The Byzness, 26th January 2025
Oxford University Byzantine Society
THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY BYZANTINE SOCIETY
The Byzness, 26th January 2025
====
1. NEWS AND EVENTS
2. CALLS FOR PAPERS
3. JOBS AND SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
====
For those who may have missed it last week, OUBs would like to share with you the details of our upcoming Graduate Conference:
Entitled “Byzantium and its environment” the conference will run from the 1st-2nd March here in Oxford, as well as online via Zoom. The focus will be on natural and environmental history throughout the Late Antique and Byzantine period.
For the full schedule and abstracts, as well as details of how you can register, please see here.
1. NEWS AND EVENTS
Lecture: Roland Betancourt: "Queer Fragments of Byzantium"
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Centre for Hellenic Studies at Simon Fraser University is pleased to present Dr. Roland Betancourt, University of California, Irvine.
Join us Friday, January 31st at 2:30pm in person at the Bennett Library, SFU Burnaby, Room 7200, or online (https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87840050895), for his talk "Queer Fragments of Byzantium".
This talk will be moderated by Dr. Evan Freeman, Assistant Professor, Global Humanities and Hellenic Canadian Congress of BC Chair in Hellenic Studies.
Attendance is free. The event is open to the public and will be recorded.
This programming is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).
ABSTRACT:
In modern art and popular culture, Byzantium is rarely represented and when it is, it appears through cursory allusions. This talk will look at the fragments of Byzantium in modern popular culture to study the ways in which queer artists and authors deployed the period to imagine an alternative to the western Middle Ages.
REGISTER: Here
Dumbarton Oaks Spring Symposium: “Africa and Byzantium”
Byzantine Studies Symposium April 25–26, 2025
Byzantine Studies symposium exploring issues such as identity, authority, ethnicity, race, belonging, and memory among medieval Christian communities in Africa.
A major exhibition on “Africa and Byzantium,” held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (November 13, 2023–March 3, 2024) and the Cleveland Museum of Art (April14, 2023–July 21, 2024), generated excitement in scholars in the fields of late antiquity, Byzantium, and the global Middle Ages, as well as the general public. Merging art, religion, literature, history, and archaeology, the exhibition illuminated the development, continuity, and adaptation of Byzantine art and culture in North Africa and the Horn of Africa.
The tradition inherited from great twentieth-century scholars of Byzantium has just begun to acknowledge the vitality and major contributions made by people living in Africa to the Byzantine world. Isolated studies have focused on late Roman North Africa, Christian Egypt, Nubia, and Ethiopia. Still, no exhibition or scholarly publication had attempted to put these cultures together within a broader global framework and in major public venues. While the substantial exhibition catalog brought the study of these little-considered areas forward significantly, the richness of the traditions of Byzantine and Byzantine-sphere art and culture in Africa is such that the exhibition and its catalog are still only a beginning. This Spring Symposium builds on the research developed for the exhibition and explores issues such as identity, authority, ethnicity, race, belonging, and memory among medieval Christian communities in Africa. Overall, it will showcase a burgeoning new field of scholarship on medieval Africa and the expansion of Byzantine studies.
See here for more details.
2. CALLS FOR PAPERS
Shifting Fortunes in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages - Edinburgh's 6th International Graduate Conference in Late Antique, Islamic and Byzantine Studies (Change of date)
Please see below the call for papers for Edinburgh’s 6th International Graduate Conference, which has updated dates for both the abstract deadline and the conference itself:
Edinburgh’s Centre for Late Antique, Islamic and Byzantine Studies is pleased to announce the call for papers for the 6th International Graduate Conference in Late Antique, Islamic and Byzantine Studies, to take place on 22nd-23rd April 2025, at the University of Edinburgh. We invite papers which approach the theme of ‘shifting fortunes’ in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, from a global perspective.
The fortunes of individuals, communities and states in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages were far from fixed certainties, and whilst any number of sudden crises and exigencies could bring fortunes crashing down, there was also ample opportunity for them to be built up, transformed, and consolidated. Therefore, securing one’s fortunes, be they political, economic or spiritual, was of paramount importance to all members of late antique and medieval societies. Whether in the imperial cities of Constantinople and Rome, the caliphal courts of Baghdad, Cordoba and Cairo, or in the courts of Paris and Léon, decisions were made, edicts and chrysobulls were issued, taxes were raised, theologies were disputed, and wars were waged, all in the name of securing the good fortune of ruling interests. Beyond the actions of caliphs, emperors and kings, one is greeted by an assortment of ways in which individuals and communities sought to enhance their own fortunes, be it through pious dedications, participation in religious ritual, production or patronage of literature, economic activities or acts of rebellion. On the other hand, a drop in fortunes could be heralded by environmental factors, such as plague, famine, drought, or through instances of external and internal conflict like invasion, civil war and fitnah.
This conference will focus on this theme of shifting fortunes and examine both the factors underpinning change, as well as the various processes and dynamics through which the creation, consolidation, and collapse of fortunes came to pass. For instance, how were fortunes negotiated and renegotiated across the period, and how far did this differ across the boundaries of social class, gender, religious identity and geography? Given the broad range of possible applications of ‘shifting fortunes’ as an avenue of historical inquiry, we encourage the submission of papers which broach a wide array of topics and adopt innovative methodological approaches in their case studies. Moreover, the scope of this conference shall go beyond Centre’s focus on Late Antiquity, Islamic and Byzantine Studies. As such, we shall also incorporate contributions from a global medieval perspective.
Keynote Speaker: Dr Krystina Kubina (Austrian Academy of Sciences)
We particularly encourage contributions on the suggested topics below, however, papers which approach the theme of ‘shifting fortunes’ from other angles will also be considered:
Political perspectives – Administrative, legislative and judicial changes and policies brought about to bolster fortunes or as a response to a regression in fortunes. Political actions taken in the name of fortune, be they usurpations, rebellions, ceremonies and rituals, the production of propaganda, or political strategy and intrigue.
Economic perspectives – The extent to which fortunes were determined by economic, monetary and fiscal changes enacted by ruling systems. The influence of overland and maritime trade networks on the fortunes of states, communities and individuals. Economic actions of non-ruling classes.
Ecological perspectives – How did ecological changes, be they fortuitous or catastrophic, influence the fortunes of those affected, and how did individuals, communities and states respond to, negotiate, and mitigate these changes?
Resistance and upheaval – The reaction of communities to changes in their political and economic fortunes, their strategies of resistance (e.g. refusal to pay taxes, rebellion), and the ideological underpinnings of resistance.
Ideological perspectives – What role did ideologies fulfil in shaping the fortunes of its adherents, or of those subjected to the whims of its adherents? How did ‘official’ ideologies shape the socio-political landscape, and to what extent did ideological trends underpin complex processes of decision making, the pursuit of justice and the use of propaganda?
Religious perspectives – The actions taken by states, communities and individuals to either consolidate and build upon their fortunes, be that through the consolidation of their religious identity, or as a response to challenges against it. The processes of negotiation and mediation through which individuals and communities secured their spiritual fortunes, be it dedications, donations or participation in ritual. Inter-faith and cross-confessional dialogues and interactions, divergences from orthodox religious praxis, and the interrelationships of religious hierarchy.
A view from below – What of those individuals and communities traditionally left in the dark by the aristocratic orientation of our literary sources? How far can ‘low register’ vernacular literature, archives, papyri, tax records and inquisition registers inform us of the fortunes and misfortunes of these groups, and the strategies of change available to them?
Aspects of patronage – Acts of patronage, in all their myriad forms, are attested across the breadth of Late Antique and medieval societies, regardless of the boundaries of gender and religious identity, social class or ethnic identity. What did patrons seek to gain through these financial investments, and how does this relate to personal and communal fortunes?
Literary perspectives – The production of literature represented a significant investment of resources, in terms of both the time and effort demanded by the writing of an original composition, as well as the financial investment of creating the physical text in manuscript form. Understanding the motivations behind such investments leaves us well-positioned to determine what truly mattered to these individuals. What, therefore, was to be gained from literary production? The bolstering of one’s economic, political or spiritual fortunes? The accruement of social legitimacy? The curation of one’s programme of self-representation?
The deadline for abstracts is the 28th February and notification of acceptance will be confirmed by the 7th March.
March. Please submit your abstract of no more than 300 words, and a 100-word professional biography to edib...@ed.ac.uk. We kindly welcome submissions from individuals or groups. Lunch will be provided on both days, and there will be a small registration fee of £20 for attendees. For speakers, we hope to waive this registration fee, but further information will be provided at a later date.
3. JOBS AND SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Wainwright Fellowship 2025 - Early Career Research Fellowship in Near-Eastern Archaeology
Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Faculty
The Gerald Averay Wainwright Fellow is a post-doctoral research fellowship role. The Fellow will carry out research addressing the archaeology (not literary or philological studies) of any period of the human past apart from that of Classical Antiquity (i.e. the sphere of influence of Classical Greek and Roman Worlds, between c. 600 BCE and 500 CE), from the Palaeolithic up to and including the medieval and post-medieval periods of any of the following countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cyprus, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Palestine, Persia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Western Sahara, and Yemen. Priority is given to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Turkey.
The primary emphasis is on completion of a significant piece of publishable research in the non-classical archaeology (not literary or philological studies) of any country or countries listed above.
You will be at an early stage of an academic career, having completed a doctorate not earlier than 1 January 2018 (excluding justified career breaks). You will be able to present a credible proposal for research and publication, have or plan to develop research impact and public engagement skills, and demonstrate excellent skills in preparing research findings for publication. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate sufficient specialist knowledge in the discipline to develop an effective research programme, be able to develop a coherent, well-organised and deliverable programme of research, showing evidence of time management skills, setting priorities and meeting deadlines, and be able to analyse and research complex ideas, concepts or theories, and analyse data as appropriate.
The research may be conducted at any UK University with appropriate mentorship in these areas, with the appointee responsible for making hosting arrangements. This is a full-time, fixed-term position for 3 years from 1 September 2025.
Please note that, due to immigration restrictions, the option to be based at a university other than Oxford is only available to those with an existing right to work in the UK.
The closing date for applications is 12 noon on 19th February 2025
For more information and how to apply see here.
Postdoctoral Fellow in Byzantine Art/Archaeology at Dumbarton Oaks/Harvard University
Dumbarton Oaks invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow to join a team working to provide comprehensive access to photographic and archival documentation of the Byzantine world held by Dumbarton Oaks’ Image Collections and Fieldwork Archives (ICFA), which holds more than a million unique items in a variety of media, including extensive material relating to the art and architecture of the late Antique and Medieval eastern Mediterranean. For a full description, please see the DO website here.
The deadline for applications is March 15th, 2025.
Postdoctoral Fellowship in Byzantine Studies at the Medieval Institute, University of Notre Dame
Following substantial investment in the area of Byzantine Studies at the University of Notre Dame, including the acquisition of the Milton V. Anastos Library of Byzantine Civilization and generous support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Medieval Institute at the University of Notre Dame is delighted to invite applicants for a nine-month Postdoctoral Fellowship in Byzantine Studies.
This fellowship is designed for junior scholars with a completed doctorate whose research deals with some aspect of the Byzantine world. The fellow is expected to pursue promising research towards scholarly publication and/or the development of new subject areas. This Fellowship is open to qualified applicants in all fields and sub-disciplines of Byzantine Studies, such as history (including its auxiliary disciplines), archaeology, art history, literature, theology, and liturgical studies, as well as the study of Byzantium’s interactions with neighboring cultures. The fellowship holder will pursue research in residence at the University of Notre Dame’s famed Medieval Institute during the academic year.
See the full announcement here (applications due February 1st).
Applications can be submitted here.
Postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Medieval History, Faculty of History, University of Warsaw in the Sonata Bis NCN research project: “Recognising Saints in the High Middle Ages: Local and Papal Formalisation of Cults Reconsidered”.
Full-time employment planned for 24 months, extendable for another 24 months (up to 48 months altogether) upon positive opinion of the Principal Investigator.
Employment is planned from 1 September 2025.
Total gross monthly salary including seniority bonus: approximately PLN 8850.00.
Additional benefits: additional (thirteenth) salary similar to the amount of the monthly salary each year, 36 days of paid vacation per year, the possibility of obtaining each year a financial allowance for vacation and Christmas break.
About the project:
The aim of the RECOGNISING-SAINTS project is a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of the recognition and formalization of cults of saints in Latin Europe from the late 10th to the late 13th centuries. The subject of interest is both local approval of sainthood and papal canonizations, as well as the actors involved in the process of recognizing new cults and the forms in which this took place. The primary research tool, and an important outcome of the project besides publications, will be the Sainthood Recognition Catalogue - a complete digital catalogue of all cases of sainthood recognition in the High Middle Ages. The Principal Investigator of the project is Prof. Grzegorz Pac.
Qualification - essential criteria:
1. Ph.D. degree in history, classical philology, literary studies, theology, art history, or a related field, obtained no earlier than 2018 (this period may be extended pursuant to the Types of costs in research projects funded by the National Science Centre, Poland). The doctoral degree must be awarded by an entity other than the University of Warsaw, unless the candidate has completed at least 10 months of post-doctoral fellowship abroad after obtaining the degree. The candidate must not hold a titular professorship or have a habilitation, or have worked with the PI on a research grant in the past.
2. Experience with research in an area related to the project topic: history, culture, religiosity of medieval Europe documented by relevant publications. Preferably previous studies or good acquaintance with topics regarding the cult of saints and/or Church history in the Middle Ages.
3. At least very good knowledge of Latin, enabling reading of sources.
4. Modern languages: fluency in speaking and writing in English, and ability to read in another modern language (preferably French, Italian, Spanish).
Application deadline: 16 March 2025.
Additional information can be found here.
-----------------
Alexander Johnston
MPhil in Late Antique and Byzantine Studies
President, Oxford University Byzantine Society
http://oxfordbyzantinesociety.wordpress.com