Numismatics and Archaeology

Call for Papers: 'Art in the Round': New Approaches to Ancient Coin Iconography

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:57:00 +0000

International Workshop

‘Art in the Round’: New Approaches to Ancient Coin Iconography

University of Tübingen, Institut für Klassische Archäologie, 15–16 November 2012.

Organizers: Dr. Stefan Krmnicek, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen and Dr. Nathan T. Elkins, Baylor University

Call for Papers:

Our understanding of Graeco‐Roman coinage is inextricably linked to the study of the images on those coins and the messages that they conveyed. Designs on coins provide insights into the nature of ancient visual culture and the societies in which such images were deployed and consumed. Recent iconographic studies have acknowledged that images on coins must be studied in concert with texts and the material context of their bearers, requiring a new set of interpretative methodologies and research agendas.

New research has demonstrated that by treating coin images in the Greek and Roman worlds as a part of a semantic system and by considering the archaeological evidence, we gain a better understanding of the importance, meanings, and functions of images on coins. As certain images appear to have been more or less relevant to differing segments of society in different periods and across various parts of the Mediterranean world, iconographic studies are also a unique source of insight into political communication, and the socio‐cultural identities of common people, individuals who otherwise left little or no trace in the archaeological record.

Due to the existence of varied research traditions, the international workshop ‘Art in the Round’: New Approaches to Ancient Coin Iconography aims to explore new directions in the study of iconography on Graeco‐Roman coinage by gathering scholars from different academic perspectives. Numismatists, Classicists, Historians, Archaeologists and Art Historians are invited to present their research in order to contribute to this timely topic. Papers that explore methodology or specific topics or themes are welcome.

Abstracts of no longer than 300 words should be sent by email to

Stefan.Krmnicek(at)uni‐tuebingen.de and Nathan_Elkins(at)baylor.edu.

Deadline for submission is 30 June 2012. Papers in English and German are welcome.

Conference website: http://www.uni-tuebingen.de/artintheround

Visit the conference website to download a printable copy of the Call for Papers. Colleagues are encouraged to circulate the Call for Papers among faculty, scholars, researchers, and graduate students who may wish to contribute to the workshop.

Antiquities and Ancient Coin Dealer Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Egyptian Artifacts

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 13:02:00 +0000

The Eastern District of New York of the U.S. Attorney's Office has announced that ancient coin and antiquities dealer Mousa Khouli has plead guilty to the smuggling of Egyptian cultural property.

Mousa Khouli, also known as “Morris Khouli,” pleaded guilty today to smuggling Egyptian cultural property into the United States and making a false statement to law enforcement authorities. The defendant entered his plea before the Honorable Edward R. Korman, United States District Judge, at the U.S. Courthouse in Brooklyn. The defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment. The defendant also entered into a stipulation of settlement resolving a civil complaint seeking forfeiture of the Egyptian antiquities, Iraqi artifacts, cash and other pieces of cultural property seized in connection with the government’s investigation.

The guilty plea and settlement were announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James T. Hayes, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York.

According to court documents, Khouli was an antiquities dealer who arranged for the purchase and smuggling of a series of Egyptian antiquities between October 2008 and November 2009, specifically a Greco-Roman style Egyptian coffin, a three-part nesting coffin set, a set of Egyptian funerary boats, and Egyptian limestone figures. These antiquities were exported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and smuggled into the United States using a variety of illegal methods intended to avoid detection and scrutiny by U.S. Customs & Border Protection (“Customs”), including making false declarations to Customs concerning the country of origin and value of the antiquities, and providing misleading descriptions of the contents on shipping labels and customs paperwork, such as “antiques,” “wood panels” and “wooden painted box.” Khouli covered up the smuggling by making false statements to law enforcement authorities.

Most of the smuggled antiquities were recovered by law enforcement at the time the indictment was unsealed on July 14, 2011. The innermost coffin of the nesting set was seized during a search of Khouli’s residence in September 2009. The middle coffin and most of the outer coffin lid were seized in November 2009, after they arrived via sea cargo at the Port of Newark, New Jersey. The Greco-Roman sarcophagus, funerary boats, and limestone figures were seized during a search of co-defendant Joseph A. Lewis II’s residence in July 2011.

The missing pieces of the coffin lid were forfeited to the government in court today. They consist of four wooden bird-like figures that attach to the four corners of the coffin lid, and four wooden panels that comprise the rectangular bottom of the coffin lid. Hieroglyphics on the coffin indicate that the name of the deceased was “Shesepamuntayesher” and that she bore the title “Lady of the House.”

The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Karin Orenstein and Claire Kedeshian.

The Defendant:
MOUSA KHOULI, also known as “Morris Khouli”
Age: 38

(via U.S. Department of Justice)

Khouli and one of the co-defendants in the case were active members of the Ancient Coin Collectors Guild (ACCG) at the time of the their arrests and at the time they allegedly committed their crimes. The ACCG is a lobby group that attempts to stifle legislation meant to curb the looting and smuggling of cultural property when the free trade in ancient coins may be affected; the group is largely run and financially supported by ancient coin and antiquities dealerships.

Litigation continues against the co-defendants, who are considered innocent until proven guilty. Rick St. Hilaire, an expert in cultural property law, has been closely following and reporting on the case.

Summary of the Public Hearing on the Renewal of the MOU with Cyprus Now Online

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:54:00 +0000

In January, I summarized some of the discussion that took place on January 18, 2012 during the U.S. State Department's meeting of the Cultural Property Advisory Committee to hear public testimony on renewals of the Memoranda of Understanding with Cyprus and Peru ("Comments on the Extension of the MOU with Cyprus").

Most of those present spoke in support of these agreements. The Archaeological Institute of America has now posted a report on the January 18th meeting: "Report on CPAC Public Hearing, January 18, 2012."

International Conference Call for Papers: Coinage, Minting, and Monetary Circulation in Antiquity and in the Middle Ages

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:19:00 +0000

I have been asked to publicize this call for papers for a numismatic conference at the University of Debrecen, Hungary. The conference will be held April 26-27, 2012.

The Department of History, the History Doctoral Program and the Department of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Debrecen (Hungary) are organizing a conference on ancient and medieval coins, coinage, mints and minting, money circulation and in a broader sense of finances and monetary systems, financial-economic measures, regulations, dues and customs, tolls, taxation etc. The conference is expecting papers from the periods of the use of money, from the fields of the emergence of money in certain periods as well as different aspects of financial-economic history. The conference has a dual thematic scope, awaiting papers both from ancient historians and medievalists.

If you wish to deliver a paper, please submit a title and a short summary of 100 words by March 1, 2012 and send an abstract of 2,500 words in English/German by April 2, 2012 to the following email address: pforisek2@yahoo.com. Inquiries may be directed to Péter Forisek at the same email address.

The organizers will offer free accommodation and meals for the two days of the conference.

Comments on the Extension of the MOU with Cyprus

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

On January 18, the Cultural Property Advisory Committee (CPAC) of the U.S. Department of State held a public hearing in Washington. The committee was receiving public comment on the requests for extensions of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with Peru and Cyprus; these MOUs are a vehicle to protect the cultural patrimony and archaeological resources of these nations from looting, trafficking, and smuggling. Speakers were asked to address any of the four determinations, upon which the committee makes their recommendations, in their written and oral comments. I attended this meeting and spoke in support of an extension with Cyprus. Below is a summary of my comments.

After introducing myself, I stated that my comments would be related to the first and second determinations. I discussed a January 2010 raid by police in Cyprus. It is one of the biggest antiquities busts in Cyprus' history. Members of the smuggling ring were arrested and 11 million euro ($15.5 million) in looted antiquities were confiscated. Among those objects were a miniature gold coffin, terracotta urns, limestone figures, and bronze and silver coins. This important seizure bears on the first and second determinations as 1) it shows that the cultural patrimony and archaeological resources of Cyprus are in jeopardy through pillage and 2) shows that the Republic of Cyprus is taking proactive measures within its own borders to combat plunder.

My primary area of expertise and research is Roman coinage. And, as many individuals who follow MOU hearings are well aware, the inclusion of coins in the designated list of objects protected through an MOU is a hotly contested issue as there is a flourishing trade in ancient coins and a great demand for new material. Therefore, I took the opportunity to point out to the committee the need to protect coins alongside other objects on the designated list, such as sculpture, ceramics, metalwork, etc. The above-mentioned seizure illustrates the fact that looters and smugglers often procure ancient coins and antiquities from the same sources, i.e. tombs and archaeological sites of various sorts.

After briefly discussing the international market for Cypriot material and providing some numbers, I countered one of the arguments that is most often used by opponents of the protection of coins. Essentially the argument goes like this: "coins circulated in antiquity and thus it is impossible to know in what nation they might have been found once they enter the North American marketplace; as a consequence of this, coins cannot be protected according to the framework of the Cultural Property Implementation Act." In response to this claim, I made the point that it is in fact true that coins circulated in antiquity. But coin circulation is actually a much more complex issue than is often presented to the committee by those opposed to the protection of coins. Some coins circulated more or less than others. One example I gave is the imperial gold and silver coinage, struck at Rome and Lugdunum (Lyons); this coinage circulated widely across the Roman Empire. But in contrast to this, some Greek coinages and the locally produced Roman provincial coinage circulated regionally or locally. Such locally produced and circulating coins are already protected in the current MOU with Cyprus.

One tradesman, who had submitted a letter in opposition to the inclusion of coins in the designated list, provided a list of hoards from outside of Cyprus that included Cypriot coins. In the letter it is claimed that the list provides "uncontestable (sic) evidence that these coins circulated in antiquity and since." Yes, coins circulated. But the letter in question did not examine the evidence in a critical way. After all, the hoard evidence from Cyprus itself was wholly omitted. As I pointed out in my letter and in my oral commentary, the hoard evidence, which deals primarily with the Cypriot coinage of the Hellenistic period, shows a remarkably greater proportion of Cypriot coins in Cypriot hoards in comparison with the foreign hoards. I cited eight hoards from Cyprus recorded in IGCH. In aggregate, coins of Cypriot type comprised 45% of the total of all hoards found in Cyprus. On the other hand, coins of Cypriot type, in aggregate, composed 9% of the foreign hoards mentioned in the other letter. That letter had a list of 33 hoards containing a total 3,662 coins, of which 313 are Cypriot. The much smaller number of eight hoards from Cyprus totaled 2,878 coins, 1,303 of which are Cypriot. The evidence indicates that Greek Cypriot coins are much more prominent in Cyprus than outside of Cyprus.

Finally, I addressed the Roman provincial coinage in Cyprus. The authoritative study on this series is D. Parks, The Roman Coinage of Cyprus (Nicosia, 2005). One chapter, "Circulation of Cypriot and Imported Coinage in Cyprus" (pp. 137-162), examines Cypriot coins from a number of sources and provides ample evidence that Roman coins of Cypriot type circulated abundantly on the island and less frequently outside of it. The current designated list only includes coins until c. AD 235. As there are also Cypriot coins of Byzantine and Venetian type, it was suggested that these be added to any renewal.

Two other numismatists, distinguished in their areas of expertise, provided testimony in support of the extension of the MOU and the continued protection of coins.

I expect that a summary of the public hearing will soon be posted on the website of the Archaeological Institute of America by someone who attended the meeting. Summaries of the public hearings in November on Belize and Bulgaria can be found here.

2012 American Numismatic Society Graduate Summer Seminar

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:16:00 +0000

Rick Witschonke, Curatorial Associate at the American Numismatic Society and co-director of the Graduate Summer Seminar, has indicated that the ANS is now taking applications for the 58th Annual Eric P. Newman Graduate Summer Seminar in Numismatics.

This is an excellent opportunity for graduate students in archaeology, art history, classics, history or any other related fields to be exposed to a diverse range of methods and applications in numismatics and to work with one of the finest collections in the world. See the announcement here.

David Gill Receives SAFE Beacon Award

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:48:00 +0000

Congratulations to David Gill, who will receive the 2012 SAFE Beacon Award. David was among first scholars to quantify the illicit and unethical trade in trafficked antiquities; his seminal articles (with Chris Chippendale) published in the American Journal of Archaeology were instrumental in raising awareness and sensitivity among the academic community.

David has maintained his publication agenda and in recent years has also taken his case to the public, most notably through his widely read weblog "Looting Matters." In recognition of his public advocacy, it was announced earlier this year that the Archaeological Institute of America would recognize David Gill with the Outstanding Public Service Award at the 2012 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia.

It is good to see that David is being honored for his years of tireless work by these two awards in 2012.

Moving Again

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

I had a very productive postdoctoral appointment in the Coin Room at the Yale University Art Gallery for the past couple of years and now it has drawn to a close. I will certainly miss everyone there. In addition to the great people I was able to work with in the Art Gallery and in Classics, it was also a great pleasure to collaborate with the several courses that wished to learn about objects in the collection, to teach my own seminar last fall on a topic that was both fun for me and the students, and to design course-related and numismatic exhibits. We also made great progress on the digitization of the collection and have created photographic records of virtually all of the ancient coins. The next postdoc will get to coordinate the digitization of the medals and other parts of the collection and work with a new group of student employees in the fall.

In August, I am taking up a faculty appointment at Baylor University. I am excited about this new opportunity and look forward to working with my new colleagues, returning to the classroom, and having more time (maybe) for research.

There are many projects that I need to tackle (articles, my book, and a potential excavation project) and so updates to this website are likely to remain infrequent. However, if there is something that anyone would like to see here, I am always open to suggestions.

I think I have shared my new email address and contact information with everyone who needs it. If I inadvertently overlooked anyone, please let me know.

Numismatics and Archaeology in Rome

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Thu, 05 May 2011 21:08:00 +0000

Sapienza University of Rome is advertising a call for a research poster session for its First International Workshop on Numismatics. The workshop will explore the relationship between coin finds and stratigraphy and other types of context, including the relationship between coin finds and other excavated objects. The call for posters (in Italian) can be found here.

Readers might be interested in reading about some previous conferences and symposia on "contextual numismatics" that were discussed here.

"Contexts and the Contextualization of Coin Finds - An International Colloquium"

"Contextual Numismatics: New Perspectives and Interdisciplinary Methodologies"

And the Coins in Context Colloquium in Frankfurt am Main in October 2007 that published the proceedings in a monograph: C oins in Context I: New Perspectives for the Interpretation of Coin Finds (Mainz, 2009), edited by H.-M. von Kaenel and F. Kemmers.

"Coin Project" Launched

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 21:35:00 +0000

It has been announced that "Coin Project" has been launched and made available for public use. Among other things, the site allows users to catalogue coins of various types and upload images.

I was invited to test the site several months back and it appeared to have several promising study applications. I have been unable to spend much more time with it than that, but I am sure that I will have cause to use it in the future. The website will no doubt become a source for quick images and will be consulted by researchers, especially now that CoinArchives is available only through paid subscription.

The architect of "Coin Project" discusses it in more detail here.

Finished

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:19:00 +0000

I defended my dissertation at the University of Missouri on September 10 and the Ph.D. was officially conferred on December 17, 2010. It's good to be finished, but I still remain incredibly busy. Now there is the pressure to publish aspects of the dissertation as quickly as possible with the aim of preparing monograph after a couple of foundation articles. Add to that work obligations, other research projects, and the intimidating task of finding employment in the present economy.

I will continue to post on various subjects related to numismatics and archaeology as time allows.

Numismatics at the 2011 APA/AIA

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 20:20:00 +0000

Once again there will be no shortage of numismatic topics presented at the next Joint Annual Meeting of the American Philological Association (APA) and the Archaeological Institute of America on January 6-9, 2011 in San Antonio. A total of three panels will be devoted to numismatic research.

The Friends of Numismatics have organized an APA panel (session 12) on "Coinage and Art: Techniques and Production" that takes place on Friday, January 6 at 11:15AM. See the full list of APA panels and abstracts.

There are two AIA sessions. The first is an organized colloquium (session 4C) on "Production and Consumption Mechanics in Hellenistic and Classical-Period Coinage," which begins on Saturday, January 7 at 8:30AM. The second is an open session (6F) on Numismatics on the same day at 2:45 PM. See the AIA's preliminary program.

Somerset Hoard Declared Treasure

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:54:00 +0000

The discovery of a hoard containing around 52,500 Roman coins from Somerset has been widely covered in the media. The PAS blog has presented some initial findings ("Metal-Detectorist Finds Largest Pot of Roman Coins in Britain").

Today, BBC News reported that the Coroner has formerly declared the Somerset Hoard treasure. It is hoped that the enough money will be raised for the Museum of Somerset to acquire the hoard. Initial estimates suggest it may cost about £1 million.

N&A Postings

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:53:00 +0000

I read in a post by David Gill (here) that this website has 49 subscribers by RSS feed. In spite of the decrease in the number of posts since last summer/fall, daily traffic remains steady.

In case readers did not already know, less frequent posting here is a consequence of my final push to complete the dissertation. I am submitting in early August. I still have many additional obligations to prepare for in the fall as soon as it is behind me. Nevertheless, I expect to give more attention to discussing numismatic topics here (e.g. research, resources, news, recent discoveries) in the fall. I am grateful to those who still frequent the website and hope to provide further content on a more regular basis in the fall. As always, suggestions are welcome.

Major Discovery in Peril

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:38:00 +0000

The discovery of the source of the Aqua Traiana, an aqueduct built by Trajan for the city of Rome, was announced earlier this year. The physical remains of the aqueduct's source had been unknown until recently, but what is believed to be abbreviated representations of its castellum survives on bronze coins of Trajan with the legend AQVA TRAIANA.

Unfortunately, efforts at preserving and studying this important site further are now being jeopardized.

The Telegraph reports:

In January father and son team Edward and Michael O'Neill discovered the headwaters of the aqueduct, which was built by the Emperor Trajan, hidden beneath a crumbling 13th century church north of Rome.

A sophisticated example of Roman hydraulic engineering, the aqueduct, known as the Aqua Traiana, was inaugurated in 109AD and carried fresh water 35 miles to the imperial capital.

But since the discovery was publicised, the archeologists claim that the farmer on whose land it stands has begun a crude excavation of the site in the hope of finding valuable Roman treasure.

They claim to have photographic evidence that the owner has burned vegetation around the entrance to the underground grotto, cut down mature fig trees which are holding the fragile structure together with their thick roots and started to dismantle sections of masonry.

"It's a complete tragedy," Edward O'Neill told the Daily Telegraph. "He's doing some kind of treasure hunt.

"What is needed is an expert process by archeologists to preserve the site." Repeated telephone calls to the landowner, Davide Piccioni, went unanswered yesterday.

In an attempt to stop the alleged damage to the site, the O'Neills and two American archeologists – Prof Katherine Rinne of Virginia University and Prof Rabun Taylor of the University of Texas at Austin – have sent a letter to Italian heritage authorities.

They have called for urgent intervention in order to prevent the landowner from further damaging the site, which they say has been "completely transformed" in the last six months.

They have also complained that the farmer has closed off access to the site since the grotto and spring were discovered five months ago.

The mayor of the local town, Lucia Dutto, said she too was concerned. "We have asked the superintendent of archaeology to carry out an immediate inspection of the site, so that further interference can be prevented. But until that happens, we can do nothing because it is private property."

Gladiator Cemetery Found in Northern England?

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:50:00 +0000

From CNN:

Heads hacked off, a bite from a lion, tiger or bear, massive muscles on massive men -- all clues that an ancient cemetery uncovered in northern England is the final resting place of gladiators, scientists have announced after seven years of investigations.

The archeological dig has found "what may be the world's only well-preserved Roman gladiator cemetery," the York Archaeological Trust said.

Scientists have found 80 skeletons in the "unique" cemetery under the city of York, northern England, since 2003.

They announced their discoveries on Sunday, ahead of a documentary about the site due to air in Britain on June 14. This was one of two big archaeological developments, with Israeli scientists announcing the discovery of a huge cache of ancient religious objects.

They first thought the graveyard might contain the remains of criminals or political purges.

But that doesn't explain the teeth mark.

"One of the most significant items of evidence is a large carnivore bite mark - probably inflicted by a lion, tiger or bear -- an injury which must have been sustained in an arena context, " said Kurt Hunter-Mann, the lead archeologist on the dig.

"Nothing like them has ever been identified before on a Roman skeleton," said Michael Wysocki, who examined the remains in the forensic anthropology laboratory at the University of Central Lancashire.

He said the bite marks suggest the remains were of someone who fought as a gladiator.

"It would seem highly unlikely that this individual was attacked by a tiger as he was walking home from the pub in York 2,000 years ago," he said.

One arm was bigger than the other in many remains, the scientists found -- a suggestion that the men were gladiators who trained from a young age with a weapon in one hand.

Other clues include healed and unhealed weapon injuries, possible hammer blows to the head, and burial with "grave goods" such joints of meat or pottery -- a sign of respect.

It's not certain that the men were gladiators, Hunter-Mann cautioned.

"The research is continuing and we must, therefore, keep an open mind," the archeologist said.

But "almost all the individuals are male, very robust and mostly above average height -- features which would also be consistent with a gladiator interpretation. Many also have muscle attachment marks on their arm bones suggesting severe muscle stress," he said.

They also appear to come from all over the Roman empire, which straddled the Mediterranean for hundreds of years, starting more than 2,000 years ago.

"These are internationally important discoveries. We don't have any other potential gladiator cemeteries with this level of preservation anywhere else in the world," Wysocki said.

The skeletons are between 1,600 and 1,900 years old.

The most impressive grave was that of a tall man aged between 18 and 23, buried, probably in a coffin, in a large oval grave about 1,700 years ago. He had been decapitated by several sword blows to the neck, the scientists said.

Buried with him were what appear to have been the remains of substantial joints of meat from at least four horses -- that left behind 424 horse bones -- possibly consumed at the funeral, plus some cow and pig remains.

Other graves also had joints of horse, sheep or chicken, possibly remains of funeral feasts, the archeologists speculated.

The site was first discovered when archeologists probed an area scheduled for a housing development in 2003.

Also on Monday, Israeli archeologists announced the discovery of a huge cache of religious objects about 3,500 years old -- older than the Bible itself, and nearly twice the age of the Roman skeletons.

"It would appear that the vessels were used in a pagan cult that worshipped idols. During this period it was customary that each city had a temple of its own where special cultic vessels were used," said archaeologists Uzi Ad and Edwin van den Brink.

They include a vessel that was used for burning incense, a sculpted face of a woman that was part of a cultic cup used in dedicating a libation to a god, goblets and bowls with high bases and tableware that was intended for eating and drinking, the Israel Antiquities Authority said.

Donate to the ANS Seminar Online

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:26:00 +0000

The ANS appeal to alumni for donations to the ANS summer seminar was the subject of the previous post. The ANS now has put a donations link on their seminar page that will make it easy to donate by credit/debit card and to earmark them automatically for the seminar.

Support Numismatics and the ANS Summer Seminar - An Appeal to ANS Seminar Alumni

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:34:00 +0000

The American Numismatic Society (ANS) annually hosts the Eric P. Newman Graduate Seminar in Numismatics. This year, the ANS hopes to admit nine or ten students, but the endowment has not been so productive in light of the current economic situation. The ANS is appealing to ANS seminar alumni for support:

The ANS has received an excellent crop of applications for the 2010 Seminar, including some outstanding Islamicists (which we encouraged this year). We will have Islamic numismatic scholars Stefan Heidemann, Jere Bachrach, and Michael Bates lecturing and advising the students, and Romanist Berhard Woytek of Vienna as our Visiting Scholar. It promises to be an outstanding Seminar, and we hope to admit nine or ten students, but due to our endowment performance we find we will only be able to underwrite four stipends ($4000 each). A number of the applicants have indicated that they are willing to attend even without financial support, but we would like to offer at least one additional stipend, and are therefore appealing to this group for assistance. If you can make even a small contribution to help underwrite a student it would be very much appreciated.
(via the Friends of Numismatics list)

I urge anyone who has benefited from the ANS Graduate Seminar to contribute to this most worthy cause. The contact persons for the seminar are the co-directors, Peter van Alfen (vanalfen@numismatics.org) and Rick Witschonke (rickwitschonke@yahoo.com).

2010 ANS Graduate Summer Seminar

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:52:00 +0000

The 57th Annual Eric P. Newman Graduate Summer Seminar at the American Numismatic Society will be held from June 7 through July 30, 2010. A stipend of $4,000 is awarded to successful applicants. The application deadline is Feb. 12, 2010.

Details here.

"The Wicked Which"

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 23:16:00 +0000

Just for fun...

Writing is also a process of learning. I felt that I learned much about English grammar, word structure, and writing from studying Latin and Greek as an undergraduate. But I still have difficulties with my own writing style. These become more apparent to me as I write the remaining chapters of my dissertation and prepare articles for publication.

A few months ago, I showed a draft of the article that I was submitting to the Proceedings of the XIVth International Numismatic Congress to a colleague. He commented that I employ the "Archie Bunker use of 'which'." I did not know what this meant exactly; I never watched the show. That fountain of haphazardly reliable information, Wikipedia, tells me that Archie Bunker was known for peculiar "Archie-isms," and so I suspect that the comment may have referred to my simple misuse of the word.

Since then I have tried to be more cognizant of how I use "which" and "that." At the AIA/APA meetings last week, one of the books I picked up was M. Golden's Greek Sport and Social Status (Austin, 2007). I have recently started reading it and was encouraged to see the following in his preface (p. xii): "At University of Texas Press, Nancy Moore saved me from many errors and obscurities and helped me slay the Wicked Which (that, I know)." It is reassuring to know that senior and well-published scholars have also struggled with grammatical uses as seemingly basic as the use of "which."

Reading this prompted me to see what I could find on the internet about the use of "which." I quickly came across "Which versus that" on the "World Wide Words" website. It is written in an accessible way with many clear examples. It also explains that many people are confused about the proper usage because it has changed over the past century. Essentially, the hard and fast rules have changed and there is some disagreement even among grammarians.

In any case, I hope to be more vigilant when it comes to the "Wicked Which" that plagues my prose.

CFP - Coinage and Art: Technique and Production

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:31:00 +0000

Speakers delivered stimulating papers in the panel on "Memory in Greek and Roman Coins" at the APA/AIA Meeting in Anaheim last week.

The Friends of Numismatics have already announced the theme for next year on "Coinage and Art: Technique and Production" at the San Antonio meeting. The call for papers and submission details can be found here. Deadline for submissions is February 15, 2010. The 2011 APA/AIA Joint Annual Meeting will take place January 6-9, 2011.

Numismatic Events at the 2010 AIA/APA Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 16:39:00 +0000

The 111th Joint Annual Meeting of the AIA and APA will be held in Anaheim from January 6-9, 2010. As at last year's meetings, several events of numismatic interest will take place. Several individual papers will no doubt make use of numismatic evidence, and there will be a session devoted to "Memory in Greek and Roman Coins" on Friday, January 8.

The session, organized by W.E. Metcalf, will feature five speakers plus a discussant:

1. Dennis Trout, The University of Missouri - "Romulus and Remus in Theodoric's Rome and the Roma invicta Series." (abstract unavailable online)

2. Karen L. Acton, The University of Michigan - "Spes and Imperial Succession: Claudian and Vespasianic Narratives."

3. Clare Rowan, Macquarie University - "Mythical Memory: The 'Commemorative' Medallions of Antoninus Pius and the Temple of Venus and Rome."

4. Kyle Erikson, The University of Exeter - "Remembering One's Father: Paternal Images on Seleucid Coins." (abstract unavailable online)

5. Edward M. Zarrow, Westwood High School - "The Image and Memory of Julius Caesar in the Coinage of the Triumviral Period." (abstract unavailable online)

Discussant: Alain Gowing, The University of Washington

As at past meetings, there will be a Friends of Numismatics reception and also the Friends of Numismatics committee meeting. Details can be found in the respective AIA and APA programs.

Contexts and the Contexualization of Coin Finds - An International Colloquium

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 16:09:00 +0000

The Swiss Group for the Study of Coin Finds (Groupe suisse pour l’étude des trouvailles monétaires/Schweizerische Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Fundmünzen) has announced that it will host an international colloquium on "Contexts and the Contextualization of Coin Finds" in Geneva on March 5-7, 2010. Several established and emerging scholars will present papers on a wide breadth of subjects that elucidate the value of contextual methods in numismatics. Lectures will be in English, French, Italian, and German. Abstracts are posted in the program.

The list of speakers and subjects is as follows:

Introduction

Richard REECE, Coin finds and archaeologists: past, present, and future

L’élaboration de fondements à l'aide de contextes (dans le temps et dans l'espace)

Andreas SCHÄFER, Zur Aussagekraft von Fundmünzen in latènezeitlichen Siedlungskontexten Süddeutschlands

Colin HASELGROVE, Hallaton and Leicester: rewriting the early history of the English East Midlands

Le potentiel d'étude de différents types de stratigraphies et de trouvailles

Kevin BUTCHER, Hoards, single finds and monetary circulation

Luisa BERTOLACCINI & Ulrich WERZ, Fundmünzreihen versus Dendrochronologie? Das Beispiel Grosser Hafner (Zürich)

Jens Christian MOESGAARD, Monnaies médiévales et modernes en contextes archéologiques le cas de la Haute-Normandie

Benedikt ZÄCH, Münzfunde in Kirchen: Chancen und Grenzen bei der Interpretation von Kontexten

Aires de circulation monnaies comme clé de compréhension du développement économique

Federico BARELLO, Augusta Taurinorum, archeologia urbana e rinvenimenti numismatici

Charles BONNET, Matteo CAMPAGNOLO & Marc-André HALDIMANN, L’étude conjointe des monnaies et de la céramique de contextes stratigraphiques de la cathédrale Saint-Pierre à Genève

Johan VAN HEESCH, Coins and the countryside: Coin use in Roman ‘villas’ in Northern Gaul

Vincent GENEVIÈVE, Le trésor d'argentei de Bénazet (Ariège) : un dépôt monétaire franc au pied des Pyrénées?

Degré de monétarisation ou la deuxième et la troisième vie de monnaies antiques

Suzanne FREY-KUPPER & Clive STANNARD Evidence for the importation of blocks of foreign bronze coins in the Ancient world, and their role in the monetary stock

Fleur KEMMERS, After Rome? The second life of Roman coins in Frankish settlements

Différents types de trouvailles à l'époque médiévale et moderne

Adriano BOSCHETTI-MARADI, Stephen DOSWALD & Brigitte MOSER, Bauforschung und Numismatik: Fundmünzen aus Bauuntersuchungen im Kanton Zug

Harald R. DERSCHKA, Der St. Mang-Platz in Kempten (Allgäu)

Fonctions des monnaies dans des environnements sociaux et économiques particuliers (rituels, offrandes, thésaurisation, etc.)

Günther E. THÜRY, Verlieren und Wiederfinden von Münzen in der römischen Antike

Samuele RANUCCI, San Feliciano: un caso di offerta monetale nelle acque del Lago Trasimeno

Paul-André BESOMBES, Les monnaies de l’établissement antique de Mané-Véchen à Plouhinec (Morbihan)

Other recent colloquia and conferences that addressed the application of material contexts in numismatic study include the symposium on "Coins in Context" at Frankfurt University (a collection of articles based on the conference have since been published), a panel at the 2009 AIA/APA Meeting entitled "Contextual Numismatics: New Perspectives and Interdisciplinary Methodologies," and a round table discussion with a panel of speakers at the XIVth International Numismatic Congress on "Coins in Context."

New Academic Program in Value and Equivalency

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:12:00 +0000

It has been announced that Frankfurt University and the Technical University at Darmstadt will begin their new program in Wert und Äquivalent (Value and Equivalency). This interdisciplinary program will be directed by faculty of international renown from the two universities who are active in a number of related disciplines: African prehistory, ethnology, Classical and Roman provincial archaeology, numismatics, European prehistory, Near eastern archaeology, North American ethnology, and philology.

The program officially begins on April 1, 2009 and applications for 11 doctoral scholarships with a stipend of 1200 Euro per month are being accepted until January 10, 2009. The scholarships are valid for two years and are renewable for a third year.

One scholarship holder can work in archaeology and the cultural history of the Near East, one in Near Eastern philology, two in Classical archaeology (one in Frankfurt and one in Darmstadt), two in Roman provincial archaeology/auxiliary archaeological sciences (numismatics, papyrology, epigraphy), one in European prehistory, one in African prehistory, and three in ethnology with an emphasis on Africa, North America, and South East Asia.

There are also two post-doctoral fellowships for a tenure of two years. One is available in European prehistory and one in ethnology.

For further information and application details visit: http://www.value.uni-frankfurt.de/

Digital Library Numis (DLN)

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Elkins) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:45:00 +0000

Many readers may already be familiar with Digital Library Numis (DLN). The project "is aimed to establish a major portal and a digital repository for freely available numismatic publications on coins, medals and related subjects, which mostly can be downloaded online."

The resources are not restricted to ancient coins, but to numismatics in general. The site features a search engine and subdivides subject matter into themes: e.g. "Roman Coins: Catalogues" or "Roman Coins: Iconography," or "Greek Coins: Aegean Islands, Crete, Cyprus," etc.

The bulk of the accessible material is 19th century monographs that are now out of copyright. A number of Ernst Babelon's important works are accessible as well as Cohen's catalogue which will be useful for anyone working with Roman coins from old collections or reports. But a few newer resources crop up as well. Essentially the aim is to aggregate material that is already available online and so for the newer research there is a prominence of articles from Revue Numismatique since it has already been made freely accessible online.

A contact link, prominently displayed on the homepage, allows users to report problems or suggest the addition of material.

Thanks to Thijs Verspagen for the suggestion to cover DLN here.