UW-Madison faculty Nick Cahill is spending the summer at the archaeological excavations at Sardis in Türkiye, which he has directed since 2010. At the UNESCO meetings in Paris last week, Sardis and the Lydian Tumuli of Bin Tepe was inscribed on the World Heritage list. Nick had advised the nomination process for more than 10 years, and it was deeply moving to see representatives of the countries of the world united in support of protecting this wonderful and special place, and our shared cultural and natural heritage. Meanwhile, excavation and research at the site continues with a team of more than 80 scholars and students, and about 70 local workers. Among the team is CANES PhD student Eric Hensley, who is excavating a Lydian house that was destroyed in 547 BC by the Persians when they captured Sardis and its last king, Croesus. Another former UW student, Will Bruce, is excavating a monumental wall of the Lydian palace, dating to the time of Homer, which stood in various buildings and rebuildings until that same Persian destruction. An article on a group of silver coins found, together with the bones of their owner, in that destruction level was published in the journal Hesperia this month. These are among the earliest silver coins in the world, and offer new information about the reign of that famous king.