Telling the Story of the World

UW-Madison classics professor William Aylward Armed with new biotechnology tools, William Aylward, a UW-Madison classics professor, above right, is leading a cross-disciplinary team of archaeologists and other scientists to the ancient city of Troy. New technologies are being used to learn more about the people who lived in the ancient city. “Although the site has been excavated in the past, there is much yet to be discovered,” Aylward said. “If we take a closer look with new scientific tools for study of ancient biological and cultural environments, there is much to be found for telling the story of this world heritage site.” Annual expeditions focus on advancing understanding about how science can inform the humanities and how the humanities can inform science. The first in a series of these expeditions, which are partially funded by an award from the College of Letters & Science and grants from the J.M. Kaplan Fund and INSTAP, will begin next summer.

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