Adornment as expression of everyday identity in ancient and medieval life 

Rome, 12-13 September 2019

The conference is intended to be a multi-period and multi-regional discussion of the ways in which personal adornment can be used to better understand various aspects of identity. A central concept of the conference is to encourage collaborative dialogue within the study of the archaeology of adornment, identity and the body in both the ancient and medieval worlds. This approach will allow for a greater understanding of how adornment and identity have been successfully approached by other scholars in these different periods. 

All too often jewellery and items of personal adornment are classed simply as luxury goods; however, these objects were also a part of everyday life for both men and women. By looking at the role of these objects in the context of daily life, the conference aims to provide a new understanding of the role of personal adornment in the performance and construction of aspects of individual and social identities. In particular, the conference hopes to address the following questions: how was adornment used to create and/or display different aspects of identity? How can we use these objects to uncover more information about the lifestyle and identity of the individuals who wore them? How did adornment change throughout an individual's lifecourse? What was the role of heirloom or inherited adornment? Were there crossovers and/or differences in style and material used for male and female adornment and/or for religious and secular adornment? And, did the less-wealthy use similar forms of adornment to the wealthy but in less expensive materials or was material more important than form? 

The conference covers the Roman, Late Antique and Medieval periods, so it should provide an interesting opportunity for scholars studying different periods to hear new approaches to jewellery and what it can tell us about aspects of daily life and identity. Overall, the conference aims to demonstrate the value of this approach by drawing upon a wider range of relevant case studies from different time periods and geographical areas. By looking at a diverse range of case studies, the conference also aims to reflect on current challenges and future trends in the study of adornment. 

We would hereby like to invite contributions to the conference, Adornment as expression of everyday identity in ancient and medieval life. Papers should be 25 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of discussion. The conference language is English. 

The conference will take place at the Norwegian Institute in Rome, September 12-13, 2019. Paper submissions should include: 

• The speaker’s name and title 

• Affiliation 

• Contact email 

• An abstract of 200 – 250 words

 Paper proposers will be informed of the organiser’s decision as soon as possible after the July 15th deadline. 

All submissions should be sent by email to the conference organiser, Courtney Ward, at courtney.ward@roma.uio.no