John R. Hale (born 1951) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

archaeologist and historian. He was a highly regarded professor and field archeologist, and was Director of the Liberal Studies Program at the

University of Louisville The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of ...

. He lectures widely for the public on topics in classicism, ancient history, and archeology and his archeological fieldwork has been featured in a number of

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s for the

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and the History channel.

Early life and education

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, 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. He earned his PhD at Cambridge, where his dissertation was on the Bronze Age ancestors of the famous Viking longships.

The Oracle at Delphi

He is an expert on the ancient religion and modern science of geological fumes at the ancient site of the

Delphic Oracle Pythia (; grc, Πυθία ) was the name of the high priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. She specifically served as its oracle and was known as the Oracle of Delphi. Her title was also historically glossed in English as the Pythoness ...

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, and has spoken on the topic widely. His research, along with that of geologist Jelle Zeilinga de Boer, has demonstrated that the psychoactive gas ethylene seeped from under the oracular site, and would have led to an "altered mental status" by the

Pythia Pythia (; grc, Πυθία ) was the name of the high priestess of the Temple of Apollo (Delphi), Temple of Apollo at Delphi. She specifically served as its oracle and was known as the Oracle of Delphi. Her title was also historically glossed i ...

, the prophetess-priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Later research has further supported the geological fumes theory. Professor Hale's research on the geological fumes theory is recounted in ''The Oracle: Lost Secrets and Hidden Message of Ancient Delphi'', by science writer

William Broad William J. Broad (born March 7, 1951) is an American science journalist, author and a Senior Writer at ''The New York Times''. Education Broad earned a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1977.Scientific American ''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it. In print since 1845, it i ...

magazine.

Books and other writing

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. It is entitled ''Lords of the Sea: The Epic Story of the Athenian Navy and the Birth of Democracy'' (2009). He has written a number of articles for ''Scientific American'', including about the Viking Longship, and the technology of ancient Greek rowing. and has published widely in academic journals.

Video Lecture Series

Professor Hale has created numerous well-reviewed long-form lecture series for audio and video with

The Great Courses The Teaching Company, doing business as Wondrium, is a media production company that produces educational, video and audio content in the form of courses, documentaries, series under two content brands - Wondrium and The Great Courses. The compa ...

. These include: * Greek and Persian Wars (24 lectures) * Classical Archaeology of Ancient Greece and Rome (36 lectures) * Art of Public Speaking: Lessons from the Greatest Speeches in History (12 lectures) * Exploring the Roots of Religion (36 lectures) * Great Tours: Greece and Turkey, from Athens to Istanbul (24 lecturers) These lecture series are available both on DVD and CD, and two of them are available through "The Great Courses Plus" streaming service.

Archeological Travel Tours

Professor Hale has conducted numerous archeological tours, for academic and travel institutions such as the

Archaeological Institute of America The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) is North America's oldest society and largest organization devoted to the world of archaeology. AIA professionals have carried out archaeological fieldwork around the world and AIA has established re ...

, Thalassa Journeys, and Yale Educational Travel. His tours cover extensive geography, including Northern Greece and Albania.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hale, John R. American archaeologists 1951 births Living people Yale College alumni American historians University of Louisville faculty Yale Bulldogs rowers Alumni of the University of Cambridge