When you're abroad, you always assume that you'll adapt to the culture you're in. But the opposite is the case: you are much more likely to engage with your own culture.

In this episode, 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. You will explore the question of why many areas of Arab-Islamic culture have been characterised by steady decline and decay for so long after the "Golden Age" and what effects this has had on the study of a huge cultural area from Morocco to Indonesia. Finally, Ms Weinrich will present her new research project, which she is working on together with the Southeast Asian scholar Dr Ophira Gamliel (Glasgow) and in which she is investigating origin legends that originated on the Indian Malabar Coast and are still shared by various religious communities there to this day.

• Hindu-Muslim-Jewish Origin Legends in Circulation between the Malabar Coast and the Mediterranean, 1400s–1800s

Are we really looking for a city center ... or a scattered settlement?

In this episode, Felix and Kim have brought along a presentation from the "Tag der Münsteraner Archäologien", where Dr. Sophia Nomicos presents her field research project in Amyklai. In Amyklai was one of the most important sanctuaries of Sparta located. Apollo, the main god of the Spartans, was worshipped there together with the mythical hero Hyakinthos.

The archaeologist has been on site as part of an international team since 2022. The special thing about this project is that the focus of the investigation is not on the sanctuary, but on the use and function of the areas outside the temenos. An area of several hectares is being investigated using both archaeological and modern scientific methods.

We will discuss how survey, geophysics and excavation go hand in hand to explore Amyklai's connection to the regional network of the historical landscape of Laconia.

• Literature mentioned: John Oswin, A Field Guide to Geophysics in Archaeology

We are also concerned to encourage young people to study archaeology because the career prospects are much broader than their parents at home might think.

In this episode, Angelika Lohwasser and Torben Schreiber as representatives of the "Archäologie Diagonal" network are guests of Felix Schäfer and Nikola Moustakis.

In conversation, they trace the genesis of the network and outline the interdisciplinary collaboration of archaeological research in Münster. They present how finds are archived in the 3D laboratory and presented in virtual space. It is also important to the network to get (young) people interested in archaeology.

This episode offers a foretaste of the "Day of Münster Archaeology" on May 4th.

• Programm und Informationen zum "Tag der Münsteraner Archäologien" am 4. Mai 2024

This gave the students an impression of how everyday life can be spent in a mountain monastery or what problems there are, and that was unique.

Greek-Hellenistic cultures, Roman traditions, oriental influences and Christian faith characterize Byzantium. It is precisely this - sometimes explosive - mixture that makes Byzantine studies so exciting as a science.

How do concepts determine our ideas of post-antique Roman society? What role does the 'supernatural' play in the processes of decision-making in Byzantium between the 6th and 12th centuries? And why is there an Institute for Cyprus Studies in Münster? Natalie and Felix talk about all this and much more in this podcast episode with Michael Grünbart, Professor of Byzantine Studies at the University of Münster.

And of course there are also two truths and a lie, this time about water!

• Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Cambridge University Press 2015

There is hardly anything where you can find out more about people and their actions than with rubbish.

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. Lotta got to know them both during her student traineeship. Together they form the curatorial team for the current special exhibition "Modern Times - Archaeological Finds of the Modern Age and their Stories". In the podcast, they give a look behind the scenes of the museum, report on the special challenges of this special exhibition and talk about their very different CVs.

• Sonderausstellung "Modern Times - Archäologische Funde der Moderne und ihre Geschichten"

Digital transformation – at some point, it will be normal for humanities scholars to conduct digital research.

NADAW 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan Horstmann

Digital Humanities - A bridge between Humanities and Computer Science

The University of Münster offers the "Digital Humanities" certificate, which Sophia and Silvia are currently completing. In this episode, they talk to Dr Jan Horstmann, Head of the Service Centre for Digital Humanities (SCDH), about topics relating to digital humanities. What exactly is Digital Humanities? Why should humanities scholars be able to understand algorithms and learn a programming language? They discuss the rapid development in this field and the dangers associated with AI.

Of the 27 New Testament writings, 21 are letters ...

NADAW 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . Eve-Marie Becker

How are fluid identities and mobility related in the ancient Mediterranean?

Lotta and Felix, together with Eve-Marie Becker, Professor of New Testament in Protestant Theology, discuss the significance of the “letter” medium for the constitution of early Christian communities.

Professor Becker shows the diverse facets of letters that make this text form particularly attractive for her research.

For Ms. Becker, New Testament science is “extremely global.” She even names New Testament scholarship as one of the most global subjects in the humanities. This assessment is certainly also related to her international CV, her commitment to international young scientists and her job as a pastor. This episode shows the tension between cultural studies and theological explication and how this can be resolved again and again.

We have been added to the Wisspod list! Wisspod describes itself as a "travel guide" through the world of science podcasts. We are happy to now be a part of this journey. You can find us there under the categories "History", "Archaeology" and "Academics".

I believe that you can only get a feel for different cultures and the effect of society and culture if you have experienced this change abroad.

NADAW 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . Katrin Kogman-Appel

What happens when different cultures live in one space?

Natalie discusses with Dr Katrin Kogman-Appel (Professor of Jewish Studies in Münster) to what extent cultures can be intertwined or produce divided spaces.

Ms. Kogman-Appel reports on her exciting career: how she moved from Austria to Israel and the USA and how it came about that she came to Münster as a renowned Alexander Humboldt Professor at the instigation of the Cluster of Excellence "Religion and Politics" and built up the Institute for Jewish Studies.

The episode focuses on Ms Kogman-Appel's passion for the book culture of the Middle Ages and early modern times. She talks about the questions that particularly interest her here: Who were the people who owned books? And from which sources do we know something about them? What, for example, does the decoration of a book tell us about it?

Literature mentioned in this episode:

19-06-2023

NADAW 15 . . . . Engelbert Winter & Michael Blömer

Research Centre Asia Minor - More than 25 years of excavation activities in Turkey

In this episode, Felix and Natalie welcome Prof. Dr Engelbert Winter (Ancient History) and Prof. Dr Michael Blömer (Classical Archaeology). The academic careers of both guests are closely linked to the Asia Minor Research Centre.

In this episode, they present the research projects they have been conducting in south-eastern Turkey for many years. Central to this are the excavations in the ancient city of Doliche and the nearby sanctuary of Iuppiter Dolichenus. Currently, they are also working on the documentation of damage to cultural assets in the region of Adyiaman (northern Commagene), which was completely destroyed by the earthquake in February 2023.

What are the logistical challenges of a large-scale international excavation? The episode takes a look behind the scientific scenes of the team.

22-05-2023

NADAW 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . Angelika Lohwasser

Research in Sudan - archaeology in a current war zone with a double colonial history

Hannah and Lotta have the Egyptologist and Sudan archaeologist Prof. Dr. Angelika Lohwasser as a guest. She talks about her excavations in the Sudanese desert, where she has established close contacts with local colleagues who are currently suffering from the war situation. Hannah, who joins the podcast project this semester through the Digital Humanities certificate program, is particularly interested in how digitization is changing and facilitating the work of an archaeologist. In addition, the students discuss with Prof. Lohwasser about an ethically reflected handling of human remains in museums.

17-04-2023

One year of "News from the Old World"! For the anniversary episode of our podcast, we brought together (almost) the entire team: Natalie, Franzi, Lotta, Emre and Felix reflect on the creation and production of the podcast. From technical difficulties to the choice of interviewees to experiences abroad, our team looks back on the last year and gives a little insight behind the recordings.

20-03-2023

20-02-2023

16-01-2023

19-12-2022

21-11-2022

17-10-2022

19-09-2022

15-08-2022

18-07-2022

20-06-2022

16-05-2022

18-04-2022