July 2011 (115.3)

Article

Photographing Dura-Europos, 1928–1937: An Archaeology of the Archive

By J.A. Baird

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Recent years have seen the emergence of scholarship on the history of archaeology and receptions of the classical past. Neither of these trends has fully engaged with the visual evidence, particularly that of photography, or with the material form of the archive itself. Using archival photographs taken at the site of Dura-Europos from 1928 to 1937, this article explores how the study of archaeological photographs and archaeological archives can contribute to our understanding of the history and epistemology of archaeology.

Man standing in doorway of block B2, 1932–1933, sixth season. An early print of this image, with le Palud’s stamp, survives in the archive as print number 174 (courtesy Yale University Art Gallery, Dura-Europos Collection, neg. z90 [from number sequence of new negatives made in 1982]).

Man standing in doorway of block B2, 1932–1933, sixth season. An early print of this image, with le Palud’s stamp, survives in the archive as print number 174 (courtesy Yale University Art Gallery, Dura-Europos Collection, neg. z90 [from number sequence of new negatives made in 1982]).

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Classical Tradition • History of Archaeology • Near East
Man standing in doorway of block B2, 1932–1933, sixth season. An early print of this image, with le Palud’s stamp, survives in the archive as print number 174 (courtesy Yale University Art Gallery, Dura-Europos Collection, neg. z90 [from number sequence of new negatives made in 1982]).

Man standing in doorway of block B2, 1932–1933, sixth season. An early print of this image, with le Palud’s stamp, survives in the archive as print number 174 (courtesy Yale University Art Gallery, Dura-Europos Collection, neg. z90 [from number sequence of new negatives made in 1982]).