John R. Hale (born 1951) is an American archaeologist and historian. [1] He was a highly regarded professor [2] and field archeologist, and was Director of the Liberal Studies Program at the University of Louisville. [3] He lectures widely for the public on topics in classicism, ancient history, and archeology [4] and his archeological fieldwork has been featured in a number of documentary films for the Discovery Channel and the History channel. [5]
Born and raised in New Albany, Indiana, Hale earned his B.A. undergraduate degree in Archaeology at Yale, where he rowed for four years on the Lightweight Crew rowing team, [6] and also rowed in his Senior year in the 1973 Yale-Harvard race at New London, Connecticut, the oldest intercollegiate sporting event in American history. During his studies at Yale, John Hale was profoundly influenced by military historian Donald Kagan. [7] [8] He earned his PhD at Cambridge, where his dissertation was on the Bronze Age ancestors of the famous Viking longships. [9] [10]
He is an expert [11] on the ancient religion and modern science of geological fumes [12] at the ancient site of the Delphic Oracle [13] in Greece, and has spoken on the topic widely. [14] [15] His research, along with that of geologist Jelle Zeilinga de Boer, [16] [17] has demonstrated that the psychoactive gas ethylene [18] seeped from under the oracular site, and would have led to an "altered mental status" by the Pythia, the prophetess-priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. [12] [19] [20] [21] Later research has further supported the geological fumes theory. [22] [23]
Professor Hale's research on the geological fumes theory is recounted in The Oracle: Lost Secrets and Hidden Message of Ancient Delphi, [24] by science writer William Broad. It was also featured in the August 2003 issue of Scientific American magazine. [25] [26]
John Hale has authored a number of books. His book on the Athenian navy and the birth of classical democracy was well reviewed in both popular and academic press. [1] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] It is entitled Lords of the Sea: The Epic Story of the Athenian Navy and the Birth of Democracy [33] (2009).
He has written a number of articles for Scientific American, including about the Viking Longship, [34] and the technology of ancient Greek rowing. [35] and has published widely in academic journals.
Professor Hale has created numerous well-reviewed [36] long-form lecture series for audio and video with The Great Courses. These include:
These lecture series are available both on DVD and CD, [42] and two of them are available through "The Great Courses Plus" streaming service. [43]
Professor Hale has conducted numerous archeological tours, for academic and travel institutions such as the Archaeological Institute of America, [5] Thalassa Journeys, [44] and Yale Educational Travel. [45] His tours cover extensive geography, including Northern Greece and Albania. [46]
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John R. Hale (born 1951) is an American archaeologist and historian. [1] He was a highly regarded professor [2] and field archeologist, and was Director of the Liberal Studies Program at the University of Louisville. [3] He lectures widely for the public on topics in classicism, ancient history, and archeology [4] and his archeological fieldwork has been featured in a number of documentary films for the Discovery Channel and the History channel. [5]
Born and raised in New Albany, Indiana, Hale earned his B.A. undergraduate degree in Archaeology at Yale, where he rowed for four years on the Lightweight Crew rowing team, [6] and also rowed in his Senior year in the 1973 Yale-Harvard race at New London, Connecticut, the oldest intercollegiate sporting event in American history. During his studies at Yale, John Hale was profoundly influenced by military historian Donald Kagan. [7] [8] He earned his PhD at Cambridge, where his dissertation was on the Bronze Age ancestors of the famous Viking longships. [9] [10]
He is an expert [11] on the ancient religion and modern science of geological fumes [12] at the ancient site of the Delphic Oracle [13] in Greece, and has spoken on the topic widely. [14] [15] His research, along with that of geologist Jelle Zeilinga de Boer, [16] [17] has demonstrated that the psychoactive gas ethylene [18] seeped from under the oracular site, and would have led to an "altered mental status" by the Pythia, the prophetess-priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. [12] [19] [20] [21] Later research has further supported the geological fumes theory. [22] [23]
Professor Hale's research on the geological fumes theory is recounted in The Oracle: Lost Secrets and Hidden Message of Ancient Delphi, [24] by science writer William Broad. It was also featured in the August 2003 issue of Scientific American magazine. [25] [26]
John Hale has authored a number of books. His book on the Athenian navy and the birth of classical democracy was well reviewed in both popular and academic press. [1] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] It is entitled Lords of the Sea: The Epic Story of the Athenian Navy and the Birth of Democracy [33] (2009).
He has written a number of articles for Scientific American, including about the Viking Longship, [34] and the technology of ancient Greek rowing. [35] and has published widely in academic journals.
Professor Hale has created numerous well-reviewed [36] long-form lecture series for audio and video with The Great Courses. These include:
These lecture series are available both on DVD and CD, [42] and two of them are available through "The Great Courses Plus" streaming service. [43]
Professor Hale has conducted numerous archeological tours, for academic and travel institutions such as the Archaeological Institute of America, [5] Thalassa Journeys, [44] and Yale Educational Travel. [45] His tours cover extensive geography, including Northern Greece and Albania. [46]
{{
cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link)