From the Brandeis Classical Studies Department Graduate Student Representatives:
Call for Papers!
“Ancient Worlds, Embodied: Identity, Society and the Human Body in Antiquity”
Department of Classical Studies, Brandeis University
Annual Graduate Conference
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Debby Sneed, Lecturer at California State University, Long Beach
Conference Date: April 8th – 9th, 2022
The Department of Classical Studies at Brandeis University invites submissions of abstracts for our Annual Graduate Student Conference. This year’s conference will provide a platform for the exploration of ideas related to the human body through the examination of textual, visual and material evidence from the ancient world. The intention of this conference is to engage with the human body through a range of disciplines as it impacted societies in antiquity. Graduate students of any field in the humanities and social sciences are encouraged to submit abstracts for consideration, some relevant fields are: Art History, Anthropology, Classical Studies, Comparative Literature, Disability Studies, Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Women’s and Gender Studies.
Possible paper topics include, but are not limited to:
– The depiction and reception of bodies in ancient visual and textual cultures
– Beauty, desire, and sexuality in the ancient world
– Investigation of social, cultural, gender, or religious identities in antiquity
– History of health, medicine, and disability
– Scientific approaches to the body (bioanthropology, ethnoarchaeology, etc.)
– Athleticism, sport, and competition
– The modern reception of ancient works related to the body
Submissions must be original, single-authored works by current graduate students. Papers should be 15 minutes in length, followed by a 5 minute question-and-answer session. At present, the conference will be held in a hybrid format, with in-person presentations held on Friday, April 8th and virtual presentations on Saturday, April 9th. If interested in participating, please submit an abstract for consideration (no more than 300 words), a paper title, and a current CV to classics@brandeis.edu. In the body of your email, please specify if you are interested in presenting your paper in either a virtual or in-person format. The submission deadline for abstracts is February 18, 2022. Selected presenters will be notified by March 4, 2022. Please direct any questions about the conference or submission process to Kelly Ahrens, Ella Hathaway and Carlee Unger at classics@brandeis.edu.
