International Conference Textiles and War in Europe and the Mediterranean from Prehistory to Late Antiquity
International Conference Textiles and War in Europe and the Mediterranean from Prehistory to Late Antiquity
Bucharest, 17 – 19 May 2023
“War is the father of all things”, proclaimed Heraclitus of Ephesus in the late 6th century BC.
The main aim of this conference is to explore how appropriate this sentence is in the field of prehistoric and ancient textiles. While no definite answer should be expected in such a new interdisciplinary branch of study, the examination of a few key questions could lead us to a better general approximation of the influence that war had on the production, acquisition and consumption of textiles throughout millennia: what effects had the military needs on the social and economic systems of production and acquisition of textiles items? Did military developments trigger technical innovation in the field of textiles production? Did wars and conquests change textiles consumption habits?
While the answers to these questions should shed a new light on the history and archaeology of textiles in Europe and the Mediterranean, they will also contribute to one of the most neglected aspects of military logistics and technology in the prehistoric and ancient studies, which still lags behind the study of foodstuffs, metal items and payment in the military field.
Thus, we hope to bring together scholars with expertise on textiles, as well as on war and warfare in order to deepen the understanding on both fields through a joint endeavor.
We encourage the submission of abstracts of no more than 300 words, by the 31st of December 2022, at textilesandwar@gmail.com, on the following indicative topics:
– From sails and ropes to tents and metal armor linings: written and unwritten evidence for textile items used by the military;
– Taxes, tributes, contracts or specialized workers? Systems of production and acquisition of garments and other textile items for the armies;
– Elite cloaks and standard uniforms: the military rank and status expressed through textile items;
– Economic and cultural effects of military campaigns in the field of textile acquisition and consumption.
ORGANISERS
Liviu Iancu (The Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization, Bucharest)
Francesco Meo (The University of Salento)
CONFERENCE LANGUAGE
English
FEES
No fee is required for participation
VENUE
The Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization
2A Boulevard Mareșal Constantin Prezan, 011452
Bucharest, ROMANIA
CONTACT INFORMATION
Liviu Iancu, Francesco Meo
CONFERENCE WEBSITE
https://institutlevant.ro/en/textilesandwar
International Conference Textiles and War in Europe and the Mediterranean from Prehistory to Late Antiquity
Bucharest, 17 – 19 May 2023
“War is the father of all things”, proclaimed Heraclitus of Ephesus in the late 6th century BC.
The main aim of this conference is to explore how appropriate this sentence is in the field of prehistoric and ancient textiles. While no definite answer should be expected in such a new interdisciplinary branch of study, the examination of a few key questions could lead us to a better general approximation of the influence that war had on the production, acquisition and consumption of textiles throughout millennia: what effects had the military needs on the social and economic systems of production and acquisition of textiles items? Did military developments trigger technical innovation in the field of textiles production? Did wars and conquests change textiles consumption habits?
While the answers to these questions should shed a new light on the history and archaeology of textiles in Europe and the Mediterranean, they will also contribute to one of the most neglected aspects of military logistics and technology in the prehistoric and ancient studies, which still lags behind the study of foodstuffs, metal items and payment in the military field.
Thus, we hope to bring together scholars with expertise on textiles, as well as on war and warfare in order to deepen the understanding on both fields through a joint endeavor.
We encourage the submission of abstracts of no more than 300 words, by the 31st of December 2022, at textilesandwar@gmail.com, on the following indicative topics:
– From sails and ropes to tents and metal armor linings: written and unwritten evidence for textile items used by the military;
– Taxes, tributes, contracts or specialized workers? Systems of production and acquisition of garments and other textile items for the armies;
– Elite cloaks and standard uniforms: the military rank and status expressed through textile items;
– Economic and cultural effects of military campaigns in the field of textile acquisition and consumption.
ORGANISERS
Liviu Iancu (The Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization, Bucharest)
Francesco Meo (The University of Salento)
CONFERENCE LANGUAGE
English
FEES
No fee is required for participation
VENUE
The Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization
2A Boulevard Mareșal Constantin Prezan, 011452
Bucharest, ROMANIA
CONTACT INFORMATION
Liviu Iancu, Francesco Meo
CONFERENCE WEBSITE
https://institutlevant.ro/en/textilesandwar