Archaeologists, community members and students filled the University Student Union Beach Auditorium yesterday to listen to author and archaeologist Susan Heuck Allen discuss her latest book.
Allen’s book, “Classical Spies: American Archaeologists with the OSS in WWII Greece,” which took nearly a decade to complete, was published in 2011. The book focuses on Allen’s adventures as an archaeologist in Greece.
The Archeological Institute of America and Eta Sigma Phi, an honor society for students of Greek, Latin and Classical studies, sponsored the presentation as part of the honor society’s 100th anniversary.
A graduate of Brown University, Allen started her career as a dirt archaeologist working in countries such as Cyprus, Israel and Knossos.
Allen started her presentation with an image of a metal pan filled with sand and five tall candles, a Greek tradition she later explained to the audience.
“In Greek churches, people would light a single candle of an individual’s action that was symbolic,” she said.
Allen discussed her experience of studying archaeologist spies in Greece and the relationships she developed with many Greeks who lived through WWII.
She also spoke about her bond with a Greek woman named Clio, explaining that it took six years to gain Clio’s trust and get her to share stories about her life during WWII.
“It was difficult getting Clio to open it up. It was like pressing an open wound to get photographs of her and for her to answer my questions, even when she was in her 90s,” she said. “She told me that she will take her story to the grave.”
Allen didn’t discuss Clio’s stories in detail but said they were included in her book.
Junior chemistry major Cyrus Koroni said that although he attended the lecture for extra credit in his class, he enjoyed the lecture because he is interested in archaeology.
“I like digging stuff up,” Koroni said. “It is rumored that my fraternity dug up a WWII helmet at our house, so that’s pretty cool.”
Some students, like junior economics major Nicole Soma, said they attended the presentation for their own interest in the topic.
“I think WWII is fascinating,” Soma said. “I recently saw ‘The Monuments Men,’ and I thought that this would be a fun event that would be similar to the movie.”
Allen shared how excited she was to present in Long Beach.
“I have been fantasizing about this trip for months,” she said. “My plane was delayed last week to be de-iced. I have enjoyed the Queen Mary and Long Beach so far.”
