Join us for an afternoon of celebration and catharsis over this turning point in Roman history. There will be themed food (such as pizza, salad, and cupcakes), sanguine drinks, and games involving effigies of Caesar!

The event will be held form 4:30 to 6:30 pm on Friday, March 17th in Ford 101. All are welcome to drop by during that time frame!

Please join us this Thursday afternoon!

As usual, this lecture is free and open to the public!

CASA Research Colloquium
The Battle of Alarcos (1195): Musealization Of a Medieval Battlefield

Dr. Mario Ramírez Galán (Universidad de Alcalá, Spain)

Thursday, March 9, 2017, 4:30 p.m.
Eaton 412, Willamette University, 900 Winter Street, Salem, Oregon

The medieval battle of Alarcos (1195) was the last great victory of Moslem against Christian troops in Spain. Having received information that the Almohad caliph Yaqub al-Mansur was gravely ill in Marrakesh, King Alphonso VIII of Castile decided to attack the Almohad possessions in Spain. Spanish and Moorish troops clashed at the castle of Alarcos, which marked the southernmost extension of Alphonso’s realm. The battle ended in a decisive, yet ultimately short-lived victory for the Moors.

Today, the ruins of the Castle of Alarcos and the surrounding battle field are well known. The castle has been excavated, but the battle field has not yet been surveyed, and little has been done to attract visitors. Dr. Ramírez Galán will present the results of the castle’s excavations, suggest a reconstruction of the different stages of the battle, and discuss how the battle field could be preserved so that modern visitors could walk through the site and experience the battle as it evolved.

Alarcos (Ciudad Real), Julio 2003.- Imagen aérea del Parque Arqueológico de Alarcos en Ciudad Real.

Note to AIA members: This is an afternoon research talk in Eaton Hall 412, not in the Law School.