Welcome at the Centre for Eastern Mediterranean History and Culture (GKM)
The Centre for Eastern Mediterranean History and Culture (GKM) brings together all ancient studies at the University of Münster. Among the disciplines involved, the multitude of ancient philologies, archaeologies as well as Christian and Islamic theology and Jewish studies are particularly noteworthy.
The GKM is the backbone of the Cluster of Excellence "Religion and Politics", which is now in its third funding phase.
With the interdisciplinary Master's programme "Ancient Cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean (AKOEM)" and the graduate school "Münster School of Ancient Cultures (MSAC)", the network is also activated for academic education.
Exhibition of the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” on the body in the religions of the world
The body has always been part of the practices and ideas of religions across the world. This is shown in the exhibition “Body. Cult. Religion. Perspectives from antiquity to the present” organized by the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” at the University of Münster. The exhibition can be seen at the Archaeological Museum and the Bible Museum of the University of Münster from 25 October 2024 to 26 February 2025, and is part of the Cluster of Excellence’s interdisciplinary annual theme for 2024/25 on “Body and Religion”. Read more
NEWS I October 2024
NEWS I October 2024
The 2024 fieldwork campaigns of the Münster archaeologists
"Body modifications" - that's quite an unusual topic that Lukas Kerk is investigating in his doctoral project.
In this episode, Kim and Pina introduce the guest from prehistory and early history and take a look at a subject that covers around 99% of human history and uses figurative rather than written sources. And they explore the question of whether Ötzi's tattoos really had a medical purpose.
On Tuesday, 22 October, at 6.15 p.m. in the Studiobühne (Domplatz 23), Prof. Dr Miguel John Versluys will speak on the topic of ‘Change in Afro-Eurasia in the final centuries BCE’. The 2024 Humboldt Research Award winner will continue his research at the Asia Minor Research Centre over the next few months. During his stay at the University of Münster, he will enrich the ‘Global Antiquities’ focus at the GKM.
The 'Ancient Sudan' research center at the University of Münster is organizing the 13th 'International Conference for Meroitic Studies' from September 9 to 13. The focus will be on archaeological, historical, and philological research on ancient Sudan, particularly the Kingdom of Meroe (9th century BC to 4th century AD). In light of the current civil war in Sudan, a large discussion round on the topic of protecting cultural heritage is also planned.
The DFG will fund Dr Daria Elagina with around 1.3 million euros over the next six years as part of the Emmy Noether Programme. This will enable the philologist to set up her own research group at the Institute of Egyptology and Coptology. She is currently still conducting research at the Asia-Africa Institute in Hamburg and will move to Münster in January.
We congratulate her on this success!
From 26 to 28 September, an international conference here in Münster will take a look at the current upheavals and developments (including ‘crisis’, ‘paradigm shift’, ‘next quest’) surrounding the topos of the so-called historical Jesus. Registration is possible until 13 September 2024 at innovation@uni-muenster.de
The emergence and development of Jewish apocalypticism cannot be explained solely from the Hebrew Bible or Israelite traditions but reflects wider transcultural processes in antiquity. These will be examined at the conference ‘Jewish Apocalypticism in the Ancient Word. Transcultural Perspectives’. Registration is possible until 13 September by sending an email to Florian.Neitmann@uni-muenster.de.
The role of the Pentateuch in the development of prophetic literature is the focus of an international conference of the Cluster of Excellence ‘Religion and Politics’, which will take place from 1 to 3 October in Münster. The focus will be on the books of Isaiah, Jermiah and Ezekiel as well as the Book of the Twelve Prophets. Registration until 13 September by e-mail to Lars Maskow: l.maskow@uni-muenster.de
The late Egyptologist Jan Assmann (1938-2024) was commemorated with a memorial service at the University of Münster. The event was organised by the Centre for the History and Culture of the Eastern Mediterranean (GKM), the Faculty of Protestant Theology, the Cluster of Excellence "Religion and Politics" and the Institute of Egyptology. In a memorial lecture, Prof. Dr Dr U. Schipper (Berlin) highlighted the work of the Egyptologist, theologian and cultural scientist Assmann with wonderful photo memories. This was followed by a convivial get-together and lively discussions, just as Jan Assmann would have wished.
How much does the idea of death and an imminent judgement of the dead influence religious, political and social action? And what role does the use and dissemination of a particularly popular ancient text - The Testament of Abraham - play in this? These questions are the focus of the international conference "Abraham im Alltag I Adapting Abraham", organised by the Coptologist Prof. Dr. GESA SCHENKE. Time: 11 July and 12 July 2024 Venue: JO 101, Johannisstraße 4, Münster Program and further information
This year, a Papyrological Autumn School will once again take place in Münster from 7 to 11 October.
The aim of this 5-day course is to introduce participants to the independent reading, transcription and annotation of Greek documents preserved on papyrus using illustrations.
Applications should be sent to Prof. Dr Patrick Sänger by 31 July with a short letter of motivation and CV.
The late Egyptologist and Blumenberg professor Jan Assmann (1938-2024) will be remembered at a memorial service at the University of Münster. The Centre for the History and Culture of the Eastern Mediterranean (GKM), the Faculty of Protestant Theology, the Cluster of Excellence "Religion and Politics" and the Institute of Egyptology and Coptology invite you to the event. read more
Monday, 8 July, 6.15 pm
Venue: JO 1, Johannisstraße 4, Münster
The Research Centre for Letters invites you to the opening of the EPISTULA series.
Prof Dr Volker Henning Drecoll from Tübingen will give the keynote lecture on the topic: "What makes a letter a letter? Reflections on the basis of Augustine's epistolary corpus".
The book presentation followed by a reception (sponsored by de Gruyter) will take place on Thursday, 11 July, 18-20h.
Location: ETH 102, Universitätsstr
Natalie and Felix follow Dr INES WEINRICH's field research on religious chants. They find out to what extent the combination of Arabic studies, Islamic studies and ethnomusicology enables new scientific approaches.
We congratulate Georg Neumann on the publication of his dissertation entitled "Kulturkontakte und Kulturentwicklungen in Lorestān (West-Iran) im 3. Jahrtausend v. Chr." (Cultural contacts and cultural developments in Lorestān (West-Iran) in the 3rd millennium BC) The volume deals comprehensively with the cultural developments in the mountainous region of Lorestān. The first complete examination of this region makes contact zones and networks visible and illustrates how Lorestān controlled routes from the Mesopotamian lowlands to the Iranian highlands in the network of the (later) Silk Road.
Doctoral students from the Cluster of Excellence "Religion and Politics" presented their projects at the Graduate School afternoon. In his lecture, Jonas Schüren (Ancient History) shed light on the relationship between urbanisation and religion in the ancient metropolis of Ephesus. Jens Fischer (Arabic and Islamic Studies) presented the role of poetry as a medium of political communication in the Middle East.
What role did impairments and abilities play in the ancient world? Students Ann-Kathrin Hönerloh and Lukas Duisen explored this question in a discussion with PD Dr. Chiara Thumiger (Kiel). The discussion took place as part of the "Diversity Dialogues in Classical Studies" series, which is offered annually by the Ancient History and Classical Archaeology Department on Diversity Day.
Sabine Ladstätter, the former director of the Austrian Archaeological Institute and excavation director of Ephesus, passed away on June 3. She was particularly associated with the Asia Minor Research Center through her work on the pottery of the Jupiter Dolichenus sanctuary. She was an important cooperation partner for the Department of Ancient History and many members of staff were also personally connected to her.
On 400 pages, teachers and students from the University of Münster present their favorite pieces from the Archaeological Museum. The pieces were selected by the editors Prof. Achim Lichtenberger (Director of the Museum) and Dr. Helge Nieswandt (Curator).
The exhibition "Legendary! Famous horses from mythology, history and popular culture" at the Westphalian Horse Museum in Münster, the winged Pegasus is of course not to be missed. Dr. Helge Nieswandt presents several exhibits. The exhibition can be seen until September 29.
In this episode, Felix and Kim join Dr. Sophia Nomicos to discuss how survey, geophysics and excavation go hand in hand to explore Amyklai's connection to the regional network of Laconia's historic landscape.
The North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and the Arts (AWK) has accepted art historian Prof. Dr. Katrin Kogman-Appel as a new member due to her excellent research. She teaches and researches at the Institute for Jewish Studies and primarily investigates the development of Hebrew manuscripts since the Middle Ages.
The renowned Egyptologist, religious and cultural scholar Jan Assmann passed away at the beginning of this year.
He was closely associated with the University of Münster as an honorary doctor and Hans-Blumenberg-Professor.
The GKM cordially invites you to a commemoration for Jan Assmann on Monday, July 8, 6 p.m. in the lecture hall building of the Cluster of Excellence (Johannisstraße 4). The memorial lecture will be held by Prof. Dr. Bernd Schipper (Humboldt-University Berlin).
Topic of the month MAY at the Archaeological Museum
In ancient Rome, emperors were worshipped after their death and elevated to the status of gods. Various depictions of deceased rulers and their relatives exist, particularly in reliefs and in coinage. The depicted coin shows Faustina the Younger floating into the sky on a peacock.
Tim Landsmann will take a closer look at the apotheosis of the emperors in the Sunday lecture on May 5 and 26 at 2.15 pm in room F033 of the Fürstenberghaus (Domplatz 20-22) in the "Topic of the Month".
NEWS I Sommersemester 2024 | NEWS I Summer Term 2024
On SATURDAY, 4 MAY, the Fürstenberghaus (Domplatz 20-22) will become a showroom for archaeology from 10 am to 5 pm.
Anyone interested in the latest research findings is sure to find what they are looking for in our lecture programme and poster exhibition. If you are tempted by the treasures of bygone times, you should join one of the guided tours through the Archaeological Museum! Or you can try out modern methods for yourself at one of the activity stands and immerse yourself in past worlds with VR glasses.
We are particularly looking forward to welcoming prospective students and will be offering advice on our Bachelor's and Master's programmes on this day.
On Thursday, 2 May 2024, at 6 p.m. c.t., Prof. Dr Andreas Schachner (DAI Istanbul) will speak on the topic:
"A new look at Hattuša: the development of the Bronze Age settlement in Boğazköy".
The lecture will take place in RS2 (courtyard building), Rosenstraße 9.
On Thursday, 28 May 2024, at 2 p.m. c.t., OLIVER HENSE (University of Tübingen) will speak on the topic:
"The Middle Assyrian pottery of the Selevani Plain, Autonomous Region of Kurdistan (Iraq)".
The lecture will take place in RS2 (courtyard building), Rosenstraße 9.
Podcast episode with "Archaeology/Diagonal"
We introduce the network that is the organizer behind the Münster Archaeology Day. And we give you a foretaste of this event:
Diversity of archaeological research in Münster - Museums as showcases for science - Virtual spaces and 3D lab - Creative promotion of young talent.
NEWS I Sommersemester 2024
Upcoming events summer semester 2024
In the summer semester, the seminars and institutes networked in the GKM will once again offer lecture series with speakers from Münster and abroad.
The renowned Egyptologist, religious and cultural scholar Jan Assmann has died. Assmann spent decades researching the relationship between religion and politics from ancient cultures to modern societies. His work on understanding the concept of Maat as one of the fundamental ancient Egyptian concepts of world order, his critical interpretation of the emergence of Israeli monotheism and the theory of cultural memory developed together with his wife Aleida Assmann have had a significant influence on research.
Jan Assmann was closely associated with the University of Münster: The Faculty of Protestant Theology at the University of Münster awarded Jan Assmann an honorary doctorate in theology in 1998. In the winter semester 2020/21, he was Hans Blumenberg Visiting Professor at the Cluster of Excellence Religion and Politics. At the research network, he dealt with the effects of digitalization on his concept of cultural memory.
University Society sponsors VR station on the basilica in Doliche
The University Society (Universitätsgesellschaft) has recognized the project "A new early Christian cult building of ancient northern Syria and its mosaics - The Basilica in Doliche" as a lighthouse project and is also funding this idea. The Asia Minor Research Center will use the funds to set up a virtual reality station in the Archaeological Museum in collaboration with the University of Münster's Web and Design Unit, which will enable visitors to virtually view the excavated parts of the church and the restored mosaic floors.
From 19 January to 26 February, visitors to the Archaeological Museum can take a virtual tour of the Jerusalem Temple. A VR station developed by a team from the University of Tübingen will be set up. Visitors can experience as an avatar how money was handled in the sanctuary at the time of Jesus: from exchanging money at the money changers' tables and paying temple taxes to buying doves as sacrificial animals.
Byzantium - a Greek melting pot?
Greek-Hellenistic cultures, Roman traditions, oriental influences and Christian faith characterise Byzantium. It is precisely this - sometimes explosive - mixture that makes Byzantine studies so exciting as a science.
In this podcast episode, Natalie and Felix ask Michael Grünbart, Professor of Byzantine Studies at the University of Münster, critical questions.
Climate change is not a new phenomenon: in 7,500 BC, almost all Neolithic villages in the Jordan Valley were abandoned. The inhabitants migrated en masse to the highlands, where they founded settlements of unprecedented size. A new hunting strategy made it possible - despite droughts - to support a previously unattained population size. Prof. Dr. GARY ROLLEFSON will report on the excavations in Wisad Pools and Wadi al-Qattafi on Monday, January 22 at 6 p.m. c.t.
"The digital apocalypse" - this is not another doomsday scenario, but the aim of a project on the 4th Book of Ezra, an ancient Jewish apocalyptic scripture.
Lutz Doering and Florian Neitman will present how their project is creating a digital edition that provides vivid access to this complex surviving scripture. And how a global research community can use it to exchange and network its ideas.
Time: Tuesday, 16 January, 6 p.m. c.t.
Place: JO 1, Johannisstraße 4, 48143 Münster
Since 2019, a team from Heidelberg University has been researching the palaces of the late Neo-Assyrian capital Nineveh among the ruins of the modern-day city of Mosul in northern Iraq. After troops of the so-called Islamic State (IS) conquered the northern Iraqi city in the summer of 2014, they blew up the famous mosque containing the tomb of the Prophet Jonah. Prof. Dr. PETER MIGLUS will report on the excavations in the city destroyed by the war in his lecture on Monday, January 15 at 6 p.m. c.t.
What are garden gnomes doing in an archaeological exhibition?
In this episode, Lisa Mentzl and Stefan Leenen are guests of Lotta and Felix. They work for the LWL Museum of Archaeology and Culture in Herne. Together they form the curatorial team for the current special exhibition "Modern Times - Archaeological finds of modern times and their stories".
During this year's field research campaign, the team led by Prof Dr Michael Blömer and Prof Dr Engelbert Winter from the Asia Minor Research Centre has once again made a significant discovery. In the ancient city of Doliche - located in south-east Turkey - the city archives were uncovered. In addition, more than 2,000 seal impressions, which were used to seal documents, were recovered. Although there were archives for storing documents in every city, only a handful of archive buildings from the Roman Empire have been identified to date.
On 24 and 25 November at the LWL Museum of Archaeology and Culture (Herne)
The last weekend in November at the LWL Museum of Archaeology and Culture in Herne is all about games. Anna Falke and Lukas Boch ("BoardGame Historian") have organised this event in cooperation with the Antiquities Commission for Westphalia, the Ruhr University Bochum and the Herne Games Centre to raise awareness of archaeological themes in popular culture and highlight the board game as a cultural asset. The gaming fun is accompanied by an extensive lecture programme.
The Jewish festival of Hanukkah, which is always celebrated in December, is the focus of a public lecture at the Institutum Judaicum Delitzschianum at the University of Münster. This year's Franz Delitzsch Lecture entitled "Hanukkah - the modern rebirth of an ancient Jewish festival" will take place on 27 November (Monday) from 18:15 in lecture theatre H2 at Schlossplatz 46. The speaker, Rabbi Yehoyada Amir, Professor Emeritus of Jewish Thought at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, is regarded as a formative figure in Israeli Reform Judaism. In his lecture, he will explore the question of what light Hanukkah sheds on the darkness of our days. The event is open to the public and interested parties are welcome.
This year's "Griechenland-Seminar" ch will take place on Saturday, 25 November from 12.30 pm in the Liudgerhaus (Überwasserkirchplatz 3) under the title "Monsters and fantasy worlds".
Monstrous and extraordinary figures appear in Greek visual and textual worlds from antiquity to modern times. They leave a lasting impression, but also arouse amazement and horror. The seminar will discuss various aspects of the fantastic and the monstrous from philological, historical, ethnological, art-historical and scientific perspectives
This winter semester, the "Archaeology/Diagonal Network" is organising a public lecture series entitled "Archaeology at the Limit". On six dates, archaeologists from Germany and abroad will provide lively insights into the special challenges of excavations in inaccessible regions. The series of events will open on 20 November with a lecture by Marburg archaeologist Prof. Dr Winfried Held on the topic of "Underwater. History, topics and methods of maritime and nautical archaeology".
The body has always been part of the practices and ideas of religions worldwide. People express religious ideas through the body. At the conference "Body Images and Body Practices in the Religions" of the Cluster of Excellence Religion and Politics, which takes place from 13-15 November in Münster, case studies ranging from ancient Egyptian rituals to magical practices of the early modern period will be discussed. Prof Dr CHRISTOPH MARKSCHIES, President of the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities, will give the keynote lecture on "God and the Body".
On Friday, 17 November at 5 p.m. c.t., the DFG-funded research group "Xenocracy in situ. Administrative and cultural entanglement in the pre-modern era" will be officially opened. Prof Dr Markus Koller (Bochum) will give the keynote speech in lecture theatre F5.
ChatGTP and AI are on everyone's lips and are increasingly influencing the everyday work of students and scientists. The possibilities of these tools are inspiring. At the same time, however, many are critical of algorithm-based systems or resign themselves to the jungle of tools. The opportunities, risks and limitations of AI, especially for the "small subjects", will be examined in an event with Prof. Dr. Jan-Martin Geiger, Junior Professor for Innovation and Transfer of Digital Teaching. Suggestions and expectations can be communicated in advance.
Time: Wednesday, 25 October, 6-8 p.m.
Dr. Katharina Schmidt has been appointed junior professor for the subject "Biblical Archaeology" at the Faculty of Protestant Theology. This semester she is offering the lecture "Introduction to Biblical Archaeology" and the advanced seminar "Archaeology in the Kingdom of Ammon: Preparation for the Excavation at the Citadel of Amman". The broad archaeological spectrum of the GKM is thus once again expanded.
We warmly welcome Prof. Dr. Katharina Schmidt and look forward to working with her.
Octobre 2023 I Exhibition in the Archaeological Museum
Austrian artist Oliver Laric is taking a radically public approach to art by scanning selected archaeological finds, reproducing them with 3-D printers and making the data available to anyone on the internet free of charge. His resulting artwork "Reclining Pan" will be on display at the Archaeological Museum from 4 to 30 October 2023. The special exhibition was organised by the Kolleg research group "Access to Cultural Goods in Digital Transformation".
Translation processes in the Islamic world during the early modern period have hardly been researched so far. The new Emmy Noether junior research group TRANSLAPT (Translation: Arabic-Persian-Turkish), headed by Prof. Dr. Philipp Bockolt, aims to close this research gap in the coming years. You are cordially invited to the opening event on 19 October in the building of the Cluster of Excellence "Religion and Politics" (lecture hall JO 1).
Our cooperation partner, the German Protestant Institute of Antiquities of the Holy Land, is celebrating its 125th anniversary of foundation this year. To mark the occasion, the DEI is organising a scientific conference in Jerusalem from 16 to 19 October 2023, and a diverse programme has been put together. Latest news from 08 October: The anniversary event has been postponed due to the current situation in Israel.
The Münster School of Ancient Cultures (MSAC) has launched its blog MSACult. The first reports have been posted. Information on the topics of events, on tour and funding opportunities will be added continuously from now on
From a handwritten manuscript to digital edition in one week? So ask the students in their concluding blog post. Indeed, the Spring School provided a multi-faceted insight into the research world of manuscripts and an ambitious introduction to the steps involved in creating a digital edition. It was an experiment that was implemented by many experts and so successful that a continuation is being sought.
Info Event Master "Ancient Cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean"
We cordially invite you to an information evening of the Master's programme "Ancient Cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean ". During this event, the special features of the programme will be presented: interdisciplinary offer, individual focus, close supervision, internships and projects. Interested parties will have the opportunity to ask questions to students, alumni and the study coordinator. The focus will be on personal exchange, so that a hop-on and hop-off is possible at the event.
Time: Tuesday, 6 June, from 6.15 p.m.
Location: F 043, Fürstenberghaus, Domplatz 20-22, Münster
In Sudan, the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces are fighting for power. Archaeologist Prof. Dr. Angelika Lohwasser has been working on a field research project in northern Sudan since 2009. Most recently, she and her team were on the ground for two months in February. In this interview, Angelika Lohwasser reports on the consequences of the conflict for her work.
The photos of the severe earthquakes in Turkey and Syria on 6 February are shocking. The extent of the devastation can still not be seen after a good two months. Thousands of people have lost their lives. In view of the acute humanitarian catastrophe, questions of cultural property protection have so far taken a back seat. It is already clear that the tremors have caused considerable damage to numerous ancient and medieval monuments. With the project "Cultural Heritage in Danger", researchers from the Asia Minor Research Centre want to support the local authorities in documenting the condition of the cultural monuments in the province of Adıyaman.
The project, funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation, will start at the beginning of June and run for seven months.
Two researchers will speak on Thursday, April 27 at 6 p.m. c.t. at the invitation of the Forschungsstelle Papyrologie and the Forschungsstelle Brief on one topic. Prof. Dr. Peter Arzt-Grabner (Salzburg) & PD Dr. Hans Förster (Vienna) will shed light on the topic "Papyrological Research on the Pauline Epistles using Paul's Letter to the Romans as an example".
Location: ETH 302, Universitätsstraße 13-17
For the second time, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) is supporting the long-term project to edit the complete works of Ibn Nubatah al-Misri (1287-1366). At the Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Arabists led by Leibniz Prize winner Prof. Dr. Thomas Bauer and Prof. Dr. Syrinx von Hees have been working on the edition since 2020. The DFG is now funding the project again with around 1.7 million euros.
The German Research Foundation (DFG) is funding a new research group from the humanities. The aim of the group "Xenocracy on the Ground. Administration and Cultural Interdependence in the Pre-Modern Era" is to provide a perspective on the much-discussed phenomenon of foreign rule that is tailored to the pre-modern era. The DFG is funding the project for the next four years with approximately 2.5 million euros. From the GKM, Prof. Dr. Hans Beck, Prof. Dr. Patrick Sänger and Prof. Dr. Gesa Schenke are involved.
In the current "QS World University Ranking by Subject 2023", Classics and Ancient History once again achieved a good ranking. In the subject "Classics and Ancient History", the University of Münster is ranked 51 to 90 and thus among the world's best 100 universities. The ranking is based primarily on reputation surveys among academics and employers and takes into account citations of publications.
Egyptologist Prof. Dr Angelika Lohwasser talks about the opening of Tutankhamun's burial chamber 100 years ago: a century-old find that still poses many riddles, and a myth associated with it that still fascinates today. The conversation is also about the subject of Egyptology in general and about studying Egyptology.
In view of more than 1000 poleis, can a uniform Greek law be assumed at all?
On 23 and 24 February 2023, an international symposium will explore this question and analyse the tension between local law and legal unity in ancient Greece.
Since 1997, the WWU research centre Asia Minor has been investigating the remains of the ancient city of Doliche near the Turkish metropolis of Gaziantep. The excavation area of the research project and the excavation house, are located only a few kilometres away from the epicentre of the severe earthquakes that shook Turkey and Syria on Monday (6.2.2023). Sophie Pieper spoke with project leader Prof. Dr. Engelbert Winter and excavation director Prof. Dr. Michael Blömer about the situation on site ... read more [de]
Professor Lutz Doering elected as new GKM spokesperson
A new board was elected at the general meeting on 2 February. Subsequently, the board elected Prof. Dr. Lutz Doering as spokesperson of the GKM without any dissenting votes.
Prof. Dr. Reinhard Achenbach left the board at his own request after 13 years. He had shaped the research and teaching network as spokesperson since 2009. He was bid farewell with heartfelt words of thanks, a big round of applause and a short review of the history of the GKM.
From 27 to 31 March 2023, the GKM will organise the Spring School "Manuscript Cultures. Interdisciplinary. Digital."
We will approach historical manuscripts in two ways: on the one hand, in terms of content via the topics of power, ritual and space; on the other hand, methodically by learning and applying methods of the Digital Humanities. Together with the participants, we will edit a previously unpublished chronicle of the Vinneberg monastery.
During the one-day excursion to the University of Hamburg, we will be guided through the laboratories of the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures and can experience how the humanities and natural sciences work hand in hand.
We are offering 20 places for students, doctoral candidates and staff of the WWU. In the meantime, all places are fully booked.
The Academy of Sciences and Literature Mainz has accepted the Egyptologist Prof. Dr Angelika Lohwasser as a new full member of the Humanities and Social Sciences Class.
In the current ZIN blog post, archaeologist Achim Lichtenberger presents conditions for resilience in cities and shows how helpful a look at history is for this. Since 2011, an international team led by the universities of Aarhus and Münster has been investigating the ancient city of Gerasa (Jordan), which met its end in 749 AD - after a long period of resilience - due to an earthquake
The combined analysis of animal and plant remains as well as literary evidence is leading to more precise dating of archaeological finds. "We can now often determine not only the year, but also the season," says archaeologist Prof. Dr. Achim Lichtenberger, who is currently digging with his team at Tell Iztabba (Israel)
How does ... Digital Humanities? In the lecture series "Introduction to the Digital Humanities" of the Cluster of Excellence, experts from various disciplines addressed this question in the summer semester of 2022. In addition to methods, tools and projects, the responsible use of research data was also addressed.
The videos are posted on the Cluster of Excellence website and can be viewed here.
Who decides what is tradition and what is handed down? Which factors are decisive in the struggle for interpretive sovereignty? This was discussed on 24 May 2022 by the historians Peter Funke (Ancient History), Wolfram Drews (Medieval History) and Hubert Wolf (Church History) in the discussion series "Traditions and Competition" of the Cluster of Excellence. Their introductory statements and a complete recording of the talk can be viewed here [de].
At the Archaeological Museum of the University of Münster, virtual copies are created with the help of a 3D scanner. The scanned objects can be used by experts all over the world. The first vessels, coins, casts and stone fragments have already been recorded. They can now be digitally rotated as desired and viewed from all sides, thus providing far more information than the originals. An EMU image film provides an insight into the newly equipped 3D laboratory of the Archaeological Museum.
The 3D laboratory is located on the ground floor of the Archaeological Museum. Interested visitors can watch the students at work through a glass pane.
Have fun watching the film ... or just come and visit the 3D lab at Münster-Domplatz in person.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
NEWS: August 2021
tudents bring ancient rooms to life with VR glasses
3D technology has become increasingly popular for archaeology in recent years. In order to introduce our students to this development, the course "Modelling of Virtual Reconstructions in Archaeology" was already started in the winter semester 2020/21 on the initiative of Professor Kreppner. First, the theories and methods of scientific archaeological reconstruction were taught. Then Sebastian Hageneuer from the University of Cologne introduced the use of the modelling software Cinema 4D. The second part of the seminar took place in the form of group projects in which the participants developed and implemented their own ideas. At the beginning of August, the results could be experienced. In the Senate Hall of the University, the students used VR glasses to immerse themselves in the objects and rooms they had virtually reconstructed. They were thrilled to experience antiquity in this way.
NEWS: Juni 2021
Environmental pollution already in antiquity
Archaeological finds from the ancient city of Gerasa prove heavy metals in the ground
According to recent research, environmental pollution is not a modern phenomenon. Even in ancient times, people suffered from lead poisoning, for example. The Romans used the heavy metal on a large scale as a material for water pipes and sometimes even to sweeten wine. Archaeologists and geologists from the universities of Münster, Aarhus, St. Andrews and Stirling have now discovered that many small amounts of the pollutant had already accumulated in the soil around medium-sized ancient cities over centuries. Although the environmental destruction did not yet occur on the same global scale as today, contaminated soil and polluted drinking water made people ill even back then.
Since 2011, a German-Danish team of the "Jerash Northwest Quarter Project" led by Achim Lichtenberger from Münster and Prof. Dr. Rubina Raja from Aarhus has been conducting research in the ancient city of Gerasa in what is now Jordan. Again and again, the researchers were amazed at the heavy metal contamination of the soil, because lead pipes were very rarely discovered in Gerasa, nor was there any metal industry or mining there. What is new in the archaeological research is that craft and everyday activities were taken into consideration, i.e. the smallest polluters. Prof. Dr. Achim Lichtenberger from the Institute of Classical Archaeology puts it in a nutshell: "The principle that small flocks make a mess was already valid back then. A study now shows that everyday activities such as the production and use of metal objects were responsible for the high levels of heavy metal pollution. It was not individual large-scale producers that caused this pollution, but numerous small-scale activities due to high population density and urbanisation.
"The contamination pathways reflect long-term man-made pollution at local and regional scales since Roman times," emphasise the authors of the study, which was published in June in the international online journal of the Public Library of Science "PLOS ONE". They call for the everyday urban use and reuse of heavy metal sources to be taken into account in future historical studies.
The global world is changing rapidly and constantly. The high level of dynamism is a challenge that needs to be overcome. Armed conflicts, human rights violations and environmental pollution are only three of the social problems for which solutions are needed. The "small subjects" in the humanities make a contribution to this.
In the special exhibition "WeltWeit Unverzichtbar. Kleine Fächer für große Themen", the Archaeological Museum of Münster University showed from January to March 2020 how global phenomena can be better understood. In the meantime, this special exhibition has become a digital exhibition that is continuously being expanded.
In 2021, the HRK and the BMBF invite you to a digital theme week Small Subjects, which will take place from 8 to 11 March. Its aim is to discuss the situation of small subjects and their development perspectives in the German and European science system with a broad professional public.
Documentation and analysis kits, multimedia reports and online learning platforms: Digital Humanities is a highly dynamic field of research for the Classical Studies that combines the cognitive interests of the humanities and cultural studies with the data-processing methods of computer science.
Digital working methods and techniques can considerably simplify and accelerate scientific work. This makes completely new questions possible. Digital technologies are playing a steadily growing role in archaeology in particular, and are being used in projects at the University of Münster.
The digitisation of texts, the creation of complex digital editions and the production of corpora that can be analysed by machine are a basis for future-oriented research in the text sciences. Digital technology supports processes that previously had to be carried out in laborious manual work. Digitisation offers new possibilities for the presentation and publication of material, making research results more accessible, especially to the public.
These developments in research and teaching in Classics at the University of Münster aim to give students an understanding of digitality that will enable them to act in relation to new technologies and the associated changes in the humanities disciplines.
