NEH Foreign Study Fellowship Opportunity Summer 2010.

NEH Foreign Study Fellowship Opportunity Summer 2010.

The National Endowment for the Humanities is sponsoring a summer
seminar for College and University Professors in July of 2010 in
Tunisia to be led by Professor Thomas Heffernan. Stipends of $3,900.
are available for all who are selected to participate. The subject of
the seminar will in part examine the representation of the self in
the autobiographies of Perpetua of Carthage and Augustine of Hippo.
Both subjects are Roman north African, both are converts, and both
are early proponents of a sustained investigation of human
personality. Although both of our subjects are widely studied this is
the first time that we will have an opportunity to study them in
their lived context against the backdrop of the material culture of
Imperial Rome which gave such a profound shape to their lives. If you
are interested in this seminar and would like a detailed presentation
of the full five weeks including the eight field trips, see my
National Endowment for the Humanities web site at the following
urlhttp://web.utk.edu/~theff/carthage/

Call for Papers: Terra incognita? Making space for medieval geographies

Call for Papers: Terra incognita? Making space for medieval geographies


The Royal Geographical Society in London will be holding its annual
international conference from September 1-3, 2010. The organizers of the
session: Terra incognita? Making space for 'medieval geographies' have
issued this call for papers:

Historical geographers appear to be increasingly occupied with the modern
or post-Enlightenment world, with 'medieval geographies' becoming, for
many in the field, a terra incognita. Yet over the past century, the
Latin, Byzantine and Arabic worlds of the Middle Ages (c. 500 - 1500 CE) have
been a key focus for geographical study. Whether in charting geography's
medieval history and historiography, or in reconstructing spatial
histories of medieval landscapes, territories and societies, geographers
have thus recognized the importance of geographies before the modern age.
H owever, during the past three decades, these geographies 'in' and
'of' the Middle Ages have noticeably shifted further to the margins
of Anglophone historical geography, at a time when, paradoxically,
the geographical and spatial are growing concerns among medievalists,
for example in art and literary history, and in architecture and
archaeology.

In the context of these shifting disciplinary terrains, this session seeks
to make space for medieval geographies by providing a forum for recent and
ongoing studies that encompass both geographies in and of the Middle Ages.
Papers of an empirical or theoretical nature are sought, particularly
those engaging in critical ways with medieval geographies and which
encourage further cross-disciplinary exchange with medievalists in cognate
areas. Far from being a terra incognita, the session will expose some of
the contemporary resonances of medieval geographies, and one of its
intended outcomes is to entice historical geographers to consider the
spatial and tempo! ral cont inuities, discontinuities and connections that
run between the 'medieval' and the 'modern'.

Paper proposals and abstracts should be sent to: Dr Keith Lilley
(k.lilley@qub.ac.uk) by January 31, 2010.

The session is being organized by Dr Lilley (Queen's University Belfast)
with Veronica Della Dora (University of Bristol) and Stuart Elden
(University of Durham).

For more information about the conference, please go to:
http://www.rgs.org/ac2010

Bible in the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Traditions" unit

The committee for the "Bible in the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Traditions" unit of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) is happy to announce
Calls for Papers for the following two conferences:




1) SBL International Conference - Tartu, Estonia:

The 2010 International Conference of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) will take place in Tartu, Estonia, July 25-29, 2010. You can read the details of the conference in general on the following URL:
http://sbl-site.org/Meetings/Internationalmeeting.aspx

Our unit's theme for this conference is: "The Antiochian School of Biblical Exegesis." Scholars are invited to submit proposals for papers to explore the various aspects of biblical exegesis and hermeneutics developed and promoted in the churches of the Antiochian Patrimony. The steering committee of the unit especially encourages the submission of proposals for papers that explore and discuss the insights into contemporary biblical exegesis and scholarship that the distinct tradition of biblical interpretation of the school of Antioch may provide. Papers that explore the influence of the Antiochian school on later and other traditions of biblical exegesis will also be considered.

The deadline for submitting proposals to this conference in January 31, 2010.

You can submit the abstract of your paper online through the following URL:
http://sbl-site.org/Meetings/Congresses_Admin_ProgramUnitDetails.aspx?id=407&MeetingId=16
or e-mail it to: vartabed@stnersess.edu





2) SBL Conference - Atlanta, GA, USA:

The 2010 Annual SBL Conference will take place in Atlanta, GA, November 20-23, 2010. You can read about the meeting in general by clicking on the following URL:
http://sbl-site.org/Meetings/AnnualMeeting.aspx

Our unit's theme for this conference is "Bible reception and interpretation in Orthodox Liturgy." Scholars are invited to submit proposals for papers that examine the critical study of all the major aspects of incorporating the Bible in the liturgy of the various Orthodox churches. Among the various aspects we mention: the Biblical character of the liturgical year; the various interpretive methods used in Orthodox hymnology; the development of the liturgical theme through the various scriptural readings assigned; biblical practices as foundational elements in the liturgical _expressions, and other subjects related to the incorporation of the Bible in the Orthodox liturgy celebrated in Arabic, Armenian, Serbian, Romanian, Slavonic, Syriac and all other languages used in the various churches within the Orthodox family.

The deadline for submitting proposals to this conference is March 1, 2010.

You can submit the abstract of your paper online through the following URL:
http://sbl-site.org/Meetings/Congresses_CallForPaperDetails.aspx?MeetingId=17&VolunteerUnitId=386
or e-mail it to: vartabed@stnersess.edu

Medieval News: Oldish

A little old now, but I finally have had a little time to put together a list of news that I gathered almost two weeks ago. Hopefully the links are still active.


The "Little" Medieval Warm Period in the Bahamas


An Ancient Bath-house Dating Back to Byzantine Era Discovered in Syria

The mysterious death of James III

Viking Weapon-Recycling Site Found in England?

Talking about Medieval Archaeology The Society for Medieval Archaeology Postgraduate Colloquium

Talking about Medieval Archaeology
The Society for Medieval Archaeology Postgraduate Colloquium


Who are we?

The Society for Medieval Archaeology exists to further the study of the period from the 5th to the 16th century A.D. by publishing a journal of international standing dealing primarily with the archaeological evidence, and by other means such as by holding regular meetings and arranging conferences. While maintaining a special concern for the medieval archaeology of Britain and Ireland, the society seeks to support and advance the international study of this period (as broadly defined above) in Europe. It also aims to serve as a medium for co-ordinating the work of archaeologists with that of historians and scholars in any other discipline relevant to this field.

Members receive Medieval Archaeology, the Society's journal (published annually), together with a twice-yearly newsletter.


The Postgraduate Colloquium

On February 19th and 20th 2010, the Society will be hosting its annual postgraduate colloquium in conjunction with the University of Birmingham. The colloquium invites students to talk about their research and discuss their findings over a two-day conference. The conference is designed as a forum for informing others about your research, as well providing a research environment within which students can develop ideas and make new contacts.
Talking about medieval archaeology

The programme will run from Friday 19th February to Saturday 20th February 2010. It will involve four sessions loosely encompassing the broad themes of:



- Death & burial

- Ethnicity & identity

- Power & monument

- Society & settlement

- The material world



We also welcome posters on any topic.
Talking about your future

In addition to the research papers, the PG Colloquium will also include a Careers Question Time and an opportunity for some medieval networking over the conference buffet. The Careers Question Time will be organised in much the same way as its TV namesake (though without David Dimbleby!), with the panel representing a cross-section of the archaeological profession. The session will be hosted by the Society’s Student Rep Jill Campbell who will be asking for questions to put to the panel before and during the session. Panellists will all be available throughout the conference buffet for any informal questions and advice on careers in the heritage environment. Confirmed panellists include Dr Sally Foster (Historic Scotland), Kate Gearey (Institute for Archaeologists), Dr Dawn Hadley (University of Sheffield), Dr Amanda Forster (Birmingham Archaeology) and Dr Mike Hodder (Birmingham City Council).



If you have any specific ideas or questions regarding your career aspirations in archaeology, please include these on your registration form. In addition, we are keen for those who register (including speakers and non-speakers) to provide five keywords highlighting research interests and methods, with contact details. These will be included in the conference programme to help like-minded researchers find each other.


Food and entertainment

Throughout the two days, lunch, teas and coffees will be provided. Following the Careers Question Time on Friday, the conference buffet will be held in the Arts Faculty of the University of Birmingham. This will precede the conference keynote lecture, to be given by Professor Martin Carver of the University of York, hosted by the Centre for the Study of the Middle Ages (CeSMA), University of Birmingham. A Wine Reception will close Friday’s proceedings and give conference delegates a chance to discuss the day over a glass of wine and some nibbles!


How to book your place
Download the booking form from our website www.medievalarchaeology.org and email it to us at medieval.archaeology@googlemail.comwith PG COLLOQUIUM in the subject header & send a cheque in the post

Religion and Community in the Roman Near East – Constantine to Mahomet

The 2010 Schweich Lectures on Biblical Archaeology, given by Professor Fergus Millar FBA

Religion and Community in the Roman Near East – Constantine to Mahomet

27 January, 3 & 10 February 2010
5.30pm - 6.30pm, followed by a drinks reception
The British Academy, 10 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AH

Free Admittance

Wednesday 27 January 2010
I. The Legacy of Alexander and the Bible. A Greek Christian World?

When the Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, acquired control of the Eastern provinces of the Empire and called the Council of Nicaea in 325, it was over six and a half centuries since Alexander had conquered the Near East. When the forces of Islam invaded in the 630s, Greek had been the primary public language there, from the Mediterranean to the Tigris and from the Taurus Mountains to the Red Sea, for almost a millennium.

But how deeply had Greek culture penetrated, and was the Christian Church in the Near East wholly Greek-speaking? What 'resistance' was offered by either an Aramaic or Syriac-speaking population, or by paganism. Where do the Jewish and Samaritan inhabitants of Palestine fit in? This long apparently ‘Greek’ phase in the Near East demands attention.

Wednesday 3 February 2010
II. Jews and Samaritans in a Greek Christian World

In the first few centuries CE, a network of Greek cities came to cover almost all of Palestine, and by the sixth century more than fifty of these places had bishops, who preached and wrote in Greek. In this context, what forms of religious, social or cultural self-expression were open to Jews or Samaritans?

In the fourth–sixth centuries churches were built almost everywhere – but so also were Jewish and Samaritan synagogues – and it was these, not the churches, which produced elaborate representational art on their mosaic floors. Jews also produced the vast corpus of rabbinic literature in Hebrew or Aramaic. But how separate was Jewish life in reality from its gentile environment? Should we think of separation into distinct geographical zones, of peaceful co-existence, or of communal conflict?

Wednesday 10 February 2010
III. Syrians and Saracens: Alternative Christianities?

Aramaic, in various dialects, persisted as a spoken language all through the centuries of Graeco-Roman rule. But, while Hebrew and Jewish Aramaic were long-established languages of culture in which religious texts were composed, at the moment of Constantine's conversion there was not a single community anywhere in the Roman Near East where Greek was not the dominant public language.

Christian literary composition in Syriac, which in origin was the Aramaic dialect and script used at Edessa, had however already begun before Constantine. The subsequent emergence of Syriac as a major language of Christian literary culture, and as expressed in the many beautiful contemporary manuscripts which survive, is of huge significance. But what was the role of Syriac-speaking Christianity in relation to Greek, and to the profound theological divisions of the time? Was it in Greek or in Syriac that the Bible and monotheism were transmitted to the Arabs of the desert?

About the Speaker
Fergus Millar was Camden Professor of Ancient History at the University of Oxford from 1984 to 2002. He is the author of The Roman Near East, 37 BC-AD 337 (1993) and A Greek Roman Empire: Power and Belief under Theodosius II, 408-450 (2006). He was awarded the Kenyon Medal for Classical Studies in 2005. Currently Senior Associate of the Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies, Oxford, he is writing on the linguistic, cultural and religious history of the Roman Near East in the fourth to sixth centuries.

Schweich Lectures on Biblical Archaeology
The Leopold Schweich Trust Fund, set up in 1907, was a gift from Miss Constance Schweich in memory of her father. It provided for three public lectures to be delivered annually (now triennially) on subjects related to 'the archaeology, art, history, languages and literature of Ancient Civilization with reference to Biblical Study'.

A poster for your notice board can be downloaded here:

Please visit our website for full details of our forthcoming events.
Telephone enquiries: 020 7969 5246 / Email: lectures@britac.ac.uk

Please note our ticketing and seating policy:
British Academy Lectures are freely open to the general public and everyone is welcome; there is no charge for admission, no tickets will be issued, and seats cannot be reserved. The Lecture Room is opened at 5.00pm, and the first 80 audience members arriving at the Academy will be offered a seat in the Lecture Room; the next 60 people to arrive will be offered a seat in the Overflow Room, which has a video and audio link to the Lecture Room. Lectures are followed by a reception at 6.30pm, to which members of the audience are invited

Early Medieval Archaeology Student Symposium

EMASS 2010 – Call For Papers



(Please can you circulate this Call For Papers to colleagues, students, staff and other interested parties, and apologies to all for any cross-posting!)





We are pleased to announce that the 4th annual Early Medieval Archaeology Student Symposium will be held in University College Dublin on the 19-20 May 2010.



We would like to invite submissions for papers of c.20 minutes duration on any aspect of the early medieval period (400-1200AD) from any part of the world. In keeping with EMASS tradition, there is no set theme for the symposium but papers addressing theory in the early medieval period are particularly welcome, as are papers addressing other approaches such as experimental archaeology. As this is the first time that EMASS will visit Ireland, we also invite papers addressing ideas of regionality and difference in the early medieval period.



EMASS is a discussion group dedicated to the study of the early medieval period, run by and for postgraduates and early career researchers. It provides a forum for those interested in the early medieval period to discuss their ideas, methodologies, and theories in a friendly and open environment.



This year's symposium will take place over two days, featuring both oral and poster presentations, keynote lectures and a reception. The registration fee for the symposium is €20 and will cover refreshments and lunch on both days. As this is EMASS's first visit to Dublin, there may also be a fieldtrip to sites of interest either during or after the papers. We would appreciate it if you could tell us if you would be interested in participating in this, so that we can judge how best to organise this.



Keep an eye on our website at www.emass2010.com for further details on registration deadlines and payment details which will be posted soon. In the meantime if you have any queries, please contact us at info@emass2010.com.



The EMASS 2010 Committee