People (and artists) in the ancient world spent more time observing the natural world than one might realize. Little details that modern-day birders might notice also appear in some instances in ancient art, helping us understand how people in antiquity thought about and experienced the natural world. 

As part of her research on bird iconography on ancient Cypriot pottery, Alicia Dissinger has used modern-day bird typologies, looking at aspects such as silhouettes and proportions, to help understand and identify images of birds in ancient art.

The lecture will be followed by a reception and visit to the Antiquities Galleries at the Museum of Art & Archaeology, where attendees will have a chance to get up close to some objects in the museum collections.