The UNC-Duke Graduate Colloquium

Archiving, Collecting, and Displaying in the Ancient World
April 21, 2007

with a keynote address by Professor Richard Janko, University of Michigan

The ancient world was alive with archives, collections, and displays. The library at Alexandria reveals a fascination not only with recording the past, but also with organizing and displaying it. Although this library remains the most famous example, it was only one of a number of public archives, along with the Didascaliae in Athens, the consular lists in Rome, and the library within the Baths of Caracalla. The practice of maintaining private libraries flourished in the Roman world, as did other forms of collection: private sculpture gardens, precious stones, and exotic building materials. These material collections spoke silently but powerfully about their owners. Other collections, such as treasuries and inscriptions stored at sanctuaries, tell us not only about the desire to project a particular image, but also about the need of communities to record and publish distinctive events in their history.

The UNC-Duke 2007 Graduate Colloquium in Classics will explore the logistics behind and ramifications of collections in the ancient world. We welcome papers that will engage long-standing problems, challenge accepted viewpoints, and expand our knowledge about the creation and impact of archives, collections, and exhibits on all areas of classical civilization.

We are currently inviting graduate students to submit a one page abstract via email to Alex Loney along with the applicant's name, home institution, and department. Abstracts should be received no later than February 5, 2007. For more information see the Calls for Papers:

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