Papers by Magdalena M Wozniak
Archaeometry, 2023
The Middle Nile Valley offers exceptional environmental conditions that allow the preservation of... more The Middle Nile Valley offers exceptional environmental conditions that allow the preservation of organic materials, including textiles. This paper presents the results of the analysis of 17 samples collected from wool, cotton, and silk textiles excavated in the ancient capital of Old Dongola from layers dated to the 17th and 18th centuries CE. Chemical analysis using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass
spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) have identified both plant and animal dyes. Locally produced textiles, mostly from wool and decorated with blue, green, orange, and yellow hues, were dyed with woad (Isatis tinctoria), flavonoid plants, and madder-type roots, which were already known and used by medieval dyers in that area. For the first time, kermes (Kermes
vermilio) and lac-dye (Kerria species) have been also identified as a dye source in samples from this group. Imported fabrics, of cotton and silk, were dyed blue with woad (I. tinctoria) but also with indigo (Indigofera
tinctoria); dyer’s broom (Genista tinctoria) and kermes (K. vermilio) were other dyes identified in this second group. The results of this study provide the first dye identification for textiles produced in the 17th–18th c. Sudan and contribute new data to the research on textile production and trade in post-medieval Sudan.
Journal of African Archaeology
Late antique and medieval cotton and wool textiles found in the middle Nile Valley (Nubia, northe... more Late antique and medieval cotton and wool textiles found in the middle Nile Valley (Nubia, northern Sudan) were analysed for their technical characteristics and strontium (Sr) isotope composition. All wool textiles exhibit Sr isotope signatures consistent with the isotopic background of the region studied and are considered to be of local origin. However, a medieval wool kilim from Meinarti shows technical and aesthetic features suggesting its foreign Maghreb provenance. As this fabric dates back to the occupation of Meinarti by the Beni Ikrima tribe, it is suggested that the kilim was woven by the Beni Ikrima people from local Nubian raw material. The cotton samples tested come from abroad and document trade with the oases of the Egyptian Western Desert, the west coast of India, and perhaps also with the Arabian Peninsula or Pakistan.
Banganarti Studies II (Nubia VIII), IMOC PAS, 2022
Although archaeological textiles are not preserved at Banganarti, numerous spindle-whorls retriev... more Although archaeological textiles are not preserved at Banganarti, numerous spindle-whorls retrieved here attest to vivid textile production during the medieval period. The present paper presents the huge informative potential of spindle-whorls, an often underestimated and unconsidered artefact type. The Banganarti assemblage counts 83 spindle-whorls, divided into four types – discoid, conical, square and spherical. Discoid and square whorls are recycled potsherds, while conical and spherical types are modelled in clay. The lack of data about their weight significantly limits analysis at present, but the variety of shapes is of great interest as few (conical) or no (spherical) parallels are known for the clay types from other medieval sites. Moreover, preliminary observation of their on-site distribution reveals the domestic scale of textile production.
Archaeological Textiles Review 64, 2022
COST Action CA 19131 Europe through Textiles: Network for an integrated and interdisciplinary Hum... more COST Action CA 19131 Europe through Textiles: Network for an integrated and interdisciplinary Humanities, with the acronym EuroWeb, forms a pan-European network of scholars and stakeholders from different disciplines across academia, museums, conservation, cultural, and creative industries. Within the limited timespan of four years (2020–2024), it aims to formulate a new vision for European history based on textiles: their mass production, trade, economic and symbolic meanings, consumption and reuse. By employing textiles as a prism through which the technology, economy, and culture of Europe are explored, EuroWeb proposes a more nuanced understanding of the past, in which textiles, seen as central components of societies for more than 10 000 years, shaped economies as well as cultural and individual identities such as gender, age, and status.
With 158 formal members from 32 participating countries and altogether 382 participants, EuroWeb has already set up a prominent and active community exploring textiles and their formative roles in both present and past societies. With this contribution, we wish to present a mid-term report of the EuroWeb activities undertaken in years 2020–2022, as well as introduce the COST Actions scheme to the ATR readers and, thereby, invite even more participants to join us for the remaining two years.
Journal of African Archaeology, 2022
Late antique and medieval cotton and wool textiles found in the middle Nile Valley (Nubia, northe... more Late antique and medieval cotton and wool textiles found in the middle Nile Valley (Nubia, northern Sudan) were analysed for their technical characteristics and strontium (Sr) isotope composition. All wool textiles exhibit Sr isotope signatures consistent with the isotopic background of the region studied and are considered to be of local origin. However, a medieval wool kilim from Meinarti shows technical and aesthetic features suggesting its foreign Maghreb provenance. As this fabric dates back to the occupation of Meinarti by the Beni Ikrima tribe, it is suggested that the kilim was woven by the Beni Ikrima people from local Nubian raw material. The cotton samples tested come from abroad and document trade with the oases of the Egyptian Western Desert, the west coast of India, and perhaps also with the Arabian Peninsula or Pakistan.
Http Www Theses Fr, Nov 12, 2013
L’analyse iconographique de quarante œuvres, majoritairement des peintures murales, produites en ... more L’analyse iconographique de quarante œuvres, majoritairement des peintures murales, produites en Nubie entre les IXe et XIVe s., permet d’identifier la fonction des personnages representes (souverains, reines-meres, dignitaires). Ce travail offre une nouvelle typologie des portraits et plus particulierement des vetements des personnages qui caracterisent ce groupe de peintures au sein du corpus nubien, comme marqueurs de leur statut privilegie. L’observation des pieces d’habillement et des attributs a permis de reperer trois etapes de l’evolution du costume du roi et de demontrer la permanence du costume des reines-meres. Pour les dignitaires, l’analyse confirme que leurs vetements ne different pas de ceux portes par le roi, phenomene qui illustre la delegation de l’autorite royale. L’etude des sources textuelles prouve que rois et dignitaires pouvaient cumuler plusieurs charges, ce qui explique l’intrusion d’attributs lies a ces fonctions au sein de l’iconographie royale. La diversite des charges apparait aussi a travers la variete des coiffes, qui combinent les elements emblematiques de ces dignites. Le present travail met en lumiere des attributs lies probablement a une fonction militaire et propose egalement d’identifier ceux lies a la fonction de Choiak-eikshil. Dans la quete de l’identification du statut des personnages, l’etude demontre aussi l’importance de la place occupee par les portraits au sein du programme decoratif des eglises. Enfin, l’examen detaille des motifs decorant les vetements permet de replacer le repertoire iconographique nubien au sein du monde mediterraneen. et d’attester de l’importation continue de textiles precieux en Nubie au Moyen Âge.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2021
Numerous textiles dating back to Late Antiquity and Middle Ages found on archaeological sites in ... more Numerous textiles dating back to Late Antiquity and Middle Ages found on archaeological sites in the Sudan preserve intact threads with vivid shades of blue, red and yellow. While some of these fabrics were imported, others are products of local textile craft. These textiles are the only witnesses to date of the dyeing activity practiced by the inhabitants of the Nubian kingdoms. The most popular decorative patterns were coloured bands and/or stripes, declined on a plain ground. More sophisticated fabrics preserve traces of geometrical or vegetal ornaments woven in tapestry or in broché. Independently of the technique chosen to embellish the fabric, the weaver needed dyed threads. Those can be coloured before spinning – as raw fibre, or after spinning – as yarns. A closer observation of the threads shows they are usually well dyed on their surface while the core appears less penetrated by the colour, which points to the application of the dye on spun threads. Except for the textiles, there is no other archaeological attestation of dyeing activity to date. The examination of 59 samples by HPLC-MS lead to the identification of the various plant dyes used in Ancient and Medieval Sudan and showed the combinations of these dyes to obtain various tones of a shade and create additional colours such as orange, pink or green.
Archaeological Textiles Review , 2020
An examination of textile finds from Meinarti led to a new identification of pieces of textile, i... more An examination of textile finds from Meinarti led to a new identification of pieces of textile, including fragments of furnishing textiles, most likely carpets, previously unnoticed in the assemblage. This new evidence expands the available knowledge about textiles for furniture in medieval Nubia. The article describes the technical features of the fabrics and discusses their potential social and economic value in the archaeological context and during the specific historical period of the site.
Afriques Débats, méthodes et terrains d'histoire https://journals.openedition.org/afriques/2367, 2019
(FR) La découverte de la cathédrale de Faras au début des années 1960 par une mission polonaise, ... more (FR) La découverte de la cathédrale de Faras au début des années 1960 par une mission polonaise, lors de la Campagne internationale de Nubie, révèle aux archéologues un trésor insoupçonné : plus de 150 peintures murales de grande dimension, aux couleurs éclatantes, témoins d’un demi-millénaire de l’histoire et de la production artistique de la Nubie chrétienne. Après transfert et conservation, les peintures sont partagées entre Khartoum et Varsovie, où elles sont exposées jusqu’à l’heure actuelle. Sans aucun doute, la paternité de la découverte et la présence des fresques dans la capitale polonaise ont été des facteurs prépondérants dans la spécialisation des chercheurs polonais sur l’archéologie de la Nubie médiévale. Cette étude présente un tour d’horizon de l’historiographie de l’art nubien, en particulier les différentes approches adoptées par les chercheurs pour appréhender ces peintures.
(ENG) The discovery of the Faras Cathedral in the early 1960s by a Polish mission, during the International Campaign of Nubia, revealed to archaeologists an unsuspected treasure: more than 150 large-scale bright murals, witnesses to half a millennium of the history and artistic production of Christian Nubia. After transfer and conservation, the paintings were shared between Khartoum and Warsaw, where they are exhibited until now. Doubtlessly, the paternity of the discovery and the presence of the frescoes in the Polish capital were preponderant factors in the specialization of Polish researchers in the archaeology of medieval Nubia. This study presents an overview of Nubian art historiography, with a focus on the different approaches adopted by researchers to apprehend these paintings.
C. Bouchaud and E. Yvanez (eds.), Cotton in the Old World, Proceeding of the conference held in May 2017 at the Museum d’Histoire Naturelle, Revue d’Ethnoécologie 15, 2019
Since Pliny the Elder described the “wool-bearing trees” of Aethiopia in his Natural History, the... more Since Pliny the Elder described the “wool-bearing trees” of Aethiopia in his Natural History, the cultivation of cotton has been a well-known aspect of the textile production of ancient Sudan. It was confirmed during the first decades of Sudanese archaeology by the discovery of many cotton textiles found in Meroe and Lower Nubia, and more recently completed by several archaeobotanical studies conducted in the same regions. The aim of this article is to survey the whole span of data pertaining to cotton in ancient Sudan, collecting information from different sources and chronological periods, so as to trace the evolution of cotton production from the Meroitic to the medieval times. New discoveries have led to a regain of interest for textile research in this part of the world, which will help us contextualize cotton cultivation within the wider framework of clothing and social display, as well as textile craft and the organization of the economy. This multi-disciplinary approach will highlight the important role of Sudan and Nubia in the development of cotton production and exchange in the ancient world.
The article deals with a specific type of Nubian royal iconography, namely, the " apse portraits ... more The article deals with a specific type of Nubian royal iconography, namely, the " apse portraits ". The paintings discovered in 2001 at Banganarti (Sudan) form the most numerous and complete ensemble of such portraits. The author follows the evolution of royal power through the prism of its imagery, comparing the Banganarti set with earlier royal portraits from Faras and Old Dongola. She demonstrates the progressive affirmation of the king's prerogative as the leader of the Nubian church and privileged mediator between God and his people. The examination of royal costume as well as decorative motifs leads the author to propose a more detailed chronology of the eastern chapels of the church.
HONEGGER M. (ed), Nubian Archaeology in the XXIst Century, 2018
The manuscript inventoried today as Ms. Or. Quart. 1020 in the collections of the Staatsbliblioth... more The manuscript inventoried today as Ms. Or. Quart. 1020 in the collections of the Staatsblibliothek zu Berlin was first published by Griffith in 1913; the miniature was briefly described as a representation of Christ, and illustrated in Pl. II by a black and white photograph. Years later, during the meeting of the ISNS at Cambridge in 1978, Bożena Rostkowska pointed out that the costume worn by the figure depicted in the miniature was that of a Nubian dignitary and thus she proposed to relate the miniature to the colophon, where the title of songoj – that is “eparch” – appeared. At last, G.M. Browne published in 1983 a revision of “Griffith’s Stauros Text”, where the identity of the manuscript’s sponsor was revealed as “Doukas, Choiak-ikshi, Songoj and Neshsh of Atwa”. In the light of recent studies of the title of Choiak-ikshi by Adam Łajtar and Giovanni Ruffini, the present paper proposes to investigate the matter more closely in studying the implications of the latter identification for the miniature itself and, on a broader scale for Nubian iconography.
Research projects by Magdalena M Wozniak
Grant of the National Science Centre (NCN) in Poland, project number Reg. No: 2015/19/P/HS3/0210
Talks by Magdalena M Wozniak
Results of the first year of the project presented at the seminar of the Institute of Mediterrane... more Results of the first year of the project presented at the seminar of the Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures, Polish Academy of Sciences, Tuesday 24th October 2017
The inhabitants of the kingdom of Makuria (modern Sudan) are very scarcely mentioned in the writt... more The inhabitants of the kingdom of Makuria (modern Sudan) are very scarcely mentioned in the written sources and, when they are, they are generally described in derogatory terms as naked people. At best, the rare indications of clothing concern a loincloth or animal skins. On the other hand, the archaeological record contains a vast number of artefacts related to textiles: the fabrics themselves but also textile implements used for spinning and weaving.
The aim of the present project is to establish a broader picture of the textile production and consumption in the medieval kingdom of Makuria, as well as to investigate the Nubian’s society relationship to dress. The lecture will focus on the methodology applied to the examination of the Nubian textile savoir-faire.
Nubian textiles: craft, trade, costume and identity in the medieval kingdom of Makuria. (POLONEZ Fellowship num. 2015/19/P/HS3/02100, National Science Centre, Poland, cofounded with the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 665778)
Uploads
Papers by Magdalena M Wozniak
spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) have identified both plant and animal dyes. Locally produced textiles, mostly from wool and decorated with blue, green, orange, and yellow hues, were dyed with woad (Isatis tinctoria), flavonoid plants, and madder-type roots, which were already known and used by medieval dyers in that area. For the first time, kermes (Kermes
vermilio) and lac-dye (Kerria species) have been also identified as a dye source in samples from this group. Imported fabrics, of cotton and silk, were dyed blue with woad (I. tinctoria) but also with indigo (Indigofera
tinctoria); dyer’s broom (Genista tinctoria) and kermes (K. vermilio) were other dyes identified in this second group. The results of this study provide the first dye identification for textiles produced in the 17th–18th c. Sudan and contribute new data to the research on textile production and trade in post-medieval Sudan.
With 158 formal members from 32 participating countries and altogether 382 participants, EuroWeb has already set up a prominent and active community exploring textiles and their formative roles in both present and past societies. With this contribution, we wish to present a mid-term report of the EuroWeb activities undertaken in years 2020–2022, as well as introduce the COST Actions scheme to the ATR readers and, thereby, invite even more participants to join us for the remaining two years.
(ENG) The discovery of the Faras Cathedral in the early 1960s by a Polish mission, during the International Campaign of Nubia, revealed to archaeologists an unsuspected treasure: more than 150 large-scale bright murals, witnesses to half a millennium of the history and artistic production of Christian Nubia. After transfer and conservation, the paintings were shared between Khartoum and Warsaw, where they are exhibited until now. Doubtlessly, the paternity of the discovery and the presence of the frescoes in the Polish capital were preponderant factors in the specialization of Polish researchers in the archaeology of medieval Nubia. This study presents an overview of Nubian art historiography, with a focus on the different approaches adopted by researchers to apprehend these paintings.
Research projects by Magdalena M Wozniak
Talks by Magdalena M Wozniak
The aim of the present project is to establish a broader picture of the textile production and consumption in the medieval kingdom of Makuria, as well as to investigate the Nubian’s society relationship to dress. The lecture will focus on the methodology applied to the examination of the Nubian textile savoir-faire.
Nubian textiles: craft, trade, costume and identity in the medieval kingdom of Makuria. (POLONEZ Fellowship num. 2015/19/P/HS3/02100, National Science Centre, Poland, cofounded with the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 665778)
spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) have identified both plant and animal dyes. Locally produced textiles, mostly from wool and decorated with blue, green, orange, and yellow hues, were dyed with woad (Isatis tinctoria), flavonoid plants, and madder-type roots, which were already known and used by medieval dyers in that area. For the first time, kermes (Kermes
vermilio) and lac-dye (Kerria species) have been also identified as a dye source in samples from this group. Imported fabrics, of cotton and silk, were dyed blue with woad (I. tinctoria) but also with indigo (Indigofera
tinctoria); dyer’s broom (Genista tinctoria) and kermes (K. vermilio) were other dyes identified in this second group. The results of this study provide the first dye identification for textiles produced in the 17th–18th c. Sudan and contribute new data to the research on textile production and trade in post-medieval Sudan.
With 158 formal members from 32 participating countries and altogether 382 participants, EuroWeb has already set up a prominent and active community exploring textiles and their formative roles in both present and past societies. With this contribution, we wish to present a mid-term report of the EuroWeb activities undertaken in years 2020–2022, as well as introduce the COST Actions scheme to the ATR readers and, thereby, invite even more participants to join us for the remaining two years.
(ENG) The discovery of the Faras Cathedral in the early 1960s by a Polish mission, during the International Campaign of Nubia, revealed to archaeologists an unsuspected treasure: more than 150 large-scale bright murals, witnesses to half a millennium of the history and artistic production of Christian Nubia. After transfer and conservation, the paintings were shared between Khartoum and Warsaw, where they are exhibited until now. Doubtlessly, the paternity of the discovery and the presence of the frescoes in the Polish capital were preponderant factors in the specialization of Polish researchers in the archaeology of medieval Nubia. This study presents an overview of Nubian art historiography, with a focus on the different approaches adopted by researchers to apprehend these paintings.
The aim of the present project is to establish a broader picture of the textile production and consumption in the medieval kingdom of Makuria, as well as to investigate the Nubian’s society relationship to dress. The lecture will focus on the methodology applied to the examination of the Nubian textile savoir-faire.
Nubian textiles: craft, trade, costume and identity in the medieval kingdom of Makuria. (POLONEZ Fellowship num. 2015/19/P/HS3/02100, National Science Centre, Poland, cofounded with the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 665778)
L’étude de l’iconographie démontre que non seulement les éléments du costume témoignent de divers offices honorifiques détenus par les dignitaires de cour et d’église, mais l’agencement des portraits au sein du programme décoratif des églises reflète également la hiérarchie des pouvoirs entre la royauté et l’église.
L’équipe du projet a voulu aller plus loin dans cette recherche avec l’idée de recréer en volume cinq costumes complexes représentés dans les peintures médiévales de la cathédrale de Faras. Le but de cet exercice, élaboré en partenariat avec la School of Form, également basée à Varsovie, est de comprendre comment ces vêtements étaient agencés (vêtements taillés, drapés) et perçus non seulement par les dignitaires qui les portaient, mais également par leur entourage immédiat et plus éloigné dans l’espace. Les notions de poids, de liberté de mouvement, ou encore le jeu avec la lumière sont autant d’éléments exploratoires qui permettent de mieux comprendre la mise en image de l’autorité au Soudan médiéval.
Par Magdalena M. Wozniak, université de Varsovie, et Dorothée Roqueplo, School of Form (SWPS Université de Varsovie)
Arrangement scénique: Paulina Matusiak, Agnieszka Jacobson-Cielecka
The first one focuses on the textiles from a Meroitic grave on Sai Island which contained the burials of at least three individuals, deposited in the cavity in successive phases of reuse. Eight groups of textile fragments, from tiny pieces to better preserved fabrics, were retrieved during excavation in 1997 and later studied in the SFDAS facilities in Khartoum. More than 15 years after their discovery, the good quality of excavation records was combined with modern textile analyses to map the use of textiles in a Meroitic burial.
The second case study analyses a set of shroud fragments from a multiple burial of fifteen individuals from Old Dongola, dated to 7th-9th c. The best preserved parts are currently preserved in blocks of fabric layers stuck within the decomposition fluids. The textile and chemical analyses are used in combination with the photographic documentation provided by the anthropologist to assess their original position.
The Nubian Church was formally under the Patriarchate of Alexandria. Nevertheless we see more Byzantine than Coptic elements in the ecclesiastical dress in the portraits of bishops in Nubian wall paintings. Royal dress also shows a relationship with Byzantine costume. Nubian rulers are represented dressed in a costume inspired by Byzantine fashion until the second half of the 10th c. What does this say about the relationships with Byzantium and what was the role of the royal court of Makuria in prescibing a dress code?
Byzantium – Bridge Between Worlds, in Venice-Padua.
Organizer Magdalena Łaptaś.
Convenors Magdalena Łaptaś and Włodzimierz Godlewski
We will examine the creation of local textile traditions and their evolution through the Meroitic, Post-Meroitic and Early Medieval periods, focussing on the changing use of raw materials, weaving technics and clothing designs. Deeply rooted in the local traditions, textile production was also heavily influenced by the introduction of new weaving technics in Nubia. As a key component to elite and royal display, textiles were closely related to the political powers succeeding each other along the Middle Nile. They are therefore very useful witnesses to the profound shift in the definition of Nubian identity occurring in Late Antiquity, when relations with Egypt and the Byzantine world gained a new momentum.
UNESCO as part of the Nubian Salvage Campaign. More than 50 fragments of a kilim piece were retrieved from an occupation layer dated to the 14th c. CE. However, the conservation process of this remarkable
fabric took place much later, between 2017 and 2019, in the frame of the “Nubian Textiles” project (POLONEZ/MSCA Co-Fund). The paper presents the multidisciplinary approach displayed to document and better understand the context of production of this textile, which represents an exceptional piece of heritage of north African nomadic communities.
EuroWeb, conceived by the CTR, is a new network of scholars and stakeholders from academia, museums, conservation and cultural institutions, as well as creative industries, that already represent 31 European countries and Israel. It has received funding from the EU Horizon framework and the COST Association to operate throughout the period 2020–2024. During the panel, the action leaders will briefly discuss the challenges in building a network based on mobility and in-person contacts in the first six months of the action under the pandemic security measures. We will discuss ideas, as well as practical solutions for cooperation and networking that help implement the initial networking tools for the action. We will also discuss how the main aims of EuroWeb came into the (virtual) being, including: 1) formulating a new vision of European history based on textiles; 2) uncovering the underlying structures connected to textiles in languages, technologies and identities; 3) bridging different theoretical and methodological approaches grounded in European scholarship, and testing/disseminating new analytical and multidisciplinary methods; 4) dissolving the traditional and often obsolete and obstructive dichotomies of practice and theory through a more integrated approach of disciplines and cultural institutions; and 5) forging new notions of inclusive European identity based on a shared heritage and experience of textiles and a sense of belonging and social cohesion
This gathering will serve as a moment of reflection, celebration, and anticipation for the future. Beyond summarizing EuroWeb’s achievements and acknowledging the commitments outlined in the Memorandum of
Understanding, as well as our failures, we are particularly keen to explore if and how EuroWeb has reshaped textile studies across Europe.
Following the tradition of previous NESAT Conference editions, the NESAT XV Conference in Warsaw will focus on the study of archaeological textiles in Northern and Central Europe, spanning from the Neolithic to historical periods. We invite submissions that explore textile discoveries within their broader contexts, including technical, social, cultural aspects and meanings, as well as various facets of textile production and economy. Additionally, we encourage papers that discuss research methodologies and methods, and theories related to textiles.
Proposals for 20-minute oral presentations should include an abstract in English, with a maximum length of 350 words, as well as the presenter's personal details (title/degree, name, affiliation, email address, and, if available, ORCID ID number). We can accommodate a maximum of 48 oral papers over the course of the three-day proceedings.
Furthermore, there will be a poster session featuring a maximum of 32 posters. If you opt for a poster presentation, please submit an abstract of up to 200 words. The NESAT Scientific Committee reserves the right to suggest a change in the type of presentation based on the submitted proposal.
Deadline
The deadline for submitting proposals for both oral presentations and posters is 31st October 2023. Please send your submissions to: nesat15warsaw@uw.edu.pl. For further details, please visit: https://nesat15warsaw.archeologia.uw.edu.pl/.
We invite you to the annual conference “Poles on the Nile”, organized by the Department of Archaeology of Egypt and Nubia at the Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw and the Department of African Studies of the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw. This year it will take place on June 21-23 (Wednesday-Friday).
As in previous years, Polish projects operating in the field in Egypt and Sudan will present their latest research at the conference. Also traditionally, the conference will feature the presentation of recently defended doctorates and habilitations.
There is one significant change compared to previous conferences: all speeches will be delivered in English (and not in Polish as before). The conference organizers made this decision (after lengthy discussions) for several reasons:
– the conference will have a hybrid form (will be available on Zoom);
– many projects include foreign researchers – the new formula will give them the opportunity to participate in the conference;
– the importance of the conference will be higher if all interested people, not only Polish-speaking researchers, will be able to learn about what Poles are doing on the Nile.
The conference will have a hybrid form, but we strongly encourage everyone to participate stationary, at the Faculty of Archaeology of the University of Warsaw (Szkoła Główna), Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28, room 210.
To participate remotely via the Zoom platform, please register at: www.polacynadnilem.uw.edu.pl. On this page you will also find the conference program.
Organizers of the conference “Poles on the Nile”
Department of Archaeology of Egypt and Nubia, Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw
Department of African Studies, Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw
- The title(s) of the eparch (in Greek, Old nubian, Coptic, Arabic), their meaning/etymology, their models (e.g. the eparchate in Byzantine Egypt)
- Fasti and prosopography of eparchs
- Pictural representations of the eparch (costumes, regalia - the debated issue of the horned headgear, the links between pictural representations and animal horns, the importance of cattle and its role in the exercise and display of authority in medieval Nubia)
- Position of the eparch in the administrative structure of the Makourian/Dotawan state.
The eparch is often presented as second in command behind the Makourian/Dotawan ruler, but what was the nature of his relations with the kingly office? With other officers and dignitaries? With bishops and ecclesiastics? Can we detect the influence of earlier administrative structures?
- What was exactly the extent of the territory on which his authority was recognised? This also rises the issue of the eparchal residence(s) well documented in Ibrim but also attested in other major urban centres in Nobadia (Faras, Gebel Adda, Meinarti…). Was it an “ambulatory” office?
- Roles/functions/activities: we know that the eparch acted primarily as a mediator between Nubian authorities and muslims (diplomacy and trade) but what other duties were expected of him? What ressources and networks did he have at his disposal to carry out his tasks (scribes,
translators, other agents)?
- How was his rule exerted and felt by the Nobadian subjects? How was he perceived from the outside and from his non-Nubian subjects (merchants, travelers, muslims settled in Nobadia)?
We are convinced that such a collective approach is a key to better understanding this important Nubian office.
Join us on EuroWeb YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/YXDGgsq1Z4w
Śr. 09.12.2020 9:00–17:00
Gdzie: https://uksw.webex.com/uksw/onstage/g.php?MTID=eacbcba97bcb6871d53f2c20cf0ab93f1
XMA Header Image
Meet virtually with Cisco Webex. Anytime, anywhere, on any device.
uksw.webex.com
The objective of this conference is to bring together experts from various disciplines and working on diverse chronological periods (from Prehistory to 21st c.) and geographical areas to address the question of clothing as an expression of identity.
The conference is divided in 3 main themes:
1. Gender and age | The use of textiles and dress to express aspects of identity, particularly age and gender, as part of a non-verbal communication system. How do gender and age through clothing express one’s place in the economic, social, and productive spheres in ancient and historical societies?
2. Clothing regulations | The existence of legal and normative frameworks, sumptuary laws and religious prescriptions aimed at regulating dress. How and to which extent did sumptuary laws and prohibitions shape ancient and historical clothing?
3. Clothing identities in museums | How can we rethink and re-make dress exhibitions in museums in a more inclusive way, and discuss their colonial, ethnic, nationalistic, and religious markers and symbolism? We also welcome papers presenting various dissemination strategies to prompt interaction between textile collections in museums and the public.
We aim to publish the outcome of the conference (as multi-author contributions) as part of the forthcoming EuroWeb Anthology (2024).
For more information visit: https://euroweb.uw.edu.pl/news/working-group-2/clothing-identities-conference-call-for-papers/
Magdalena Wozniak, Cecilie Brøns and Paula Nabais
Contact: eurowebwg2@gmail.com