In honor of trustee, scholar, and long-time supporter of ACOR Tom Davis, in 2025 the ACOR Board of Trustees created the “Professor Thomas W. Davis Lecture.”
The most prestigious lecture of our annual series, the topic presented should focus on the “interconnections” aspect of our mission and reinforce ACOR’s role as regional hub for advancing knowledge.
The lecture is named in honor of Thomas W. Davis (1956–2025), a prominent scholar of the eastern Mediterranean and western Asia. Professor Davis served on ACOR’s board of trustees (2020–2025) and as chair of the Publications Committee during our most prolific publishing era. As a professor of archaeology at Lipscomb University, he specialized in the eastern Roman Empire. He led excavations in Jordan, Sudan, Egypt, Kazakhstan, and Cyprus. He has also served as principal investigator and field director at dozens of archaeological projects in the United States. Previously, he served as director of Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute (2003–2011) and other prestigious roles. Prof. Davis earned an MA and PhD from the University of Arizona in Syro-Palestinian archaeology (1983 and 1987, respectively) and a BA in history and archaeology and Near Eastern studies from Wheaton College (1979). He did part of his archaeological training at Jordan’s Tell el-Hayyat site while earning his graduate degrees.
Obituary: https://archaeology.lipscomb.edu/news-and-events/davis-obituary
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPQ4LPHDbkq
Lecturers:
- 2025: Prof. Dr. Anas Haj Zeidan, Director General of the Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums (Syria); “Illicit Trafficking of Syrian Artifacts: Mechanisms of Trade and Challenges of Repatriation.”