5:30 PM - Doors open

6:00 PM - Opening remarks:

• Mariangela Zappia, Ambassador of Italy to the United States
• P. Gregory Warden, Ph.D., President of The Etruscan Foundation

6:10 PM - Lecture by Maurizio Forte, Ph.D. Duke University

6:30 PM - Discussion on Etruscan research with final Q&A, with participation of Prof. Forte, moderated by Prof. Warden

7:10 PM - Reception

This lecture looks at how art, archaeology, and artificial intelligence come together, focusing on how our minds perceive and understand ancient artifacts. It also explores how experiencing historic spaces can encourage cultural exchange, especially in diplomatic settings. The idea of "blended artifacts" is central, highlighting how AI can combine traditional ways of interpreting the past with new creative possibilities.

Using AI tools like neural networks, we can rethink archaeological sites and monuments as ever-changing rather than fixed objects, evolving each time they are observed and interpreted.  Examples include the famous Etruscan Sarcophagus of the Spouses (housed at the Museum of Villa Giulia in Rome), which has now been digitally reconstructed using AI models and brainwave (EEG) analysis to study how people respond to virtual simulations. By combining AI and biometric tools to measure engagement, this approach shows how technology can help us see the ancient world in new ways. Dr. Forte challenges us to think differently about what it means to view something, suggesting that seeing is an active process that creates rich, layered stories shaped by memory, context, and technology.

The Cinelli Lecture is held annually by the Etruscan Foundation and is named in honor of the foundation’s founder the late Ferdinando Cinelli and his wife Sarah McGraw Cinelli.

The mission of the Etruscan Foundation is to advance the study, preservation, and appreciation of the art and archaeology of the peoples of the Italic peninsula and their connections to a wider world. Through collaborative partnerships and innovative projects, the foundation aims to preserve their sites and artifacts for future generations while enhancing global awareness of their contributions to world history and its continuing connections to the present. The Etruscan Foundation is dedicated to fostering scholarly research, supporting publication through the Journal of Etruscan and Italic Studies, and promoting public understanding, and educational initiatives that illuminate this rich cultural heritage.

MAURIZIO FORTE

A pioneer in digital and cyberarchaeology, Maurizio Forte is the William and Sue Gross Distinguished Professor of Classical Studies Art, Art History, and Visual Studies at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. He is currently in Washington, DC as an American Association for the Advance of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy Fellow, serving as an advisor to the Office of Cultural Heritage at the U.S. Department of State.

GREGORY WARDEN

President of the Etruscan Foundation, who has worked in Mediterranean archaeology for over 50 years. In 2012, Dr. Warden was awarded the honor of Cavaliere in the Order of the Star of Italy for his contributions to Italian culture.