Accordia/Institute of Classical Studies Literacy Seminar
A series of seminars on the theme of 'The
Establishment of Literacy in state societies: the Ancient Mediterranean'
took place during 2003/4. This aimed to explore
the role of literacy in society, primarily in the ancient Mediterranean,
but will include consideration of some other areas of the Graeco-Roman
world. It will explore issues such as the impact of literacy on
emergent state societies, the role of the reader and writing as
communication, the symbolic role of literacy, the technologies of
writing and the relationship between orality and literacy. In addition,
it will consider the epigraphic culture of ancient Mediterranean
societies and the interaction of competing languages and literacies in
the context of growing social complexity and cultural change.
Plans for Publication
The papers of the series 'The
Establishment of Literacy in state societies: the Ancient Mediterranean'
will be published by Accordia in the series Specialist Studies in the
Ancient Mediterranean. We hope the book will be published in
2005.
A copy of the
Guidelines for Contributors (pdf
file) can be downloaded from this page.
Programme
October 21st
Prof David Langslow (University of Manchester): Alphabets,
spelling and punctuation in early pre-Roman Italy
October 28th
Dr Alan Johnston (UCL): Go West, young san! Aspects of early
alphabetic diaspora and uses
November 18th
Dr Kathryn Lomas (UCL): Writing and Reitia: the anatomy of
literacy in North-East Italy
November 25th
Dr Philip Milnes-Smith: ‘Lapidarias litteras scio’. Literacy and
inscribing communities in Roman Venetia.
December 2nd
Dr John Pearce (KCL): The archaeology of documents and writing
materials: the distribution and role of literacy in the north-west
provinces
February 3rd
Charlotte Roueché (KCL): Signs and letters at Aphrodisias and
Ephesus
February 10th
Dr Luca Zaghetto (Padua): Iconography and language: the missing
link
February 24th
Dr John Bennet (Sheffield): Who wrote in Linear B . . . and why?
Reflections on literacy in the Mycenaean world
March 2nd
Dr Ralph Häussler: Empire and Literacy in the Roman World
March 23rd
Dr Tamar Hodos (Bristol): Writing more than words in Iron Age
Sicily
April 27th
Prof Jonathan Powell (RHUL): Oral versus written in Republican
Roman legal procedure
May 11th
Dr Lene Rubinstein (RHUL): Writing and orality in Greek diplomacy
May 18th
Dr Peter Haarer (Centre for Study of Ancient Documents, Oxford):
The implications for literacy of the use of Greek alphabetic
writing on different media
May 25th
Dr Alison Cooley (Warwick): The publication of Roman official
documents in the Greek East
