Contexts and the Contextualization of Coin Finds - An International Colloquium

The Swiss Group for the Study of Coin Finds (Groupe suisse pour l’étude des trouvailles monétaires/Schweizerische Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Fundmünzen) has announced that it will host an international colloquium on "Contexts and the Contextualization of Coin Finds" in Geneva on March 5-7, 2010. Several established and emerging scholars will present papers on a wide breadth of subjects that elucidate the value of contextual methods in numismatics. Lectures will be in English, French, Italian, and German. Abstracts are posted in the program.

The list of speakers and subjects is as follows:

Introduction

Richard REECE, Coin finds and archaeologists: past, present, and future

L’élaboration de fondements à l'aide de contextes (dans le temps et dans l'espace)

Andreas SCHÄFER, Zur Aussagekraft von Fundmünzen in latènezeitlichen Siedlungskontexten Süddeutschlands

Colin HASELGROVE, Hallaton and Leicester: rewriting the early history of the English East Midlands

Le potentiel d'étude de différents types de stratigraphies et de trouvailles

Kevin BUTCHER, Hoards, single finds and monetary circulation

Luisa BERTOLACCINI & Ulrich WERZ, Fundmünzreihen versus Dendrochronologie? Das Beispiel Grosser Hafner (Zürich)

Jens Christian MOESGAARD, Monnaies médiévales et modernes en contextes archéologiques le cas de la Haute-Normandie

Benedikt ZÄCH, Münzfunde in Kirchen: Chancen und Grenzen bei der Interpretation von Kontexten

Aires de circulation monnaies comme clé de compréhension du développement économique

Federico BARELLO, Augusta Taurinorum, archeologia urbana e rinvenimenti numismatici

Charles BONNET, Matteo CAMPAGNOLO & Marc-André HALDIMANN, L’étude conjointe des monnaies et de la céramique de contextes stratigraphiques de la cathédrale Saint-Pierre à Genève

Johan VAN HEESCH, Coins and the countryside: Coin use in Roman ‘villas’ in Northern Gaul

Vincent GENEVIÈVE, Le trésor d'argentei de Bénazet (Ariège) : un dépôt monétaire franc au pied des Pyrénées?

Degré de monétarisation ou la deuxième et la troisième vie de monnaies antiques

Suzanne FREY-KUPPER & Clive STANNARD Evidence for the importation of blocks of foreign bronze coins in the Ancient world, and their role in the monetary stock

Fleur KEMMERS, After Rome? The second life of Roman coins in Frankish settlements

Différents types de trouvailles à l'époque médiévale et moderne

Adriano BOSCHETTI-MARADI, Stephen DOSWALD & Brigitte MOSER, Bauforschung und Numismatik: Fundmünzen aus Bauuntersuchungen im Kanton Zug

Harald R. DERSCHKA, Der St. Mang-Platz in Kempten (Allgäu)

Fonctions des monnaies dans des environnements sociaux et économiques particuliers (rituels, offrandes, thésaurisation, etc.)

Günther E. THÜRY, Verlieren und Wiederfinden von Münzen in der römischen Antike

Samuele RANUCCI, San Feliciano: un caso di offerta monetale nelle acque del Lago Trasimeno

Paul-André BESOMBES, Les monnaies de l’établissement antique de Mané-Véchen à Plouhinec (Morbihan)

Other recent colloquia and conferences that addressed the application of material contexts in numismatic study include the symposium on "Coins in Context" at Frankfurt University (a collection of articles based on the conference have since been published), a panel at the 2009 AIA/APA Meeting entitled "Contextual Numismatics: New Perspectives and Interdisciplinary Methodologies," and a round table discussion with a panel of speakers at the XIVth International Numismatic Congress on "Coins in Context."| |

New Academic Program in Value and Equivalency

It has been announced that Frankfurt University and the Technical University at Darmstadt will begin their new program in Wert und Äquivalent. This interdisciplinary program will be directed by faculty from the two universities who are of international renown and active in a number of related disciplines: African prehistory, ethnology, Classical and Roman provincial archaeology, numismatics, European prehistory, Near eastern archaeology, North American ethnology, and philology.

The program officially begins on April 1, 2009 and applications for 11 doctoral scholarships with a stipend of 1200 Euro per month are being accepted until January 10, 2009. The scholarships are valid for two years and are renewable for a third year. Applications are available in both German and English.

One scholarship holder can work in archaeology and the cultural history of the Near East, one in Near Eastern philology, two in Classical archaeology (one in Frankfurt and one in Darmstadt), two in Roman provincial archaeology/auxiliary archaeological sciences (numismatics, papyrology, epigraphy), one in European prehistory, one in African prehistory, and three in ethnology with an emphasis on Africa, North America, and South East Asia.

There are also two post-doctoral fellowships for a tenure of two years. One is available in European prehistory and one in ethnology.

For further information and application details visit: http://www.value.uni-frankfurt.de/

Pompeii on Google Street View

Pompeii is now part of Google Street View. The BBC has a feature on the story (December 4, 2009).

"Giving people a chance to take a virtual stroll through Pompeii will give an extraordinary boost to Italian tourism," Ansa quoted Mario Resca of the culture ministry's heritage promotion department as saying.

•  Google Street View
  

Oriental Institute Job Posting: Post-Doctoral Scholar

Oriental Institute Job Posting: Post-Doctoral Scholar

The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago invites applications for the Oriental Institute’s Annual Post-Doctoral Scholar Conference program for the 2010–2011 academic year. This is a twelve-month, non-renewable appointment. The Post-Doctoral Scholar will organize and conduct a two-day conference at the Oriental Institute on key comparatively oriented theoretical or methodological issues in the field of ancient studies (archaeological, text-based, and/or art historical avenues of research). We encourage cross-disciplinary proposals that deal with the ancient Near East (including Egypt) or that compare the Near East with other cultural areas. Applicants should take into consideration the research interests represented at the Oriental Institute. The conference will take place in early to mid March 2011. After the conference, the Post-Doctoral Scholar will work with publication staff to assemble and edit the proceedings for publication in the “Oriental Institute Seminars” series. The incumbent is also encouraged to pursue his or her own research while in residence and to interact with the Oriental Institute community.

Information on past Oriental Institute Annual symposia can be viewed at:
http://oi.uchicago.edu/research/symposia/

Qualifications: Ph.D. in a discipline relating to ancient studies must be complete at the time of appointment. Applicants should send:

1. 5-page proposal outlining nature and structure of the conference (including names and paper topics of six to eight key participants who have agreed to make presentations, should the conference be funded)
2. curriculum vitae
3. 3 letters of reference (these may be sent under separate cover)

Electronic submissions are welcome. Deadline for completed applications is Friday, January 8th, 2010. Start date is September 1, 2010. Please send applications to:

Post-Doctoral Scholar Program
attn. Mariana Perlinac, Oriental Institute
University of Chicago
1155 East 58th St.
Chicago, IL 60637

Or via e-mail to: oi-administration@uchicago.edu


The University of Chicago is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.


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Automation at the British Library

The BBC has a short video on the automated system at the British Library.

The British Library has unveiled a new automated storage facility and the BBC's Phil Bodmer has been given a look around.

Much of the sorting and carrying at the futuristic £26 million building at Boston Spa in West Yorkshire is carried out by robots.

The additional storage building will eventually house approximately seven million items from the UK national collection.

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