*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