”Ancient and Medieval Middle East (AMME) seminars series
The four seminars will be organized as hybrid events at the University of Helsinki and in Zoom. Please note that we have moved the in-person venue to the Main Building (details below). The second speaker of the December session will be confirmed soon.
Each themed session will consist of two talks followed by a shared discussion, and everyone are most welcome to participate!
Monday 23.09.24 (16:15-18:00 EEST):Cognitive Perspectives on Ancient Texts
- Dr. Matthew Ong: ‘Metaphors for the emotions of Marduk in Ludlul: a cognitive approach’
- One of the places where one finds non-conventional metaphors for emotion in Akkadian is in the hymns to high gods such as Marduk. Such hymns colorfully depict both the fury and mercy of the god in their relation to the lowly supplicant. An interesting fact about these metaphors that has not received enough attention in Assyriological circles is how they are ‘externally directed’ towards the supplicant rather than focusing on the inner state of the god. I show why this is the case using Zoltán Kövecses’ theory of emotion metaphors and how it relates both to the Marduk theology as well as elite Akkadian scribal poetics.
- Prof. Dr. Jutta Jokiranta:‘Cognitive Mechanisms in Cultural Rituals: Examples from Dead Sea Scrolls’
- Two recent frameworks for the study of rituals, Boyer and Lienard (2021) and Hobson et al. (2017), seek to analyse bottom-up and top-down processes in interaction. For example, they recognize that cultural rituals often have elements of ritualized behaviour, that is, structured and rigid actions that are a response to non-manifest threats. Cultural rituals may embrace such notions or try suppress them. The hypothesis that those cultural rituals are persistent and successfully transmitted that trigger adaptive cognitive mechanisms needs to tested also against historical material. The Dead Sea Scrolls present first-hand evidence of ancient Jewish practices. This paper presents some examples of my project to seek answers to the questions why these sort of practices in ancient Judaism (rather than some other kind), and locate our answers at different levels: both cognitive mechanisms and social and cultural forces.
Thursday 31.10.24 (16:15-18:00 EET): Hands-on Approaches to Ancient Material
- MA/MSc Bonnie Nilham: ‘Neolithic Plaster at Tell Sabi Abyad, North Syria ’
- Dr. Luisa M. García González ‘Reinterpreting ancient Egyptian materials: from discovery to interdisciplinary research. A brief presentation of the Qubbet el-Hawa Project’
Thursday 21.11.24 (16:15-18:00 EET): Approaches to Architecture
- Dr. Melis Uzdurum: ‘How can we combine micro- and macro studies to understand earthen architecture in the past?’
- Dr. Tia Sager: ‘The Poetics and Politics of Space: A regional analysis of the Cretan post-palatial built environment’
Tuesday 17.12.24 (16:15-18:00 EET):Labour in the Ancient World
- Dr. Ville Vuolanto: ‘Child labour and child work in Roman Egypt’
- Second speaker TBA
All sessions can be attended in person (Faculty hall, Unioninkatu 34, room 4038) or virtually via Zoom (https://helsinki.zoom.us/j/67889792118 / Meeting ID: 678 8979 2118).”
Uutisen lähde: linkki.
