Based in the Department of Classics and Letters at the University of Oklahoma, we support the teaching, research, and advocacy of Mediterranean archaeology and history on the OU campus, as well as at the state, regional, and national levels.
CMAH was originally founded in 2001 by Professor Emeritus Farland Stanley as the Center for Classical Archaeology and Civilizations. In 2025, the Center was renamed to reflect the broader constituency we hope to engage. CMAH can be pronounced as SEE-MAH. Sēma (σῆμα) is Ancient Greek for sign or marker, especially those preserving the memory of events and peoples in the past. We reflect this by making the world of Mediterranean antiquity more visible, accessible, and enjoyable to a variety of audiences.
Our deliberately hybrid emblem is the Plains prairie dog, a substitute for the solar mongoose often associated with the Egyptian Cobra Goddess Wadjet (Late Period-Ptolemaic, 664-30 BCE). The pose of raised paws and distinctive headgear signifies adoration of the solar god; a small rattlesnake, instead of the Egyptian cobra, rears in front of the solar disc (image courtesy of Amanda Regnier, Oklahoma Archaeological Survey).
