Archaeology in Space: The Sampling Quadrangle Assemblages Research Experiment (SQuARE) on the International Space Station
About: Between January and March 2022, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) performed the first archaeological work in space, the Sampling Quadrangle Assemblages Research Experiment (SQuARE). The crew of the ISS defined six sample locations (“squares”) around the ISS and documented them through daily photography over a 60-day period. Walsh will present an overview of the SQuARE payload and results from two of the six squares.
Speaker Bio: Justin Walsh is professor of art history, archaeology, and space studies at Chapman University and Ad Astra Distinguished Fellow in Space Anthropology and Space Habitats at USC. He created the International Space Station Archaeological Project, which won awards from the AIA and AAA in 2023. In 2024, he was named one of the Explorers Club 50, which recognizes “remarkable explorers changing the world and extending the meaning of exploration.” Walsh also specializes in Mediterranean archaeology, especially in Italy and Spain. He has been a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome and a visiting professor at the Institute for Advanced Studies at the University of Bristol.