of Cyprus contributes to the discussion of gender realities in the ancient world.  Emanating from her 25 years of archaeological fieldwork in Cyprus which produced an astounding cache of 30,000 fragments of terracotta sculpture recovered from two temple sites, Serwint examines how social status, economic concerns and cross-cultural connections impacted the choice of how select representations of women were unusual—and critically important—dedications offered at a major sanctuary at Marion, which was one of the ten city kingdoms of Cyprus during antiquity. Her previous work on gender concerns in the ancient world, and particularly her reputation as a specialist on ancient terracotta sculpture, merited her inclusion in the volume which has received scholarly praise as “far and away the most important and stimulating study of ancient Near Eastern gender ever published.”

More information: John Spiak, spiak@asu.edu.

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