Call for Papers: Medieval Government Finance: Innovation and Experimentation, online workshop, 27 April 2021 (Deadline 19 February 2021)

This online workshop, hosted by the University of Reading, will be held on Tuesday 27 April 2021.

Medieval governments regularly innovated and experimented with ways of raising revenue and managing expenditure to achieve their goals. This workshop is an opportunity for postgraduate and early career historians to share current research on any theme of medieval government finance that addresses themes of innovation and experimentation, including: tax, budgeting, governance, investment, debt and credit management, capital expenditure, etc.

The workshop will commence with a keynote talk from Dr. Richard Cassidy, one of the leading specialists in Medieval English Government Finance.

The conference is keen to attract papers that address the theme of innovation and experimentation from across a variety of medieval geographies and all levels of government, within the time period 450-1450. Papers should be presented in English and last 20 minutes, with an opportunity for questions afterwards.

Submission instructions: Please submit abstracts (maximum 300 words) by Friday 19 February 2021 to Andy Ford, University of Reading at jw898873@student.reading.ac.uk. Please also use this address for any questions you may have about the workshop. Participants will be informed by Monday 1 March 2021.

Online Lecture: ‘On the Trail of the Lonesome Nun: Giusto de’ Menabuoi’s London Triptych’, with Laura Jacobus, Murray Research Seminar at Birkbeck, 26 January 2021, 16:50-18:30 (GMT)

Giusto de’ Menabuoi’s little triptych in the National Gallery is signed and dated. With its moveable wings and clearly identifiable subject matter it might seem to be, literally, an open and shut case. However, there is no consensus as to its origins and original ownership, and its purpose is only vaguely understood as ‘devotional’. This paper advances the idea that it was made for a young girl upon her becoming a nun. With this in mind, new perspectives on the triptych can be considered. Intended to serve the new nun in her devotions for her entire life it may nevertheless have held special resonances for her as a child. We can understand it as a memento of family and of a childhood home; as a prize for achievement on a rite of passage; as a prompt to do well in her entrance exams; even as a holy plaything or ‘doll’s chapel’.

Laura Jacobus is a retired Senior Lecturer at Birkbeck, and organizer of the Murray Seminars on Medieval and Renaissance Art .

Register via the official event page here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/on-the-trail-of-the-lonesome-nun-giusto-de-menabuois-london-triptych-tickets-132804528921

Online Lecture: ‘The Nativity Church in Bethlehem in the Light of Recent Restorations’ with Dr Michele Bacci, 8 January 2021, 12pm (EST)

Join Yale for their up-coming Lectures in Late Antique and Byzantine Art and Architecture series. In this online lecture, Dr Michele Bacci (University of Fribourg) presents ‘The Nativity Church in Bethlehem in the Light of Recent Restorations’.

Respondent: Ariel Fine, Yale 

This event is free, but you must register in advance here.

Funding: Simon Barton Postgraduate & ECR Conference Prize (Deadline 31 January 2021)

Society for the Medieval Mediterranean offers grants to assist postgraduate students and early-career researchers with the financing of small conferences, symposia and workshops.

This grant was established in 2017 by Professor Simon Barton, former President of the Society for the Medieval Mediterranean. Support for early-career scholars was one of his priorities, as this grant–now dedicated to his memory–suggests.

The proposed research event, organised by the postgraduate or early-career applicant, may include conferences, symposia, workshops and/or outreach/public engagement initiatives/exhibitions, which should align with the aims and scope of the Society. In-person, blended, and online events are all eligible. For online events funds may be used to support the creation of digital resources related to the event and/or to promote inclusivity.

The event should be dedicated to explore any aspects of Mediterranean history and culture from the fifth to the fifteenth centuries C.E. 

All events sponsored by the SMM must comply with the SMM Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity policy.

The proposed research activity should be completed by 30th April 2022.

Applicants should be enrolled in a Postgraduate programme (both Masters and PhD programmes are eligible) or should be an Early Career Researcher at the time of submission of their application. Early Career Researchers for the purposes of this grant include those who are within 4 years of the award of their PhD degree and who do not hold a permanent position.

Job: 2021 Curatorial Internship, Museum of Russian Icons, deadline 15 January 2021

The Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton, MA invites applications for a curatorial internship to be held during spring 2021. Under the supervision of the Curator of Collections and Exhibits, the curatorial intern will help reorganize and expand the Center for Icon Studies, a collaborative virtual space for professionals, students, and members of the public who are interested in any aspect of Orthodox icon
studies.

The intern will be involved in all aspects of the project, including the following:

  • Researching, compiling lists of and contacting potential funders and collaborators.
  • Researching and gathering relevant electronic resources, such as academic titles, news articles, websites,
  • videos and syllabi.
  • Creatively contributing to the development and publicization of the CIS.

This will be a virtual with a weekly Zoom meeting with the Curator. A final report and PowerPoint presentation will be due at the end of the semester.

For instructions on how to apply, visit the museum’s jobs page.

New Publication: ‘Conversion to Islam in the Premodern Age: A Sourcebook’, eds. Nimrod Hurvitz, Christian C. Sahner, Uriel Simonsohn, and Luke Yarbrough

From University of California Press

Conversion to Islam is a phenomenon of immense significance in human history. At the outset of Islamic rule in the seventh century, Muslims constituted a tiny minority in most areas under their control. But by the beginning of the modern period, they formed the majority in most territories from North Africa to Southeast Asia. Across such diverse lands, peoples, and time periods, conversion was a complex, varied phenomenon. Converts lived in a world of overlapping and competing religious, cultural, social, and familial affiliations, and the effects of turning to Islam played out in every aspect of life. Conversion therefore provides a critical lens for world history, magnifying the constantly evolving array of beliefs, practices, and outlooks that constitute Islam around the globe. This groundbreaking collection of texts, translated from sources in a dozen languages from the seventh to the eighteenth centuries, presents the historical process of conversion to Islam in all its variety and unruly detail, through the eyes of both Muslim and non-Muslim observers.

PhD Funding: The University of Edinburgh Programmes in History, Classics, and Archaeology (Deadline 25 January 2021)

The University of Edinburgh School of History, Classics and Archaeology is delighted to invite applications from outstanding candidates for a range of PhD scholarships designed to attract the best and brightest candidates to study in Edinburgh. 

From the University:

We welcome applications across our full range of research areas in History, Classics and Archaeology, both in areas in which we have long-standing strengths and in areas where we are currently expanding. 

History
The size of Edinburgh’s history department, and the breadth of expertise available from our staff, means that we can offer supervision for research projects in a wide array of fields, spanning two millennia and five continents. We have particularly strong research concentrations in Scottish history, American history, Irish history, social and economic history and medieval history. We are also keen to encourage applications from prospective doctoral students in the following research areas:

  • Global and Transnational History
  • Intellectual history of early modern Europe (including Britain and Ireland)

Classics
We can offer supervision and welcome applications across most of the major areas of Classical studies: Greek and Latin literature and thought, Greek, Roman, Late Antique and Byzantine history, and classical art and archaeology. We are also keen to encourage applications from prospective doctoral students in the following research areas:

  • Ancient Law
  • The Classical Tradition in Byzantium/the Medieval West

Archaeology
Our research interests range from human osteoarchaeology and forensic anthropology to Roman archaeology, early civilisations and urban societies in Europe, the Byzantine world and late antiquity, late hunter-gatherers and the spread of farming in Europe, megalithic monuments, later European prehistory and the archaeology of Scotland. We are also keen to encourage applications from prospective doctoral students in the following research areas:

  • Cultural Heritage and Community Engagement
  • Western and Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology

These PhD scholarships will pay a stipend at the equivalent rate to that offered by the Research Councils of the United Kingdom. Tuition fees at the UK/EU rate will also be paid. Payment will be made in equal monthly instalments for a maximum of three years, subject to satisfactory performance.

Applicants for these awards must:

  • Hold a UK 2.1 or first class honours undergraduate degree (or overseas equivalent) in a relevant field
  • Hold, or successfully achieve before commencing their PhD with us, an equally high standard of postgraduate master’s degree in a relevant field

Applicants must submit a PhD application by 25 January 2021, and a scholarship application for the School Doctoral Award by 4 February 2021.

Call for Papers: International Workshop on Medieval Epigraphy, 15-19 September 2021 (Deadline 15 January 2021)

The first International Workshop on Medieval Epigraphy held in Roda de Isábena (Aragon, Spain) from 15 to 19 September 2021 is opening a call for applications for young scholars working on medieval inscriptions. Successful applicants will be invited to present their research topic in a three-day international seminar aimed at creating dialogues and exchanges of ideas in the field of medieval epigraphy.

Despite the dynamism of editorial initiatives in Europe and the ever-renewed researches on written cultures of the Middle Ages, works on medieval epigraphy still suffer from their small diffusion in the broad panorama of medieval studies. International symposia is this scientific area are very rare and give little space to the presentation of works in progress on medieval inscriptions, especially from Ph.D. candidates and young researchers.

The organization of the first International Workshop on Medieval Epigraphy in 2021 aims to create an opportunity for young scholars to present their work, and to exchange on their investigation and the methodological issues related to the analysis of epigraphic sources. To ensure this space for discussion and constructive debates, the format chosen for this meeting is different from that of symposia and congresses. The Workshop will bring together a community of twelve young researchers, accompanied by four international experts in medieval literacy, for a three-day seminar of extended presentations (one-hour papers followed by a one-hour session of Q&A). Only the abstracts of the presentations are published online to ensure the dissemination of the research topics. Participants and organizers will thus be able to focus on the intellectual debate, the confrontation of experiences, the sharing of methods and the deepening of the historical questions arising from the analysis of medieval inscriptions.

This call for applications is aimed at young scholars (Ph.D. candidates, post-doctoral fellows, ECR who defended their dissertation after 2014) currently engaged in researches on medieval inscriptions regardless of the theme or approach (paleography, technique, linguistics, text analysis, prosopography, iconography, liturgy, literature, archaeology, etc.). To build the conditions for intellectual debates and to contribute to a better knowledge of the written culture of the Middle Ages, we invite the applicants to focus on methodological questions and the anthropological aspects of their research in medieval epigraphy.

The International Workshop on Medieval Epigraphy will take place in Roda de Isábena, a small medieval village in the mountains of Aragon that keeps the largest collection of medieval inscriptions preserved in Europe (with 231 funerary texts). In the heart of the village, participants will experience a collective journey of intellectual sharing, with visits and scientific events, in Roda and the surrounding area.

The organization of the International Workshop on Medieval Epigraphy will cover the candidates’ travel expenses (up to 250 euros), on-site accommodation, meals and all activities. Successful candidates commit to actively participate in debates and exchanges during the seminar, and to provide an extensive abstract of their presentation before the workshop. All the sessions of the seminar will be videorecorded. All sessions will be held in English.

To apply to International Workshop on Medieval Epigraphy, applicants must submit the following documents (in English, French or Spanish) by January 15, 2021 at this email address vincent.debiais@ehess.fr :
– A cover letter describing their ongoing research,
– A one-page resume,
– A presentation of the project for the seminar (max. 500 words).
The application will be reviewed by the Scientific Committee of the International Workshop on Medieval Epigraphy and candidates will be notified of the results by February 1st, 2021.

New Publication: ‘A Companion to Late Medieval & Early Modern Siena’, edited by Santa Casciani & Heather Richardson Hayton

A Companion to Late Medieval and Early Modern Siena presents chapters by prominent scholars on the powerful commune that birthed a pope, sheltered saints, built banking institutions that have thrived for nearly 1000 years, and nurtured vibrant communities of artists and intellectuals. This multi-disciplinary book, edited by Santa Casciani and Heather Richardson Hayton, redresses scholarly imbalances of the past by introducing early period Siena to a wider audience. Focusing mostly on the 12th to 16th centuries, each chapter explores how the Sienese crafted a distinctive civic identity that remains intact still. Modern readers will find Siena’s responses to plague, political factionalism, and aggression from powerful neighbours particularly relevant.

Contributors are: Mario Ascheri, Saverio Luigi Battente, Elena Brizio, Santa Casciani, Konrad Eisenbichler, Bradley Franco, Fabrizio Nevola, Anna Peterson, Colleen Reardon, Sheri Shaneyfelt, Jane Tylus, Andrea Beth Wenz, Demetrio Yocum.

Table of Contents

Introduction, Heather Hayton

Part 1: The City and Commune

1. Siena: the City and its State Throughout Time, Mario Ascheri

2. The Significance of Montaperti, Bradley R. Franco

3. “Per queste cose ognuno sta in santa pace et in concordia”: Understanding Urban Space in Renaissance Siena, Fabrizio Nevola

4. Saint Catherine and Siena, Jane Tylus

Part 2: Art and Religion

5. “Beata quella città della sua patria!”. Siena’s Religious Culture and Carthusian Monasticism, Demetrio S. Yocum

6. The Marian Altarpieces of Pietro and Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Sheri F. Shaneyfelt

7. The Discussion and Transmission of Reformed Religious Beliefs in Early-Modern Siena, Andrea Beth Wenz

8. Bernardino of Siena in the History and Culture of the City of L’Aquila, Santa Casciani

Part 3: Culture and Society

9. Public Health and Hospitals in Medieval Siena before the Black Death, Anna M. Peterson

10. “Sebben che siamo donne …”: Sienese Women in the Troubled Years at the End of the Republic (c.1500–60), Elena Brizio

11. “Sotto un Lauro in corona”: Literate Women in 16th-Century Siena, Konrad Eisenbichler

12. “An Occasion to Banish Melancholy”: Musical Culture in Early Modern Siena, Colleen Reardon

Epilogue: The Foundations of Contemporary Siena

The “Gothic Queen”: the Myth of Siena in the 19th and 20th Centuries, Saverio Luigi Battente

Santa Casciani, Ph.D. (1994, University of Wisconsin, Madison), is Professor of Italian at John Carroll University and founding director of the Bishop Anthony M. Pilla Program, and a Rome program. She has published widely on Michelangelo, Dante, Italian and Italian- American literature, and pedagogy.

Heather Richardson Hayton, Ph.D. (2000, Pennsylvania State University), is an award-winning professor of English and director of the Honors Program at Guilford College. She has published on medieval desire, monstrosity, and various topics in pop culture. She regularly leads a study-abroad program in Siena.

Find out more here.

New Publication: ‘Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Volume 7’, ed. John A. Cotsonis

From Harvard University Press

Dumbarton Oaks houses the largest collection of Byzantine lead seals in the world, with approximately 17,000 specimens. Volume 7 of the ongoing series of Dumbarton Oaks catalogues presents a distinct part of the collection: 572 anonymous seals bearing sacred images on both sides. The seals, almost all previously unpublished, are fully illustrated and accompanied by a detailed commentary that provides transcriptions of the identifying sigla. This volume represents the first attempt to analyze this group of seals chronologically and typologically.

The depictions of Christ, the Virgin, and a remarkably wide array of saints and narrative scenes offer rich and untapped material for scholars interested in Byzantine piety and culture. Discernible trends within this body of seals help to track the popularity of various saints and the changes in devotional images over time. The variety of these images, enhanced by reference to examples in other collections, will also enable scholars to compare the renderings of holy figures on lead seals to those appearing in other Byzantine religious images.