CALL. 14.12.2020: Disruption in the Ancient Near East - Online (Zoom)

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FECHA LÍMITE/DEADLINE/SCADENZA: 14/12/2020

FECHA CONGRESO/CONGRESS DATE/DATA CONGRESSO: 19-20/02/2021

LUGAR/LOCATION/LUOGO: Online (Zoom)

ORGANIZADOR/ORGANIZER/ORGANIZZATORE: Zachary Rubin (Brown University); Evelyne Koubková (Yale University); Andrew Deloucas (Harvard University).

INFO: gsanes2021@gmail.com - zachary_rubin1@brown.edu - evelyne.koubkova@yale.edu - adeloucas@g.harvard.edu

CALL:

This graduate symposium—online for the first time—aims to bring together students of the ancient world in order to develop a community of junior scholars. Participants will present and discuss their research in a supportive environment, and they will receive feedback from faculty members from the participating universities as well as their peers. We cordially invite presentations from graduate students in Assyriology and related fields of study, such as Egyptology, Hittitology, and Near Eastern archaeology.

The topic of the 2021 symposium will be one that is all too familiar in the present moment: Disruption. Originally a medical term referring to the tearing asunder of bodily tissue, disruption has come to refer to radical transformations in society and the uncertainty that sets in as a result. But disruptions do not have to be inherently negative experiences: as old systems fall into disarray, new, innovative systems may emerge in their place. Indeed, innovations can be causes of disruptions themselves. As such, we invite students to use diverse methodological and theoretical approaches to engage with disruption in the ancient Near East. Case studies and more general perspectives are both welcome. In addition, we urge our presenters and attendees to discuss the implications of ancient disruption for modern society, and carefully consider the utility and meaning of studying the ancient world in an age of disruption.

Please send us an abstract of no more than 250 words before December 14th. Each presentation will be allowed a maximum of 20 minutes, followed by a 10-minute discussion. Presenters are encouraged to include slideshows or handouts that they would like to share with the audience. The maximum number of speakers is limited. Seeing as travel expenses and accommodations will not be an issue for anyone this year, we will gladly welcome graduate students from all over the globe to submit applications.

The symposium will begin on the evening of Friday, February 19th with a keynote lecture. Student presentations will take place the following day. We will also arrange break-out rooms where attendees can chat and socialize. We will distribute a more detailed schedule for the event to all registered participants as the time comes.

We would like to ask everyone who wishes to attend the conference to send an email to gsanes2021@gmail.com. Please include your name, university, department, and year of study if applicable. If you wish to submit an abstract, please send your abstract in the body of the email and write ABSTRACT in the subject heading.