In Memoriam Professor Samuel M. Paley

One of our members of the Scientific Committee, Prof. Samuel (Sam) M. Paley, passed away from us on the 31st of March 2010.
Sam Paley was born in 1941 in Manchester, New Hampshire, USA. After his youth in Boston, he got his MA at Columbia University, in Art History and Archaeology in 1965. In 1969 he got his M. Phil at Columbia University, in Middle Eastern Languages and Literatures. In 1974 he got his Ph.D., also at Columbia University, in Middle Eastern Languages and Literatures.
It is impossible to present the Curriculum Vitae of Sam Paley here in detail. The most important part of his scientific career was at the Department of Classics, State University of New York at Buffalo. He started here in 1976 as Adjunct Associate Professor, later becoming Associate Professor and Director and finally Professor and Director of the Judaic Studies Program. But he has also been Curator at the Brooklyn Museum and Principal at the High School for Jewish Studies.
Sam’s archaeological field experience includes many excavations in Cyprus, The Near East and Turkey. At the moment of his death he was active in the Emeq Hefer Project in Israel (from 1979 onwards) and the Alishar Hoyuk Excavations in Turkey.
During the past seven years Sam was a regular visitor of the Vienna Conference on Cultural Heritage and New Technologies. With his enthusiasm and great scholarship he swiftly became a member of the Scientific Committee. In this function he was able to focus on two important subjects. The publication of old excavations with new technologies, and a workshop for “newbies”. Both subjects clearly reflect his scientific ideals: The need for high standards in archaeological publications and the education and integration of new generations of students in the scientific community.
Sam will be truly missed…