Seminars and lectures 2012

Oslo-Athens International Workshop on Democracy - November 8-10

The Research Programme on Democracy is holding an international workshop in Athens in early November 2012. The workshop is intended as an arena for presentation of ongoing research. Our aim is to bring together researchers from the humanities, law and social sciences, and the workshop provides an excellent opportunity to develop new research networks across disciplines and faculty borders. The workshop is organized with a series of panel sessions on various topics, each with 2-4 paper presentations.

More information on the website of the University of Oslo.

WORK IN PROGRESS - June 1-2

Interdisciplinary Conference for Graduate Students and Young Scholars. June 1-2, 2012 at the Norwegian Institute at Athens.

TO ΑΤΟΜΟ - Representation of the Individual

The overarching theme of the conference is the individual in its various forms of representation; these include the representation by others and the self-representations through different media such as writing, image and sculpture.

The conference is aimed at graduate students and young scholars of humanities and social sciences. It has an interdisciplinary and diachronic approach and its goal is to give young scholars a forum for presenting and discussing their own research and research results. Of geographic relevance are contributions concerned with the cultures of the Western Mediterranean, the Adriatic, the Aegean, the Levant, North Africa and the Black Sea.

Read the call for papers.

Lecture by Linda Senhaji - Wednesday May 16th at 19:00

The Terrace of the Lions, Delos. Photo: Linda Senhaji

A lecture by Linda Senhaji, PhD candidate at the the University of Athens, Greece, and La Sorbonne, France, titled "Lions in sanctuaries - Representations in Ancient Greece" will be held at the Norwegian Institute on Wednesday May 16th at 19:00.

Lions have been a native species of the northern regions of Ancient Greece since the Neolithic period, at least. As a result, they became a recurrent theme in Greek mythology, art and architecture since the Bronze Age. From the Archaic times, notwithstanding the main use of lion statues as gravestones, a number of statues, reliefs and figurines based on the figure of the lion have also been discovered in several major Greek sanctuaries. The series of Naxian lions in Delos is an example. Centering on Archaic and Classic representations of lions in Greek sanctuaries, Linda Senhaji will speak of the role and significance behind this particular feline motif.

Refresments will be served.

Download the invitation.

Annual Meeting - Thursday May 3rd at 19:00

The Norwegian Institute at Athens will hold its 23rd Annual Open Meeting on Thursday, May 3, at 19:00 hours. The annual meeting will be held in the Aula “Doro Levi” of the Italian Archaeological School of Athens, at 14, Parthenonos str., Koukaki.

Professor Panos Dimas, Director of the Institute, will present the Work of the Institute in 2011, followed by a lecture titled "Remarks on the Architecture of the Byzantine Peloponnese" by Dimitrios Athanasoulis, director of the 25th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities, Corinth.

A reception will follow on the premises of the Norwegian Institute at Athens,Tsami Karatasou 5, 5th floor.

Download the invitation.

The European Society of Ancient Philosophy - March 29-31

The 18th Aristotelian meeting of the European Society of Ancient Philosophy (ESAP) takes place March 29-31, 2012 at the old University in Athens (Plaka) and is sponsored by the Norwegian Institute at Athens.

The topic is book 2, chapter 12 (291b24 -293a14), of Aristotle's On the Heavens (latin: De Caelo).

Download the program.

Lecture by David Hill - Monday March 26th at 19:00

Kastro Apalirou. Photo: David Hill

A lecture by David Hill, archaeologist at the Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo, titled "The Byzantine urban fortress at Kastro Apalirou, Naxos - Results and questions from recent field work", will be held at the Norwegian Institute at Monday March 26th at 19:00.

Kastro Apalirou was probably established as a fortification as early as the seventh century AD on an inaccessible mountain top in the middle of the island of Naxos. Apalirou evolved to become the Byzantine center of power on the island until the city was besieged and taken by the Venetian Marco Sanudo, who conquered the Cyclades and formed a feudal dynastic rule on the islands.

Archaeologists from the University of Oslo have undertaken a survey of the standing remains at Kastro Apalirou, Naxos in 2010 and 2011. The fortifications, church complex, buildings and over 30 cisterns have been recorded and planned using total station and GIS. David Hill will present the results so far and discuss how they illustrate the Venetian take over of Naxos and the subsequent formation of the Duchy of The Archipelago. The project raises a number of questions concerning the Byzantine settlement on Naxos and the changes that came about under Venetian rule.

Refresments will be served.

Download the invitation.

Lecture by Dr. Ioannis Georganas - Monday February 6th at 19:00

A lecture by Dr. Ioannis Georganas, Researcher at the Foundation of the Hellenic World Moen, titled "Tholos Tombs in Early Iron Age Aegean" will be held at the Norwegian Institute at Monday February 6th at 19:00.

Early Iron Age Aegean was characterised by regionalism and material diversity. Although certain cultural and technological elements were shared by the vast majority of the EIA communities, regional or local differences in social organisation and structure were present. This diversity is especially prominent in the funerary record, where a wide array of grave types and burial customs were used. This paper focuses on a type of grave, known as the tholos tomb, which had a Late Bronze Age pedigree, was ideal for multiple burials and was popular only in three regions: Thessaly, Messenia and Crete.

Ioannis holds an MA (1998) and a PhD (2003) in Archaeology from the University of Nottingham. Before joining the Foundation of the Hellenic World, he was the Research Assistant to the Director of the British School at Athens and Visiting Assistant Professor at Lake Forest College. His research interests include the study of Early Iron Age burial customs and the construction of identities in Greece, and weapons and warfare in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age Aegean.

Refreshments will be served.

Download the invitation.