Margaret Chaney ’26, a classics and archaeology major with a focus on archaeology, spent the 2024–25 academic year contributing to the curation of A Glimpse Into Ghassul, a Spring 2025 exhibit at the William H. Hannon Library. Working closely with Professor Caroline Sauvage and fellow students, Chaney engaged in a hands-on collaboration that brought the exhibit to life. The display featured artifacts from Tuleilat el-Ghassul, an archaeological site near the Dead Sea in present-day Jordan.
The artifacts date back to the Chalcolithic Period (4500–3500 BCE), a transformative era marked by significant social and technological developments. During this time, religious temples became integrated into settlements, the first wall paintings with cultic or religious meaning appeared, and metallurgy advanced with the widespread use of copper. Other key innovations included the creation of specialized ceramics and the “secondary products revolution,” when people began harvesting milk and wool from livestock for food and textiles.
Chaney was one of 11 students researching and curating the exhibit as part of Sauvage’s fall 2024 course “The Chalcolithic Cultures of the Levant.” The class offered an in-depth, hands-on exploration of the pre-Bronze Age cultures of the Levant, using artifacts from the Archaeology Center’s collections.
“This exhibit was nine months in the making—writing papers, creating mockups, and planning every detail—so seeing it finally come to life and watching people enjoy it has been exhilarating,” Chaney said. “After spending so much time with these objects, they almost feel like old friends.”
The objects featured in the exhibit were excavated between 1929 and 1934 by Père Alexis Mallon, a French Jesuit priest and archaeologist working with the Pontifical Biblical Institute. Initially, Mallon believed he had discovered the biblical site of Gomorrah. However, his findings revealed an entirely new and vibrant culture. Alongside the exhibit, Professor Sauvage, in collaboration with Rev. Prof. Josef Mario Briffa, SJ, of the Pontifical Biblical Institute, is leading an International research project to publish the objects from the site housed in the LMU Archaeology Center. The project, funded by a White-Levy grant for archaeological publication, aims to make the materials accessible to researchers worldwide and to create opportunities for Jordanian scholars to study and publish their cultural heritage. LMU students are also involved in the project, documenting and cataloging the collection according to modern standards. Internship opportunities at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Jerusalem to digitize the excavation’s archives have also been drafted in the project and will depend on the political situation in the region over the next few summers.
“The White-Levy grant for archaeological publication is an amazing opportunity which has enabled me to design an International project to publish the material kept in Los Angeles, along with the excavation notebooks in Jerusalem, while empowering young Jordanian scholars to study their cultural heritage. This year, our ceramic specialist Shahd Habahbeh started to work on her corpus and will also receive training at the University of Missouri for NAA ceramic analysis. While she continues her study next year, I also hope to bring another young Jordanian scholar to work on the chipped stones from the collection.”
The exhibit cases explored a range of themes, including domestic life, the secondary products revolution, textile production, trade and prestige, ceramic manufacturing, and cultic and burial practices. One item that particularly captured visitors’ interest was the cornet—a distinctive drinking goblet with no base. Sauvage and Chaney explained that these vessels may have been used in religious processions, where participants were expected to finish their beverage before setting it down. Some cornets were also found with traces of beeswax, suggesting they might have doubled as torches. At the exhibit’s opening, a memorable touch was the serving of Jesuit wine from Lebanon—an homage to archaeologist and Jesuit priest Père Alexis Mallon—in baseless wine glasses, echoing the ancient tradition.
“Having students curate the exhibit and work on real objects is such a valuable hands-on learning experience,” said Sauvage. “They explored many facets of the Chalcolithic period in class, and then had to conceptualize and create the whole exhibit—from coming up with the exhibit’s concept and researching the objects, to designing the layout, writing labels that speak to different audiences, and setting everything up. They also created additional material for the exhibit, such as photo prompts and a word scramble to keep the public engaged.”
Chaney will soon take her passion for archaeology to the field in Romania after her original excavation in Jordan was cancelled due to the current tensions between Israel and Iran. She’ll be joining an excavation at a site that was part of the Roman occupation of Dacia, the last Roman expansion in Europe. This project explores how identity was perceived, presented, and represented where Roman societal norms intersected with local Dacian culture.
Previous surveys have uncovered a rural villa of “palatial” proportions. Test excavations have revealed a rich archaeological environment, including two-story buildings, painted walls, possible colonnades, several outbuildings, and a wealth of artifacts.
This opportunity is especially meaningful for Chaney, who was awarded the prestigious American School of Prehistoric Research Award from the Archaeological Institute of America. The scholarship has made her participation possible by covering travel and other essential expenses. “It means so much to be recognized by an organization such as the AIA for all the hard work I have put into my studies,” she said.
Chaney’s journey has been shaped by the close mentorship she’s received in LMU’s small but supportive Classics and Archaeology Department. Inspired by Professor Sauvage’s work in the Near East and her capstone research on Tuleilat Ghassul, she’s eager to deepen her understanding of Daco-Roman history and archaeology. She’ll also gain hands-on experience in material culture analysis, geophysical survey techniques, and lab and fieldwork. Alongside professionals and fellow students, Chaney will spend her weekdays immersed in excavation, while weekends will be reserved for exploring the breathtaking natural landscapes and historic Transylvanian churches and castles. With plans to continue working in the field after graduation, this field research marks the beginning of what promises to be a long and meaningful career in archaeology.