Author: David Ratzan

Guest post: VIRTUAL ANTIQUITY – EVENTS AND EXPERIENCES

June 12, 2020

Posted by David Ratzan under Conferences and Workshops, News, Tips and Resources

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Reposted from the ISAW Library blog (post by Jasmine Smith)

With the spread of Covid-19, institutions related to the study of antiquity are finding new and creative ways to continue to engage with their communities and wider audiences.

Most institutions are of course turning to technology to create virtual events and experiences that users can enjoy from wherever they are so long as they have an internet connection. These include virtual conferences, museum exhibits, and even virtual tours of ancient places. The ISAW Library staff have attended various virtual events. For instance, the annual meetings of the Association of Ancient Historians and the American Research Center in Egypt were both migrated to an online platform. We have assembled a brief list of free, open to the public, upcoming or current virtual events and experiences that have been brought to our attention:

Virtual Tours and Museum Exhibits

Tomb of Menna
Aslam al-Silahdar Mosque
Bab Zuwayla
Beni Hasan
Tomb of Meresankh
See a longer list of tours of Egyptian sites here
Ancient Egypt Rediscovered gallery at the National Museum of Scotland

Lectures and Conferences

Online Panel: Good Archaeology, Bad Archaeologists? (June 12, 2020)
Recorded lecture by ISAW Professor Lorenzo d’Alfonso, conference on Cappadocia and Cappadocians from the Hellensitic to the Byzantine period
Webinar Series: Wolfson (Ancient) Warfare Wednesdays
Conference: Wonderful Things 2020: The Material Culture of the Egypt Centre, (weekly lectures through early July)
Egypt Exploration Society Virtual Study Day (June 13, 2020)

Please keep in mind some online conferences and lectures require (free) registration in order to access links for the event.

Original post: https://isaw.nyu.edu/library/blog/virtual-antiquity-events-and-experiences

Press release: The campaign for digital papyrology

June 10, 2020

Posted by David Ratzan under News

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Making the study of ancient papyri self-sustainable: we are on the right track

In the last six months, $162,523 have been raised towards making papyri.info self-sustainable! This is more than 6.5% of the 2.5 million dollars we need to secure the future of a tool used daily by scholars, students, and members of the general public from all over the world.

Papyrology is the science of deciphering and interpreting the books and documents—hundreds of thousands of them—preserved from the ancient world. The bulk of this material was written on papyrus and was found in Egypt; the main language of the texts is Greek, but Egyptian, Arabic, Latin, and other languages are also represented. It is no exaggeration to say that the our knowledge of the culture and history of the ancient Mediterranean would be staggeringly diminished without the contributions of papyrology.

Reconstructing time-worn texts, often in scripts that would make for challenging reading even if perfectly preserved and written in one’s own language, is slow and difficult work. The advent of powerful computer tools has transformed this work and accelerated discovery, even permitting research that was once considered impossible. The most important of these tools is papyri.info, a resource that runs largely on the good will and spare time of its users and lacks any sort of permanent support. This is hardly a sustainable model for a project that has become so crucial for our understanding of the ancient world.

Reading new papyri brings exciting discoveries on a daily basis, and it requires the involvement of scholars with very particular skills. Without the proper tools, however, papyrologists cannot go very far. In the age of digital resources, they rely on several important databases, of which papyri.info is indisputably the central element. Although individual papyrologists can help maintain the database, papyri.info must still be monitored on a daily basis, and for this we need a stable position.

Recognizing the risk to future scholarship, the Association Internationale de Papyrologues (AIP) and the American Association of Papyrologists (ASP) launched an endowment campaign in November 2019, with the aim of raising 2.5 million to create a permanent support position for papyri.info. Individual scholars and foundations have generously responded to this call: $162,523 (6.5% of our goal) have already been secured, and altogether $512,500 (20.50%) have been pledged. Several partners have also provided their support.

The current Covid-19 pandemic has only served to emphasize the importance of digital tools for scholarship. Within a matter of days, most of us lost all access to libraries and became almost totally dependent on the internet. The crisis should spur us to redouble our efforts to support those resources that are essential for humanities research and help us make sense of the present world by understanding past ones. papyri.info is one such tool, and we hope that we can count on your support to ensure its longevity.

Contact

Sofia Torallas Tovar
University of Chicago
ASP Representative for the Call
sofiat@uchicago.edu

Paul Schubert
University of Geneva
AIP President
paul.schubert@unige.ch

You may also contact any other member of the team in charge of the fund-raising project:

Rodney Ast (Heidelberg, ast@uni-heidelberg.de)

Amin Benaissa (Oxford, amin.benaissa@classics.ox.ac.uk)

Gianluca Del Mastro (Naples, gianluca.delmastro@unina.it)

Todd Hickey (Berkeley, ASP President, thickey@library.berkeley.edu)

Sabine Huebner (Basel, sabine.huebner@unibas.ch)

David Ratzan (ISAW, New York, david.ratzan@nyu.edu

New Titles in Papyrology, Classics, Ancient History, Sanskrit, and East Asian Studies added to the Ancient World Digital Library

June 5, 2020

Posted by David Ratzan under Tips and Resources

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REPOSTED from the ISAW Library (original post by Jasmine Smith):

During this first week of June, nine titles were added to the Ancient World Digital Library including works in papyrology, central Asia, and ancient science. Works under the subject “Ancient Science” can now be browsed by navigating to the “Collections Overview” page and selecting the “Ancient Science” tab.

Below is a list of the recently added titles:

Isabelle Charleux, Grégory Delaplace, Roberte Hamayon, Scott Pearce, Representing power in ancient Inner Asia, Studies on East Asia, Center for East Asian Studies, Western Washington University
Kathleen McNamee, Sigla and select marginalia in Greek literary papyri, Papyrologica Bruxellensia, Fondation Égyptologique Reine Élisabeth
P. J. Sijpesteijn, Ph. A. Verdult, Papyri in the collection of the Erasmus University (Rotterdam) (P. Erasm. I), Papyrologica Bruxellensia, Fondation égyptologique reine Élisabeth
Georges Le Rider, W. E. Higgins, Alexander the Great, Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society, American Philosophical Society
Miroslava Mirković, The later Roman Colonate and freedom, Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, American Philosophical Society
Kostas Buraselis, Kos between Hellenism and Rome,Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, American Philosophical Society
David Edwin Pingree, Census of the exact sciences in Sanskrit, Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society, American Philosophical Society
Claire Préaux, Charles E. Wilbour, Les ostraca grecs de la collection Charles-Edwin Wilbour au Musée de Brooklyn, Brooklyn Museum
Actes du Ve Congrès International de Papyrologie, Oxford, 30 août-3 septembre 1937, Fondation égyptologique reine Élisabeth

As always, content in AWDL is freely available to read online in full resolution, and can be download in either high- or low-resolution PDF format. In addition to searching for titles, you can also browse for topics under the “Collections Overview” tab; or look at individual series in the “Series” tab.

Brill includes new statement on the ethics of publishing provenanced texts

January 22, 2020

Posted by David Ratzan under News, Professional Ethics

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The publication of texts and objects remains a core activity in ancient studies, but the last two decades have witnessed a heightened sensitivity to the importance of provenance, both as a necessary object of scholarly investigation and as a central tenet of professional academic ethics. Recent scandals related to faked manuscripts (e.g., the so-called “Gospel of Jesus’s Wife”) and looted objects or stolen objects or texts (e.g., the alleged theft and sale of Oxyrhynchus papyri by Prof. Dirk Obbink) have proved to be object lessons in the scholarly and ethical obligation to take a careful and critical stance on issue of provenance when researching and deciding to publish any text or object.

Multispectral image of the “New Sappho,” published by Dirk Obbink with a problematic provenance in 2015. For the most recent developments on this piece, see Roberta Mazza’s blog: https://facesandvoices.wordpress.com/2020/01/13/news-on-the-newest-sappho-fragments-back-to-christies-salerooms/

In a heartening development, academic publishers, under pressure from their authors and their scholarly societies, are now beginning to accept responsibility for provenance. The revelation that at least five of the texts from the Museum of the Bible published in Dead Sea Scrolls Fragments in the Museum Collection, Vol. 1, edited by E. Tov, K. Davis, and R. Duke in 2016 without adequate provenance are very likely forgeries led to an open letter to the publisher in 2018, in which the signatories asserted that

This episode again demonstrates the urgent need for publishers as well as academics to exercise due diligence, through their peer reviewers, in checking that publications of antiquities, including ancient texts, acquired recently on the market give a full and annotated discussion of the acquisition and provenance history. We strongly suggest that Brill and other publishers treat this as seriously as they do copyright, and in their instructions to authors and contracts include a clause requiring the author or authors to be responsible for providing a full and proper explanation of the provenance and legitimacy of such recent acquisitions.

Brill has now responded by including a new paragraph in its editorial handbook (p. 7) on provenance, which I reproduce here:

Unprovenanced Artifacts: When presenting ancient artifacts, especially but not necessarily for the first time, authors publishing with Brill are required to follow the relevant society policies of their field, including but not limited to those of ASOR, SBL, AIA, and SCS (links provided below), concerning provenance and authenticity. Such artifacts include, but are not limited to, ancient texts, such as papyri, inscriptions, cuneiform tablets, and codices.
ASOR (http://www.asor.org/about-asor/policies/policy-on-professional-conduct/)
SBL (https://www.sbl-site.org/assets/pdfs/SBL-Artifacts-Policy_20160903.pdf)
AIA (https://www.archaeological.org/pdfs/AIA_Code_of_EthicsA5S.pdf)
SCS (https://classicalstudies.org/about/scs-statement-professional-ethics)

I will note that ancient coins are not called about above in the list of named classes of artifact (although the way the policy is written it would seem to include them). This is, perhaps, a tacit recognition that the numismatic market is so large and the collaboration of private collectors so necessary for research, that a strict provenance requirement may be impracticable. (See, for example, the collection and acquisition policy of the American Numismatic Society.)

For those interested in keeping abreast of developments related to provenance, publication and the antiquities market, particularly as it touches on papyri, Roberta Mazza’s Faces and Voices and Brent Nongri’s Variant Readings blogs are required reading.

FCLSC Annual Meeting 2020 Agenda

November 25, 2019

Posted by David Ratzan under Conferences and Workshops, News

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The FCLSC will be holding its annual meeting on Sat. Jan. 4, 2020, 11am-1pm, in the “University of D. C.” room at the Marriott Marquis. Please mark your calendars!

The proposed agenda for the meeting is now posted online. Please forward any suggestions for items for discussion to David M. Ratzan (dr128@nyu.edu) or Rebecca Stuhr (stuhrreb@pobox.upenn.edu).

The officers will also be looking into ways in which the proceedings may be shared with members who will not be in Washington to attend in person, so please stay tuned for further announcements.

Part-time employment for the NYU Press/ISAW at the AIA-SCS 2020

November 6, 2019

Posted by David Ratzan under Conferences and Workshops, Job Postings

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The NYU Press/ISAW is looking for a couple of students or scholars who will be attending the AIA-SCS Joint Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. this coming January and who will be available and interested in assisting with the NYU/ISAW book exhibit. For information about the books to be presented, please visit the NYU Press website here. There is no need to be familiar with the subjects represented by ISAW Monographs, or the books themselves.

The NYU Press/ISAW will have hours available from Thursday, Jan. 2 until noon, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020.

If interested, please email Dr. David Ratzan at david.ratzan@nyu.edu.

Post-doctoral fellowship at the Oriental Institute

October 30, 2019

Posted by David Ratzan under Job Postings

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Post-Doctoral Fellow at Rank of Instructor
Location: Chicago, IL.
Position Type: Faculty – Instructor/Collegiate Assistant Prof.
Position URL: apply.interfolio.com/70776

Position Description:

The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago invites applications for the Oriental Institute’s Annual Post-Doctoral Fellow Conference program for the 2020—2022 academic years. This is a twenty-four-month, non-renewable appointment. During the first year of the appointment, the Post-Doctoral Fellow will organize and conduct a two-day conference at the Oriental Institute on key comparatively oriented theoretical or methodological issues in the field of ancient studies (archaeological, text-based, and/or art historical avenues of research). We encourage cross-disciplinary proposals that deal with the ancient Near East (including Egypt) or that compare the Near East with other cultural areas. Applicants should take into consideration the research interests represented at the Oriental Institute. The conference will take place in early March 2021. Following the conference, the Post-Doctoral Fellow will work with publication staff to assemble and edit the proceedings for publication in the “Oriental Institute Seminars” series. During the second year of the appointment, the Post-Doctoral Fellow will assist in organizing a series of faculty seminars at the Oriental Institute and may have the opportunity to teach one quarter-length course on a topic of his or her choosing. The incumbent is also encouraged to pursue his or her own research while in residence and to interact with the Oriental Institute community.

Information on past Oriental Institute Annual symposia can be viewed at:
https://oi.uchicago.edu/research/postdoctoral-fellow-program

Qualifications: Ph.D. in a discipline relating to ancient studies must be complete at the time of appointment.

Application Instructions: Applicants should send:

Cover letter
5-page proposal outlining the nature and structure of the conference (including the names and paper topics of six to eight key participants who have agreed to make presentations, should the conference be funded; for budgetary reasons, international participants should constitute no more than half of the list of six to eight invited speakers)
Curriculum vitae
letters of reference

Review of applications will begin on Monday, January 13th, 2020 and will continue until the position is filled. Start date is September 1st, 2020. Inquiries can be directed to oi-administration@uchicago.edu with the subject heading Post- Doctoral Fellow.

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-1032 or email equalopportunity@uchicago.edu with their request.

Digital Resources: Alpheios 3.0 now available

October 29, 2019

Posted by David Ratzan under News, Professional Development, Tips and Resources

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Alpheios 3.0 is now available.

Alpheios provides free, open-source software for studying the world’s classical languages and literatures, currently including Latin, Greek, Arabic and Persian.

With this release the user interface has been completely refreshed and new features include the Alpheios Toolbar, User Word Lists, Latin Usage Examples and Persistent Options Configuration. Various other small
enhancements and bug fixes are included.

Full details are available in the release notes as well as a full set of tutorials.

Alpheios works on any website in your desktop via the Chrome, Firefox and Safari browser extensions. The new Alpheios Mobile Reader interface provides access to all Alpheios functionality on mobile devices for a core set of Latin and Greek texts. And you can add Alpheios directly to your site via the Alpheios Embedded Library.

Fellowship Posting: NYU 2020-2021 Library Residency Program (Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship)

October 29, 2019

Posted by David Ratzan under Job Postings

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2020-2021 Library Residency Program (Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship)

NYU recognizes the value of diversity in creating an intellectually vibrant and inclusive scholarly community. To that end, the Provost’s sponsored Library Residency Program supports promising scholars and educators from diverse backgrounds whose life experience and research experience will contribute meaningfully to academic excellence at NYU. The 2020-2021 Resident will work in the Digital Scholarship Services (DSS) at NYU Libraries. DSS helps NYU faculty, students, and staff incorporate digital scholarship tools and methods into their research and teaching. By helping scholars plan, analyze, visualize, store, share, and publish their work, our services work across disciplines to advance digital humanities and digital publishing at NYU and beyond.

Candidates who meet one of the following criteria are eligible to apply:

The selection committee looks for evidence of scholarly achievement (honors, awards, publications), commitment to library instruction, experience working collaboratively to develop new initiatives, and the potential to develop as a library professional. In particular, applicants are encouraged to describe how they can support DSS efforts in coordinating digital scholarship workshops and training, including curriculum design, instruction, and training; outreach and community engagement; and building a program to mentor and develop intern and graduate student staff.

Appointments are for two years and begin in September 2020. Fellows are appointed as “Assistant Curator/Faculty Fellow” and receive salary; an annual housing allowance; and research allowance and appropriate professional development opportunities. The University also provides a benefits package, including medical and dental coverage.

How to apply:

Please visit the following link: https://apply.interfolio.com/67543 and complete your application. APPLICATION PERIOD CLOSES ON OCTOBER 28, 2019.

Please note that a mentorship plan is not required for the application. Mentors will be assigned after acceptance into the Fellowship.

For additional information about the program and its FAQs, please visit:https://www.nyu.edu/life/diversity-nyu/diversity-resources/faculty-resources/postdoctoral-and-transition.html.

For more information about the NYU Libraries, please visit https://library.nyu.edu and to learn about our values please read: https://library.nyu.edu/about/general/values/.

Any questions about the program, please contact Enrique Yanez, Assistant Dean for Human Resources at NYU Libraries (enrique.yanez@nyu.edu)

EOE/AA/Minorities/Females/Veterans/Disabled/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity

NYU Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program: Deadline Extended to Nov. 4

October 29, 2019

Posted by David Ratzan under Job Postings

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Location

New York

Open Date

Sep 6, 2019

Deadline

Nov 4, 2019 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Description

APPLICATION DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO NOVEMBER 4, 2019

The Program

New York University’s (NYU) scholarly community actively engages a global world. Bringing individuals to NYU who reflect diverse identities, perspectives and experiences enhances our scholarly community and institutional standing. It also helps us to create a supportive, intellectually challenging and inclusive environment in which to live, work and learn.

To that end, the NYU Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program supports promising scholars and educators from diverse backgrounds whose life experience and research background will contribute significantly to academic excellence at NYU. This program offers postdoctoral research fellowships in all fields. Postdoctoral scholars receive mentoring from NYU faculty, and extensive professional development, and academic networking opportunities.

Qualifications

Eligibility

NYU Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is open to all areas of study represented at the University. Individuals who meet one of the following criteria are eligible to apply:

Individuals who have completed their dissertation within the last three years or who will have completed their dissertation by September 1, 2020; or
Professionals transitioning to academic careers in a field for which the doctorate is not the terminal degree.

NYU does not sponsor visa application for this Fellowship. Fellowship recipients must provide proof of authorization to work in the United States.

Priority is given to candidates who do not currently hold postdoctoral fellowships or traineeships. As part of its selection process, our selection committee looks for evidence of superior scholarly achievement (honors, awards, publications), commitment to research and teaching that value and enhance diversity, a clear mentorship plan, and promise of continuing achievement as scholars and teachers.

Awards

NYU will award up to six in-residence fellowships in 2020. Appointments are for two years, beginning in September, 2020 and ending in August, 2022. Fellows teach a maximum of one course per semester, participate in school and departmental activities, and have mentorship opportunities to prepare them for an academic career. Teaching at another institution and outside employment during the fellowship is prohibited.

Compensation and Allowances

Fellows will be appointed as “Assistant Professor/Faculty Fellow” and will receive a $42,000 nine-month salary; an annual housing allowance ($20,000); a research allowance ($2,000); and reimbursement for one-time relocation fees (up to $3,000). Such compensation will be subject to appropriate taxation. The University also provides a benefits package, including medical and dental coverage.

Application Instructions

Application Procedure

Required application materials include (1) a curriculum vitae; (2) a statement of research and goals; (3) a personal statement detailing reasons for applying for the fellowship; (4) mentorship plan (see below); (5) three letters of recommendation; (6) one of the following: A dissertation abstract (postdoctoral applicants); or a statement of how your professional experience prepares you for a faculty position (non-Ph.D. terminal degree holders; and (7) candidate information form. Incomplete submissions will not be accepted.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to research the NYU website and identify 1 to 2 faculty members who may serve as strong mentors (if possible applicants should try to reach out to specific faculty members at NYU who might serve as strong mentors prior to completing the application). The mentorship plan should include at least the following:

a) opportunities for training afforded by the mentor,

b) expectations for scholarly work to be completed with the mentor’s feedback or support,

c) opportunities that the mentor may be able to provide to expand the Fellow’s professional network, and

d) a timeline for implementation of the Fellow’s proposed goals or plan.

All materials, including letters of recommendation, must be received by October 28th, 2019.

QUESTION – Please email academic.diversityptp@nyu.edu

Author: David Ratzan

Guest post: VIRTUAL ANTIQUITY – EVENTS AND EXPERIENCES

Reposted from the ISAW Library blog (post by Jasmine Smith)

Press release: The campaign for digital papyrology

New Titles in Papyrology, Classics, Ancient History, Sanskrit, and East Asian Studies added to the Ancient World Digital Library

Brill includes new statement on the ethics of publishing provenanced texts

FCLSC Annual Meeting 2020 Agenda

Part-time employment for the NYU Press/ISAW at the AIA-SCS 2020

Post-doctoral fellowship at the Oriental Institute

Digital Resources: Alpheios 3.0 now available

Fellowship Posting: NYU 2020-2021 Library Residency Program (Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship)

NYU Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program: Deadline Extended to Nov. 4

NYU Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, New York University

Location

Open Date

Deadline

Description

Qualifications

Application Instructions

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