Department of Classics

DR. DANIELLE A. PARKS - IN MEMORIAM

Danielle A. Parks Memorial Award

Danielle and some colleagues initiated an endowed fund a few years ago with the intention of creating a new award to allow Brock Classics graduate students to travel to the Mediterranean to pursue study abroad and fieldwork opportunities.

This new award is being renamed in memory of Danielle and will serve as a tribute to her contributions at Brock. It will be a fitting legacy for the passion that Danielle had for study in the Mediterranean.

Friends, family and colleagues are invited to make contributions to this fund in memory of Danielle. All contributions will be matched dollar for dollar by the Faculty of Graduate Studies at Brock University. Contributions can be made to Brock University (with the notation "Danielle Parks Memorial") at: http://www.brocku.ca/donorrelations/pdf/pledge_form_05.pdf. U.S. based alumni and their relatives can make donations directly to the University under the Canada-United States Income Tax Convention. All other American citizens or residents should direct their gifts to "The Friends of Brock University" a 501(c) (3) tax exempt organization recognized under the US Internal Revenue Code. For more information on giving to Brock University through the Friends of Brock University, Inc., please call (905) 688-5550, ext. 4190 or e-mail: smurphy@brocku.ca

This new award was made for the first time in 2008 thanks to bridging funds from the Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies.

In Memoriam

The Department is saddened to report the death of friend and colleague, Dr Danielle Parks. Danielle passed away at home surrounded by her family on the morning of July 31, after a 2 ½ year battle with leukemia. Danielle was 41 years old.

Danielle was a dedicated teacher and energetic researcher of international stature. Danielle excavating a medieval tomb at St. George’s Hill Despite the treatment she endured, she continued to teach, even if that meant doing so by video conferencing from her hospital bed; she continued to research, seeing the publication of a book (Roman Coinage of Cyprus, Nicosia 2005) and publishing seven articles and papers (with more forthcoming or in preparation) in the last two years; she continued to write research grant-proposals; she helped to launch Brock’s MA programme last year, serving as its first director. Her drive and industry were remarkable, inspirational, and unmatched.

Danielle’s research focused on the island of Cyprus especially in the Roman, Late Roman, and Early Byzantine periods. She was able to share her interest with her students, actively involving them in her research and teaching our field school. She inspired many to continue their studies at graduate school and to return to Cyprus both with her and in connection with other excavations. She was also dedicated to the profession. She served on the executive of the Niagara Peninsula Chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America, sat on the Committee on Archaeological Policy, American Schools of Oriental Research, and was on the Board of Directors of the Canadian American Schools of Oriental Research.

While still a PhD student, she was made director of the excavations at the Amathus Gate Cemetery at Kourion from 1995 until 2000. Her PhD dissertation was completed in 1999 under K. Sloan at the University of Missouri (Burial Customs of Roman Cyprus: Origins and Development). Before she came to Brock in 2001, Danielle held a National Endowment for the Humanities Postdoctoral Fellowship on Cyprus at the American Archaeological Research Institute. Her research and publication have been supported by the American Schools of Oriental Research, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Ontario Innovation Trust, and Brock University internal grants. She is the author of numerous articles and book chapters (See below for a complete list of publications).

Excavation team at Kourion’s Amathus Gate Cemetery

Danielle was above all else an archaeologist who loved her work on Cyprus. Just weeks before she passed away, she returned to Cyprus one last time. Danielle lived life to its fullest and most productive in the short time allotted her. She still had so much to contribute, so many students to inspire. She will be missed dearly.

Student Comments

Dr. Parks was one of the most influential people in my life. She was more than just a teacher, and I truly feel that I wouldn't be where I am today without her. I was in the very first class that she taught at Brock, and Istill remember that class. I also went on my first excavation with her. Through all the years I had her as a professor, she was always available to talk and to give the occasional push in the right direction.

Even after she got sick, she was available to offer advice and guidance, whether about going to grad school, or to help me in my research.

---Cindy Lee Scott. BA Classics, Brock University. Currently MA candidate in Classics, Brock University.

Danielle truly was an inspiration.If it were not for her, I never would have discovered that I could actually be an archaeologist, and that I could combine my love of art and drawing with field work.Because of Danielle, I have seen more of the world than I ever could have hoped to see and I am on a path that is going to allow me to see more and more of it throughout my life. I loved working with her and being with her in Cyprus as a student, colleague, but mostly as a friend.

---Tina Ross. BA Classics, Brock University. MA Classics, University of Victoria.

My association with Danielle Parks began in the fall of 2001 with her hollering down the hall, irritably demanding to know where her slide librarian was and intending to immediately effect certain improvements in the somewhat neglected slide collection.

Whatever it was about me that impressed her, I will never know. But Danielle immediately took me under her wing, and, for my last two years at Brock, I was the eager recipient of her advice, her mentorship, and the numerous opportunities she provided for me.

Since moving to Missouri, our association did not lessen in any way. Over the past four years she continued to advise me and provide me with research opportunities. My visits home would often include time spent with Danielle in pleasant conversation (or casual interrogation concerning my progress in graduate school). Danielle continually showed herself to be a caring and loyal person, while at the same time exhibiting a lively sense of humor and a biting wit.

In her 41 years, I only knew her in her final six. But in those six years Danielle influenced my life profoundly, as I know she did for many others. To the academic world she was a scholar of excellent caliber, but to those whose lives she touched, especially her students, she was a teacher, a mentor, and a friend. She will be missed terribly.

---Mark D. Hammond. BA Classics, Brock University. Currently PhD candidate in Art History and Archaeology, University of Missouri-Columbia.

There is neither a need for me to comment on Danielle's numerous scholarly contributions nor to provide a testimonial concerning her teaching abilities since others have done so in much more eloquent ways. When I think about Danielle, I think about the friendship that I had with her. I think about the frequent emails, phone calls and visits in which I would express my worries and concerns to her. Danielle would always indulge me, laugh at me, and then tell me in that typical Danielle motherly way that I was being stupid. The ultimate point here is that she was always willing to listen no matter how trivial the subject was. Our conversations always ended with what Danielle liked to call gossip. She was always interested in how people, those whom we knew mutually, were doing. The reason for this was because Danielle cared about the people in her life. Danielle always made time for me no matter how busy or, later, how sick she was. In fact, I will always remember the great relish that she took in writing our appointments down in her palm pilot, Tiro. Just like any good friend, Danielle was supportive, encouraging, loving and honest. I am truly at a loss and deeply saddened by the passing of one of my best friends.

---Matt Buell. BA Classics, Brock University. Currently PhD candidate in Classics, SUNY Buffalo.

Bill, Efthymios, Danielle, and Mark enjoying a beer (or Pepsi) in Nicosia, Cyprus

Danielle’s List of Publications:

Book:

Roman Coinage of Cyprus , The Numismatic Report 34-35 (2003-2004) (Cyprus Numismatic Society, Nicosia 2005).

Chapters and articles:

“Engendering Hellenistic and Roman Tombs: the Contribution of the Swedish Cyprus Expedition,” Finds and Results from the Swedish Cyprus Expedition, Proceedings from an International Conference, the Medelhavsmuseet, Stockholm (Medelhavsmuseet, Focus on the Mediterranean, special monograph volume)
“Alexandrian Elements in Hellenistic and Roman Burial Customs of Cyprus,” V. Kassianidou, R. Merrillees and D. Michaelides eds., Cyprus and Egypt in Antiquity. (accepted, Oxbow).
“Clay Coffins in the Cyprus Museum,” Report of the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus (2003) 247-60.
“A Geochemical Vector for Trade: Cyprus, Asia Minor, and the Roman East,” M.D. Glascock ed., Geochemical Evidence for Long Distance Exchange (Scientific Archaeology for the Third Millenium, Society for American Anthropology) (Westport CT 2002) 205-14 (first author, with H. Neff).
“Epitaphs and Tombstones in Hellenistic and Roman Cyprus,” C. Callaway ed., Ancient Journeys: A Festschrift in Honor of Eugene N. Lane (2001), www.stoa.org/lane, 32 pages).
“Clay Coffins from Agia Napa-Makronisos and their Connections,” in S. Hadjisavvas, Agia Napa, Excavations at Makronisos and the Archaeology of the Region (Nicosia) 189-96 (first author, with M. Av’iam and E.J. Stern).
“Amathus Swedish Tomb 6: A Roman Burial in an Iron Age Tomb,” Report of the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus (1996) 165-69 (joint with L. Steel).

Excavation Reports:

“Preliminary Report of Excavations at Kourion’s Amathus Gate Cemetery, 2000,” Report of the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus (2001) 233-45 (first author, with C.M. Mavromatis and N.K. Harper).
“Preliminary Report of Excavations at Kourion’s Amathus Gate Cemetery, 1999,” Report of the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus (2000) 305-16 (first author, with C.M. Mavromatis and N.K.Harper).
“Preliminary Report of Excavations at Kourion’s Amathus Gate Cemetery, 1998,” Report of the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus (1999) 259-67 (first author, with N.E.M. Chapman).
“Excavations at Kourion’s Amathus Gate Cemetery, 1997,” Report of the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus (1998) 171-85 (first author, with M.J.M. Given and N.E.M. Chapman).
“Excavations at Kourion’s Amathus Gate Cemetery, 1996,” Report of the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus (1997) 271-76.
“Excavations at Kourion’s Amathus Gate Cemetery, 1995,” Report of the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus (1996) 127-33.

In Preparation:

“Compositional Analysis of Ceramics from St. George’s Hill, Nicosia,” joint with D. Pilides, H.Neff, and M.D. Glascock (in preparation).
“Compositional Analysis of Clay Coffins from Cyprus, Israel, and Lebanon,” (in preparation, joint with H. Neff, M.D. Glascock, E.J. Stern, M. Av’iam, and J. Yellin).
“The Glass,” chapter in E. Zakariou ed., A Hellenistic-Roman tomb from Polis tis Khrysokhou (in preparation).
“The Glass, Metal, and Stone Finds,” section in G. Giorgiou ed., “A Hellenistic-Roman tomb from Evrykhou” (in preparation).
“Six Tombs from Nea Dhimmata” (article in preparation).