Redefining Chronology and Terminology for the Chalcolithic of the Southern Levant

ern Poland. This is a general area of cross-cultural contact that may produce a new European culture-a melting pot from which a new culture is rising. Here the anthropologist can observe the beginnings of new ways of life in historical societies and cultures-a new type of anthropological experience and also an unprecedented opportunity to influence the development of the region. This kind of research is being conducted today in the city of Lublin. Lublin has two universities-the Catholic University of Lublin (the only Catholic university anywhere in the sphere of former Soviet occupation) and the state-run Maria Curie Sklodowska University-and also the Lublin Polytechnic, the Medical Academy and the Academy of Agriculture, the John Paul II Institute, and UNESCO's International Institute for Research on Eastern and Central Europe. The symbol of crosscultural impact in Lublin is its medieval castle chapel (dating from the I3th century), whose walls are built in Western Gothic style and whose interior contains frescoes by Andrew of Byzantium. The first Polish department of cultural anthropology was established several years ago in the Faculty of Philosophy and Sociology of Maria Curie Sklodowska University. Within the framework of philosophy we have organized an anthropological specialization called Philosophy of Culture. Almost i,ooo students annually participate in our lectures and classes, and since I988 we have held an annual international seminar in cultural anthropology and published a series of anthropological books. Postgraduate students from Western and Eastern countries who know Polish can expect to complete their studies for an M.A. degree in three years' time and for a doctorate in five. In addition, within the framework of the Cultural Anthropology Research and Teaching Center we are in a position to organize special seminars and courses for short-term fellows (about a one-year stay) on Eastern languages (Polish, Russian, Byelorussian, and Ukrainian), the ethnography of these regions, the history of cultural relations among the states, nations, and ethnic minorities of Central and Eastern Europe, and current problems in cultural anthropology such as nationalism, the revival of minority movements, the crisis of traditional societies and cultures, the cultural problems of major political and social transformation, and the aftermath of real socialism in human behaviour. Our research programme is concentrated on crosscultural influences and contacts and their effects on the cultures involved and on people's mentality. We are looking for a general model of transformation, perhaps employing the concept of cultural standards, that will be suitable for the interpretation of changes in other parts of the world. Generally, we are open to any methodological or theoretical proposal that might be testable through fieldwork. The university library's worldwide computer network makes possible a direct connection with Western libraries. The Center can also offer a European-standard hotel base and cooperation with universities in the neighbouring Eastern countries. Scholars interested in crosscultural anthropological research in Eastern and Central Europe are invited to avail themselves of our facilities. Redefining Chronology and Terminology for the Chalcolithic of the Southern Levant'