Propylaeum Blog

9-10 April 2026: Comedy and Commerce: Ancient Economies in the Light of Comic Texts from Classical Greece to Imperial Rome

11. March 2026, Ansgar Teichgräber - Veranstaltungen

Comedy and Commerce: Ancient Economies in the Light of Comic Texts from Classical Greece to Imperial Rome
International Conference 
Munich/hybrid, 9–10 April 2026

Bringing together scholars from ancient history, classical philology, archaeology, and papyrology, the conference will explore how Greek and Roman comic texts—comedy and satire alike—shed light on economic practices, legal conditions, social hierarchies, and moral debates surrounding wealth, trade, and social mobility.

The conference brings together interdisciplinary research approaches within a longue durée perspective: the period under investigation ranges from Greek Classical antiquity (5th century BCE) to the Roman Imperial period (2nd century CE). Topics addressed include, among others, trade, monetization, the political dimension of abundance and scarcity, value and the commodity character of (immaterial) goods, the role of law, exchange and purchasability as metaphors, and the moral evaluation of wealth and social mobility. The search for “hard” economic facts is thus combined with the reconstruction of the socio-cultural embedding of economic activity in value discourses and literary representations.

Registration 
Participation is possible in person or via Zoom. Registration is required for both formats. Please register by contacting M.Hinsch@lmu.de.  

Contact
Dorothea Rohde: dorothea.rohde@uni-koeln.de 
Moritz Hinsch: M.Hinsch@lmu.de

The complete program and further information can be found at the event page on H-Soz-Kult.


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Call for Papers: In, Under and Beside the House. Archaeology and Building Archaeology in Dialogue on the shared object „House“

11. March 2026, Ansgar Teichgräber - Call for papers

In, Under and Beside the House
Archaeology and Building Archaeology in Dialogue on the shared object „House“
Joint Annual Conference 2026 of the Arbeitskreis Hausforschung (AHF) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Archäologie des Mittelalters und der Neuzeit (DGAMN)
Brandenburg a. d. Havel/hybrid, 1-4 October 2026

Submission Deadline: 30 April 2026 

The thematic focus of the conference, as indicated by its title, will be on the house itself, its structural and spatial configurations, its traces in the ground, and its immediate surroundings. Town walls, churches, castles and cemeteries are explicitly excluded from this meeting.

This focused thematic framework is intended to foster fruitful discussions and, ideally, new insights through the joint consideration of identical objects from different perspectives. Contributions that have already been presented within one’s own disciplinary circle are explicitely welcomed for renewed presentation.

Thematic papers should not exceed 20 minutes; short presentations of new research are limited to 15 minutes.

The conference language is German, but papers in English are welcome. As the number of presentations is limited, a selection process may be necessary, conducted by a joint preparatory committee of AHF and DGAMN. The proceedings will be published in a joint volume by the two organising bodies.

Technical facilities for digital image presentations (PowerPoint) will be available. The conference is planned as a hybrid event with online streaming of presentations.

Please submit proposals including the paper title, an abstract of no more than 10 lines, and a short CV with full postal address by 30 April 2026 to:

Contact
Dr. des. Anja Schmid-Engbrodt M.A.
Lindlacher Weg 25, D-50259 Pulheim
Tel. (+49) 171-501 5624
engbrodt@aol.com

The complete Call for Papers can be found at the conference website.


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Call for Papers: Rhetorik Jahrbuch 2027 – Rhetorik und Epideiktik

10. March 2026, Ansgar Teichgräber - Call for papers

Rhetorik Jahrbuch 2027 – Rhetorik und Epideiktik

Einreichungsfrist Abstract: 12. April 2026
Einreichungsfrist Manuskript: 1. November 2026 

Für den Jahrgang 2027 von Rhetorik. Ein internationales Jahrbuch, publiziert bei DeGruyter Brill, planen die beiden Herausgeber ein Jahrbuch mit Beiträgen zum Thema Rhetorik und Epideiktik. Der Band richtet sich an Forscher*Innen, die sich für die Lob- und Tadelrede in der Rhetorikgeschichte und vor allem auch in ihren zeitgenössischen Ausprägungen in Praxis wie Theorie interessieren. Die Bandherausgeber möchten insbesondere auch jüngeren Wissenschaftler*Innen mit Interesse für den Themenbereich die Möglichkeit bieten, einen Artikel beizusteuern.

Interessent*innen melden sich bis zum 12. April 2026 mit einem Arbeitstitel und einem kurzen Abstract von etwa 300 Worten bei: Prof. Dietmar Till (Seminar für Allgemeine Rhetorik, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen) – dietmar.till@uni.tuebingen.de und Dr. Frank Schuhmacher – frank-holger.schuhmacher@uni-tuebingen.de

Beiträge aus Disziplinen wie Literaturwissenschaft, Linguistik, Geschichtswissenschaft, Politikwissenschaft, Medienwissenschaft oder Rhetorik sind gleichermaßen erwünscht.

Das Rhetorik-Jahrbuch publiziert vorzugsweise auf Deutsch, aber auch Texte in englischer Sprache sind willkommen. Die fertigen Manuskripte sollen bis zum 1. November 2026 abgegeben werden. Der Band wird dann im Oktober/November 2027 erscheinen.

Den vollständigen Call for Papers finden Sie hier als PDF-Download.


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10 April 2026: Current Contexts and Transformations of Antiquity (ConTrA)

09. March 2026, Ansgar Teichgräber - Veranstaltungen

Current Contexts and Transformations of Antiquity (ConTrA)
Antiquity between Fan Fiction, Communication and Research
Conference for Young Researchers
Köln, 10 April 2026

Registration Deadline: 2 April 2026

ConTrA 2026 focuses on Antiquity between Fan Fiction, Communication and Research and explores how antiquity is retold, transformed, and perceived today in pop culture, digital media, and contemporary contexts of public engagement. Across six papers and a keynote, the conference brings together early career researchers whose contributions open up new perspectives on the reception of antiquity between research, communication, and fan fiction.

Venue
Archäologisches Insitut, Universität zu Köln, Raum 101
Kerpner Straße 30 / Eingang Weyertal
50931 Köln

Registration
Please send an email to contra.conference@outlook.com by 02.04.2026.
There is also the option to join a shared dinner after the conference (self-paid). If you are interested, please indicate this directly when registering.

Contact
contra.conference@outlook.com   

The complete program and further information can be found here as a PDF-Download.


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27 July – 1 Aug 2026: 13th International Congress of Coptic Studies

06. March 2026, Ansgar Teichgräber - Veranstaltungen

13th International Congress of Coptic Studies
International Association for Coptic Studies (IACS)
Göttingen, 27 July – 1 Aug 2026

Registration Deadline: 31 March 2026 (later registration with higher fees)

The Organising Committee is pleased to welcome you to the 13th International Congress of Coptic Studies in Göttingen. The congress is organised jointly by the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Lower Saxony (Digital Edition of the Coptic Old Testament) and the University of Göttingen (Institute for Egyptology and Coptic Studies), under the patronage and in close cooperation with the International Association of Coptic Studies.

Venue
Central Lecture Building (Zentrales Hörsaalgebäude, ZHG) on the main Campus of the University of Göttingen

Registration
Registration for the conference is still open, please visit the Congress website through this link. During the registration process participants will be informed about the payment procedure for the applicable fees. We apologise that it is current University policy to allow bank transfers as the only possible payment option. A higher fee will apply to participants registering later than March 31, 2026. We are grateful for your timely registration to facilitate the organisation of the programme and the social events.

Contact
coptic-congress-2026@uni-goettingen.de

The preliminary programme and further information can be found at the conference website.


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19.-21. März 2026: Quellenforschung: Epistemologische Voraussetzungen, historische Beispiele und Rezeption eines wissenschaftshistorischen Phänomens zwischen Philosophie und Geschichte

27. February 2026, Ansgar Teichgräber - Veranstaltungen

Quellenforschung: Epistemologische Voraussetzungen, historische Beispiele und Rezeption eines wissenschaftshistorischen Phänomens zwischen Philosophie und Geschichte
Trier/hybrid, 19.-21. März 2026

Die Quellenforschung war im 19. und frühen 20. Jahrhundert eine prägende Methode innerhalb der Altertumswissenschaften. Obwohl sie später vielfach als übermäßig positivistisch kritisiert wurde, prägt sie bis heute grundlegende Debatten über Textgenese, Rekonstruktion und Geistesgeschichte. Auf der Tagung kommen Forschende der Klassischen Philologie und benachbarter Disziplinen zusammen, um dieses wissenschaftsgeschichtliche Phänomen aus epistemologischer und methodischer Perspektive neu zu beleuchten und kritisch zu reflektieren.

Veranstaltungsort
Universität Trier & online 
Online-Teilnahme: https://uni-trier.zoom-x.de/j/62344414606?pwd=fZh2flckKQbsJi5wLQxZrFQUy3kjWC.1

Organisation
Diego De Brasi, Theofanis Tsiampokalos, Piotr Wozniczka
FB II – Klassische Philologie/Gräzistik

Kontakt
quellenf@uni-trier.de

Das vollständige Programm mit weiteren Informationen finden Sie hier als PDF-Download.


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Neues Propylaeum-eBOOK: "Jonathan Ethier: Cooking Food - Creating Culture?"

26. February 2026, Katrin Bemmann - Latest

Die Dissertation von Jonathan Ethier “Cooking Food - Creating Culture? Food Culture as a Concept for Archaeology. A case study from Early Neolithic Southeast Europe” steht im Open Access als Propylaeum-eBOOK zum Download bereit. Das Buch untersucht am Beispiel von Milch- und Subsistenzwirtschaft auf dem Nordbalkan und im Karpatenbecken die Esskultur des Frühneolithikums in Südosteuropa. Mithilfe von Analysen organischer Rückstände und Daten zur Fauna sowie kulturtheoretischer Ansätze verdeutlicht es, wie Essverhalten zwischen Tradition und Innovation verhandelt wird. Jenseits funktionalistischer Erklärungen beleuchtet der Autor auch die symbolische, soziale und ökologische Dimension von Essen und hinterfragt, wie Begegnung, Anpassung und Identität Ernährungsstrategien prägten. So entsteht ein nuanciertes Bild des Übergangs zur Jungsteinzeit.
Der zugehörige Katalog ist bei Propylaeum-DOK veröffentlicht worden.
Der Titel ist zudem im Buchhandel als Printexemplar erhältlich.


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Call for Papers: Culture in Translation – History, Literature, and the Transcultural Movement of Ideas

25. February 2026, Ansgar Teichgräber - Call for papers

Culture in Translation – History, Literature, and the Transcultural Movement of Ideas
Interdisciplinary Conference
Zurich, 1–4 October 2026

Submission Deadline: 31 March 2026

The conference's aim is to discuss from an interdisciplinary perspective how ancient traditions from Jewish, Christian, ancient Near Eastern as well as Greek and Roman contexts shaped the culture and discourses of their time, and how some literature could develop into particularly enduring and influential repositories of a history of ideas, both within antiquity and beyond, through processes of transmission, translation, and the formation of tradition. In short, we want to ask how and why precisely those ancient materials that we today consider particularly enduring and influential succeeded in achieving their lasting impact across history.

There is an open call for papers, and we hope to encourage a broad range of scholars, specifically including early career researchers, from a range of subjects (Ancient History, Biblical Studies, Classics, History of Judaism and Christianity, Ancient Near Eastern studies, including reception history etc.) to propose a paper. There is some funding available to support junior scholars’ expenses towards travel and accommodation in Zurich. This is to ensure the accessibility of the conference. Details will be communicated to participants upon the acceptance of their short paper.

Organisation 
Moritz F. Adam, Jörg Frey, and Daniel Maier

Contact
culture@theol.uzh.ch

The complete Call for Papers can be found at the conference website.


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Call for Papers: Piecing Together Body and Death: Construction – Deconstruction – Reconstruction

25. February 2026, Ansgar Teichgräber - Call for papers

Piecing Together Body and Death: Construction – Deconstruction – Reconstruction
DAI, Cluster 3 “Body and Death. Concepts – Practices – Media”
Frankfurt am Main/hybrid, 28–30 September 2026

Submission Deadline: 31 March 2026

Cluster 3 Body and Death invites contributions that deal with the construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction of bodies, especially after death, both on a theoretical and practical level. The three-day conference will be held from 28th to 30th September at the RGK in Frankfurt (Palmengartenstraße 10–12, Frankfurt am Main).

Submissions for papers and posters are invited in English and German and should include an abstract of no more than 300 words. Oral presentations may last up to 20 minutes. Poster presentations are also encouraged; posters should be prepared in A1 format (portrait orientation). The meeting will be held in a hybrid format and will be streamed online. The abstracts should be sent to koerperundtod.sprecher@dainst.de by no later than 31.03.2026.

Kontakt
Prof. Dr. Mayke Wagner, Stellvertretende Direktorin, Leiterin der Außenstelle Peking 
Mayke.Wagner@dainst.de

The complete Call for Papers can be found at the conference website.


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Call for Papers: Dynamics of urbanity. Configurations of boundaries in pre-modern cities

25. February 2026, Ansgar Teichgräber - Call for papers

Dynamics of urbanity. Configurations of boundaries in pre-modern cities
Conference
Kiel, 17-18 July 2026

Submission Deadline: 28 February 2026

The conference seeks to approach boundaries and boundary-making as a ubiquitous and pervasive facet of the urban phenomenon and aims to explore this phenomenon by bringing together archaeological and text-based perspectives. Especially in premodern urban contexts (c. 1–1200 CE), we can observe how boundaries were created, maintained, shifted, crossed, or broken, and how they impacted urban societies and urban dynamics. The conference invites archaeologists (Classical Archaeology, Historical Archaeology) to explore the role of the configuration of boundaries and boundary-making in the urban historical landscape. We will address the topic in four closely interconnected sections, focusing on (Roman) Antiquity, Mediterranean Late Antiquity as a transitional phase (“long Late Antiquity”), and the European Middle Ages. In addition, we will examine transitional urbanity, including Sub-Saharan and East African as well as Central Asian perspectives.

While the contributions will primarily focus on archaeological approaches to the analysis of material and immaterial boundaries—especially when developed in dialogue with cultural studies concepts of boundary-making—we explicitly encourage contributions that approach the topic from a comparative or intercultural perspective.

If you are interested in joining us in the summer on the Firth of Kiel, we kindly ask you to contact the chairs by 28/02/2026.

Chairs
Patric-Alexander Kreuz (Urban Archaeology) / Ulrich Müller (Historical Archaeology)

Contact
Patric-Alexander Kreuz
Institute of Classics, Classical Archaeology
kreuz@klassarch.uni-kiel.de

Ulrich Müller
Institute of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
umueller@ufg.uni-kiel.de

The complete Call for Papers can be found at the conference website.


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