The Byzness, 21st July 2023
Oxford University Byzantine Society
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THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY BYZANTINE SOCIETY
The Byzness, 21st July 2023 (Late July Edition)
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1. NEWS AND EVENTS
2. CALLS FOR PAPERS
3. JOBS AND SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
With best wishes to you all as we weather heatwave 'Charon.' While the Byzantines aligned the sun setting with the passing of an imperial figure, know that in your perseverance in the heat you are in fact prolonging Byzantium. Subjectively.
Please see below our fortnightly (in the summer vac.) round-up of the Byzness. - NW
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1. NEWS AND EVENTS
Free Access to the Index of Medieval Art Database Began July 1
Dear Colleagues:
Last January we shared the news that the Index of Medieval Art database will become free to all users as of July 1, and that date is now right around the corner. The database can be consulted at https://theindex.princeton.edu/, and we look forward to sharing our resources with students and scholars at all levels and with public learners seeking reliable information about medieval art and culture.
The change was made possible by a generous bridge grant from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and the ongoing support of Princeton’s Department of Art & Archaeology, to both of which organizations we are deeply grateful.
In the coming months we will offer several online training sessions to introduce the database to those who may be unfamiliar with it, the schedule and signups for which will be publicized on our blog (https://ima.princeton.edu/) and through the Index social media accounts. The first session will be held on August 3, 2023 from 10 to 11am Eastern time; further information and registration can be found here: https://ima.princeton.edu/index_online_workshop_august_2023/. Index staff also remain available for researcher questions via our online form at https://ima.princeton.edu/research-inquiries/.
We look forward to working with you,
Alessia
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Dr. Maria Alessia Rossi
Art History Specialist, Index of Medieval Art
Department of Art & Archaeology, Princeton University
2. CALL FOR PAPERS
[Call for Papers] On the occasion of the upcoming 2024 Oxford Patristics Conference (August 5–9, 2024), we are pleased to announce the Call for Papers "Christianising and Christianized Images: Figurative Language in Ancient Christian Literature."
Workshop Subject: How does figurative language work? What is the interface between literary tradition and lived experience? Ancient Christian literature arises in a vast and complicated cultural matrix, encompassing everything from Homer to the Hebrew Bible. As this literature progressively integrated its heterogeneous sources, one can observe the birth, evolution, and transformation of vivid rhetorical images and metaphors. While some of these were inspired by daily-life scenes, others became so authoritative as to actively influence customs.
From John Chrysostom’s wandering pilgrim to Caesarius of Arles’ diligent watchman, Patristic literature is full of figures conveying many meanings. However, it is important to understand to what extent these are literary references, or whether they were echoing or conditioning daily-life experiences of the audience. The aim of this panel is two-fold: in the first place, to examine whether, and if yes how, these images are reflective of shared historical practices; then, to discuss how the development of a new literary imagery influenced historical customs which become hard to interpret when detached from their original context.
Participants are invited to reflect on the following themes and areas of research:
Are there Christian literary images or metaphors reflective of or reflecting on daily-life practices and customs?
Are there already well-developed aspects of this kind in the classical pagan tradition that show significant evolution?
Does the political framework and language of authority show any influence of Christian literature, or vice-versa?
Is it possible to link literary evidence to the emergence of new themes in figurative art?
We welcome papers exploring Greek and Latin texts, as well as those sources having historically received limited scholarly attention (e.g. Syriac, Coptic, Armenian). The timeframe of interest encompasses Late Antiquity in a broad sense.
Key Submission Information:
Abstracts of max. 250 words with a title and keywords should be submitted by August 15th, 2023, at christianimag...@gmail.com. Abstracts should not contain any identifying information. Please include your name, affiliation, and contact details in the body of your email.
We will notify all those who send in abstracts by August 18th, 2023, whether or not they have been accepted.
Additional Details:
We encourage speakers to deliver their papers in person. Junior scholars are particularly welcome to apply. Once the conference is concluded, we will consider whether to publish the papers presented at the workshop. Participation in the workshop does not directly imply publication, and presenters will be consulted on the matter.
Selected abstracts should be submitted to Oxford Patristics by August 31st, 2023, referencing this workshop. We are expecting to receive communication by October 31st, 2023, on the definitive acceptance of this workshop.
Organizers: Martina Carandino (Oxford University), Conrad Leyser (Oxford University), Neil McLynn (Oxford University), Silvio Nastasi (Università di Pisa)
For any queries, please reach out to Martina Carandino (martina....@history.ox.ac.uk) or to Silvio Nastasi (silvio....@phd.unipi.it).
[Call for Papers] The Mashtots Professor of Armenian Studies at Harvard University and the Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture at Hellenic College Holy Cross in Brookline, MA, are pleased to invite abstracts for the next Studying East of Byzantium workshop: Studying East of Byzantium IX: Communities.
Studying East of Byzantium IX: Communities is a three-part workshop that intends to bring together doctoral students and very recent PhDs studying the Christian East to reflect on how to reflect on the usefulness of the concept of “Community” in studying the Christian East, to share methodologies, and to discuss their research with workshop respondents, Michael Pifer, University of Michigan, and Salam Rassi, University of Edinburgh. The workshop will meet on November 17, 2023, February 9, 2024, and June 6–7, 2024, on Zoom. The timing of the workshop meetings will be determined when the participant list is finalized.
We invite all graduate students and recent PhDs working in the Christian East whose work considers, or hopes to consider, the theme of communities in their own research to apply.
Participation is limited to 10 students. The full workshop description is available on the East of Byzantium website (https://eastofbyzantium.org/upcoming-events/). Those interested in attending should submit a C.V. and 200-word abstract through the East of Byzantium website no later than September 13, 2023.
For questions, please contact East of Byzantium organizers, Christina Maranci, Mashtots Professor of Armenian Studies, Harvard University, and Brandie Ratliff, Director, Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture at con...@eastofbyzantium.org.
EAST OF BYZANTIUM is a partnership between the Mashtots Professor of Armenian Studies at Harvard University and the Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture at Hellenic College Holy Cross in Brookline, MA. It explores the cultures of the eastern frontier of the Byzantine Empire in the late antique and medieval periods.
[CfP] Conference “Syriac Studies in the UK: Past, Present, Future”
Call for papers
When: 21-23 March 2024
Where: Durham University
Abstract submission deadline: 31 October 2023
We are delighted to announce that the conference “Syriac Studies in the UK: Past, Present, Future” will take place at Durham University, on 21-23 March 2024. The conference focuses on the history of Syriac Studies in the UK and aims to celebrate and reflect on the work of scholars in this field across the past centuries.
A series of papers will focus on specific aspects of the history of Syriac Studies in the UK, including the biographies and intellectual contributions of scholars in/from the UK, the history and development of the field, the discovery, circulation and study of Syriac manuscripts, and the formation of Syriac library collections in the UK. Confirmed speakers include Siam Bhayro (Exeter), Sebastian Brock (Oxford), Chip Coakley (Cambridge/Jericho Press), Lindsey Davidson (Bristol), Susan Harvey (Brown), Kristian Heal (BYU), John Healey (Manchester), Erica Hunter (Cambridge), Christa Müller-Kessler (Jena), George Kiraz (IAS Princeton/Gorgias Press), Salam Rassi (Edinburgh), Alison Salvesen (Oxford), David Taylor (Oxford), Francis Watson (Durham), and John Watt (Cardiff).
In addition, we invite abstract proposals for 15-minute papers, illustrating the ongoing or future research by contemporary scholars in the field of Syriac Studies. We invite proposals from doctoral students, early and mid career researchers, and established academics for papers on any topic related to Syriac Studies, such as ongoing or future research projects, forthcoming or recent publications, or ideas for public outreach - and we also especially welcome papers on the history of the field.
We aim to create a space to learn about and discuss past, present, and future research directions in our field. There will be abundant opportunities for discussion in a supportive environment, and we hope that this will be a useful venue for dialogue and exchange. We kindly encourage you to circulate this call among students and those who might not be on this mailing list.
Proposals for 15-minute papers (max. 350 words + short bibliography) should be sent to conferences...@gmail.com by October 31st, 2023.
In order to support the participation of doctoral and early-career researchers, a limited number of college rooms in Durham will be available free of charge for doctoral and early-career speakers who may not be eligible for full support from their home institution. If this applies to you, please indicate it when you send your abstract, and add your academic CV in attachment. In addition, meals for all speakers will be covered.
The conference is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Durham Centre for Early Christianity, the Department of Classics and Ancient History at Durham University, and the British Academy.
Please address any query to Andy Hilkens (andy.h...@ames.ox.ac.uk) or Mara Nicosia (mara.n...@durham.ac.uk).
We hope to see you all in Durham!
Organizing and Scientific Committee
Andy Hilkens (British Academy Newton International Fellow, University of Oxford)
Mara Nicosia (British Academy Newton International Fellow, Durham University)
Alberto Rigolio (Associate Professor, Durham University)
Francis Watson (Chair in Early Christian Literature, Durham University)
Ted Kaizer (Professor in Roman Culture and History, Durham University)
Karl Heiner Dahm (Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, Durham University)
[CfP] We invite proposals for the session CIHA202400192 Matter, Materiality and Pilgrimage in Pre-Modern Times: Production, Staging and Reception" at CIHA (Lyon, France, 23-28 June 2024).
Session description
This 180-minute paper session aims to explore the materiality of objects and places in pilgrimage sites from various cultures and religions during pre-modern times. The aim is to evaluate the converging and diverging features of materials such as gold, silver, bronze, glass, wood, bone, skin, hair, nails, precious stones, pigments, stone, soil, wax, printed matter, water and other liquids, plants, leather, fabric that were used, formed, experienced, perceived and variously appropriated by pilgrims as well as by the local actors and devotees. Pilgrims habitually travelled in well-established routes dotted with sacred sites and shrines, occasionally with overlapping stops, allowing for comparative perceptions of material properties. Their movement adopted ritual attributes that extended to the symbolization of natural and artificial objects, whose materials became incorporated in a symbolic perception of space. Organic and inorganic relics and their containers, painted panels, frescoes, liquids, tombs, buildings, natural elements were encountered by the pilgrims, and their attributes, whether material or immaterial, animated their experience. The staging strategies employed in specific visual and spatial sceneries to ensure the objects’ cultic success, prompted further interactions among pilgrims, objects, and places. At the same time, the afterlives of pilgrimage objects and sites raise questions about their staging and reception in the present day.
To promote a comprehensive exploration of the subject from a transregional and transreligious perspective, we invite submissions that centre on – but are not restricted to – the following questions:
- In what ways do pilgrims’ experiences, practices, and expectations shape the production and materiality of objects and places, and how is this recorded/experienced by pilgrims?
- How are specific media, materials and techniques established and connected to the objects in question?
- How do materials connect to and are altered by pilgrims (e.g. the effects of the visual, tactile, and more generally sensorial interactions with objects, such as touching, kissing, lighting, incorporating etc.)?
- How does pilgrims’ movement impact their perception of objects, buildings, and landscapes?
- In pilgrimage sites, specific objects/spots acquire symbolisms. Is this translated in their material context and by which processes?
- How do natural objects, e.g. mountains, plants, rocks etc., become incorporated in a symbolic perception of space and how is their materiality expressed, experienced and valued?
- How are staging devices employed in cultic settings and what materials and techniques are typically used in their construction?
- How have museums and collections curated and displayed pilgrimage objects and artifacts?
- What are the challenges and opportunities in representing the materiality of pilgrimage practice in a museum context, considering the ethical implications of the extraction, trade, and ownership of pilgrimage objects and materials?
We welcome proposals (350-500 words) from professionals, independent researchers, doctoral students, junior researchers, senior researchers in art history or related disciplines, from all over the world. The deadline for submissions is 15 September. Please submit your contribution via the following link: https://www.cihalyon2024.fr/en/call-for-papers
If you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to any of the session organizers:
Vesna Scepanovic: vesna.sc...@unifr.ch
Sofia Zoitou: sofia....@unifr.ch
Ivan Foletti: fol...@phil.muni.cz
3. JOBS AND SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
[Job Opportunity] The Museum of Russian Icons Seeks New Curator
CLINTON, MA–– The Museum of Russian Icons offers a unique opportunity to play an important role in shaping a leading institute for icons and Eastern Christian art in the USA. The Museum is currently in the last phase of a reorientation and rebranding project, and its new plans will be shared with the public in the second half of 2023. The curator will also spearhead the Study Center which will be an essential part of the new Museum.
The Museum seeks a dynamic and highly motivated individual who is excited by this challenge. The ideal candidate will be an experienced, published scholar passionately interested in the arts of the Eastern Christian world, and deeply committed to the Museum's mission. The ideal candidate should be fully able to employ the latest technologies to connect to global audiences. The candidate reports to and works closely with Executive Director Simon Morsink.
The Museum of Russian Icons, founded in 2006 by the American entrepreneur Gordon Lankton, holds the most comprehensive collection of Russian icons in the US, as well as a growing collection of Greek, Veneto-Cretan, and Ethiopian icons. The Museum serves as a place for contemplation and for experiencing the beauty and spirituality of icons. The permanent collection and temporary exhibitions offer unparalleled opportunities to situate Eastern Christian art within a global context and to explore its connection to contemporary concerns and ideas. The Museum’s Study Center stimulates object-based learning and multidisciplinary research and aims to share its research in the field of Eastern Christian art with wide audiences through an active slate of academic and public programs.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
Maintain and care for the collections.
Research, propose, and organize high-level exhibitions.
Develop and lead the Study Center, including the library, in collaboration with the Executive Director.
Organize and moderate conferences and lectures, online and in person.
Publish proceedings of conferences on the website and act as key author for online content.
Collaborate with Executive Director to refine collections through acquisitions and de-accessioning.
Maintain extensive contacts with curators, scholars, donors, collectors, dealers, and consultants.
Work closely with Registrar, restorers, contractors, and others participating in art installations.
Work with marketing staff to generate publicity for exhibitions and initiatives.
Oversee the galleries, including related signage, labels, and printed and online museum publications.
Deliver talks on the permanent collection and special projects or exhibitions.
Experience and Skills:
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Minimum of three years of museum or institutional experience.
Proven record of scholarly research and publishing in area(s) of specialty.
Proven ability to execute complex projects, preferably exhibitions or other public-facing initiatives.
Strong computer skills and an interest in contributing to the Museum’s social media platforms.
Superior ability to present ideas and projects.
Strong planning and project management skills.
Able to directly engage with diversity, equity, access, and inclusion (DEAI) initiatives at the Museum.
Education:
PhD in art history or equivalent through publications with a focus on icons and Eastern Christian art.
Personal Qualities:
Result-driven
Intellectually rigorous
Creative and innovative
Inspirational, passionate, curious
Generous and collaborative team worker
Possessing superior judgment, discretion, tact, and diplomacy
Staff Position
Full Time, 40 hours per week (part-time may be considered)
Salary Range
$80,000–$95,000 (with extensive benefits)
Working conditions:
Hybrid (at the Museum in Clinton MA and remote). Flexible hours.
How to Apply:
Please send your application incl. a letter of interest, a resume, and names of 3 references to Simon Morsink, Executive Director: jo...@museumofrussianicons.org. No phone calls please.
Consideration of candidates will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
[Job Opportunity]
Byzantine Art History
The University of Vienna is internationally renowned for its excellence in teaching and research, and counts more than 7,500 academics from all disciplines. This breadth of expertise offers unique opportunities to address the complex challenges of modern society, to develop comprehensive new approaches, and educate the problem-solvers of tomorrow from a multidisciplinary perspective.
At the Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies, the University of Vienna seeks to appoint a
Full Professor of Byzantine Art History
The position:
We are interested in researchers with a focus on different genres and periods of Byzantine art. We expect a willingness to teach the temporal and regional diversity of Byzantine art history at all levels (BA, MA, PhD).
The professorship is affiliated with the Department of Art History, one of the oldest and world's largest institutions in this field. Cooperation with the Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies and their research projects is desired.
Your academic profile:
· Doctoral degree/PhD
· Outstanding research achievements, excellent publication and funding record, international reputation
· Proven leadership qualities
· Experience in designing and managing large research projects
· Enthusiasm for excellent teaching and supervision at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral level
· Willingness to take on organisational and administrative responsibilities within the Faculty and/or the University
The University of Vienna expects the successful candidate to acquire, within three years, proficiency in German sufficient for teaching in bachelor’s programmes and for participation in university committees.
We offer:
· a dynamic research environment
· a wide range of research and teaching support services
· attractive working conditions in a city with a high quality of life
· an attractive salary according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement for University Staff (§98 UG, level A1, to be negotiated individually) and an organisational retirement plan
· a “start-up package”, in particular for the initiation of research projects
· comprehensive relocation support
[Job Opportunity]
Georgia Tech, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts
H. Bruce McEver Chair in Archaeological Science and Technologies
Job Summary
Georgia Tech, one of the world’s leading technological research universities, is launching a new initiative in archaeology. We look to fill the newly created H. Bruce McEver Chair in Archaeological Science and Technologies. We are seeking an accomplished archaeological researcher, educator, and academic leader who is eager to work collaboratively across Georgia Tech and to engage communities beyond the institute. The appointment will be to the rank of associate or full professor, commensurate with experience and accomplishments. The appointee will reside in the School of History and Sociology within the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, with possible affiliation in engineering and the sciences. The position is expected to begin on 1 August 2024.
Required and Preferred Qualifications
A PhD is required. Candidates should possess an outstanding publication record and a strong teaching dossier. The position is open with respect to regional and temporal focus and methodology, although the ideal candidate will have research and teaching interests in archaeology that complement the current emphases of the School of History and Sociology (HSOC). These emphases include urban studies; food, energy, and environment; science, technology, engineering, and society; race, ethnicity, and social justice; museum studies and cultural heritage; among others. The successful candidate will demonstrate commitment to the core missions of HSOC, which include promoting a broader understanding of how racial, gender, and class inequalities intersect, as well as how technology, science, and culture are intertwined. We encourage applications from scholars whose research and teaching focuses on Indigenous or marginalized knowledges and/or incorporates decolonial and postcolonial approaches.
The successful candidate will have opportunities to form partnerships at Georgia Tech beyond the School of History and Sociology, including in science and technology fields relevant to their research. Current partners of HSOC faculty include colleagues in Earth and Atmospheric Science, Bioengineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Sustainable Systems, and City and Regional Planning. Depending on the candidate’s expertise and research focus, there may be further opportunities to develop local and regional partnerships. The successful candidate will also have opportunities to extend HSOC’s experiential learning opportunities at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
We strongly encourage applications from scholars committed to inclusive and community-engaged archaeological practice, irrespective of geographical or cultural focus. HSOC believes diversity is foundational to creating the most intellectually vibrant and successful academic communities. We are especially interested in applicants who will work effectively with students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds, including women, those who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color, from minority ethnic groups, identify with LGBTQIA+ communities, have disabilities, from lower income backgrounds, and/or first-generation college students. Women and members of underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.
Required Documents to Attach and Contact Information
We will begin reviewing applications on 15 September 2023. Application materials should be sent electronically. Please submit a letter of application that speaks to your qualifications for the position, a curriculum vitae, up to three writing samples, and a list of three references through Georgia Tech’s Careers Site at https://hr.gatech.edu/careers (Job ID: 258879). A teaching portfolio will be requested for all final candidates. Requests for information may be directed to Professor Helen Anne Curry (hac...@gatech.edu).
About Us
HSOC is one of six schools in Georgia Tech’s Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. The Ivan Allen College is home to researchers and educators whose expertise spans the humanities and social sciences, with strengths in economics, the history and sociology of technology and science, global media and cultures, digital humanities, technology-focused international security, and science and technology policy. HSOC offers a Bachelor of Science degree in History, Technology, and Society and several joint undergraduate minors including Health, Medicine, and Society; Science, Technology, and Society; and Social Justice. At the graduate level, HSOC offers master’s and doctoral degrees in the History and Sociology of Technology and Science. More information about HSOC and its degree programs is available on the HSOC website: http://hsoc.gatech.edu.
Georgia Tech is a top-ranked public research university situated in the heart of Atlanta, a diverse and vibrant city with great economic and cultural strengths. The Institute is a member of the University System of Georgia, the Georgia Research Alliance, and the Association of American Universities. Georgia Tech prides itself on its technology resources, collaborations, strong student performance, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Georgia Tech is an equal education/employment opportunity institution. It has policies to promote a healthy work-life balance and is aware that attracting faculty may require meeting the needs of two careers.
[Fellowship] PROJECT FELLOWSHIP IN GEOSPATIAL AND DATA SCIENCES (For Post-Doctoral Scholars)
ANAMED invites applications for one-year, renewable post-doctoral fellowships in geospatial and/or data sciences to help facilitate its ongoing Linking Anatolian Pasts (LAP) project to process data, develop and manage sustainable data infrastructure, and work towards web-based publication associated with sets of multi-period and multi-scalar data, including historical aerial photographs (HAPs), archival data, historical maps, spatial and aspatial archaeological databases, and more.
Application review will commence immediately and continue until the position is filled, with a desired fellowship start date in early Fall 2023.
For qualifications, application conditions and other details about the fellowship
please click here.
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Submissions to the Byzness / Oxford Listings
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Nathan Websdale
DPhil Candidate, Faculty of History
President, Oxford University Byzantine Society
http://oxfordbyzantinesociety.wordpress.com