Classical Studies
Thanks to the generous travel funding provided by the department, in the final weeks of summer 2023, I had the amazing opportunity to participate in an archaeological field school in the Alentejo region of Portugal at a Bronze Age site known as Castelo, under the direction of Bianca Viseu (McMasters University), Rui Mataloto (University of Lisbon), and Gonçalo Bispo (University of Lisbon). Castelo is a large mountain site, only a small portion of which has been uncovered so far. This season, the goal at the site was to… read more about Jess Cruz-Taylor: Archaeological Field School, Redondo, Portugal »
Thanks to the research travel funding from the Classical Studies Department this summer, I was able to conduct research that seamlessly combined my two academic interests of neuroscience and visual studies through the Vulci 3000 Project. As a Neuroscience and Visual Media Studies double major, I had no previous experience in archeology or classical studies, but was able to meaningfully contribute to the initiative through conducting several psychological experiments. Over the course of 2 weeks, my labmates and I were able… read more about Srinjoyi Lahiri: Neurocities and Ruinscapes - Vulci 3000 Project »
The program in which I participated through a grant given by the Classics Department at Duke was called Summer School in Homer. This was a one-week course on all things Homer located in Chios, Greece which is rumored to be the birthplace of Homer (if he did in fact even exist). The course was designed around interpreting Homeric Greek mainly from the Odyssey, and making connections to various themes and works of art from all time periods. We had many lectures covering topics like reception of Homer in ancient philosophers… read more about Aadesh Anchaliya: Homeric Greek in Chios, Greece »
This summer I participated in the Dickinsoniense Conventiculum, which was an immersive spoken Latin experience. The program itself was held at Dickinson College—a small liberal arts college in Carlisle, PA. The Conventiculum was five days long and a true test of the skills I had learned so far at Duke. The program opened with a dinner, which was the last time I spoke English with the participants for the rest of the week. Most of the participants were teachers in high schools near D.C., with me being the only undergraduate… read more about Christian Ellis: Latin Conventiculum-Immersive Spoken Latin »
For summer 2023 I had the opportunity to participate in an excavation at Pompeii, the Pompeii I.14 Project supported by Tulane University and directed by Dr. Allison Emmerson. I joined the project as a ceramics specialist and had a wonderful experience as a member of the project. My work focused on sorting and documenting the many potsherds found on site. It was very rewarding to be able to build on my previous experience working with ceramics as well as gain new knowledge and become deeply familiar with the site’s pottery… read more about Tara Wells: The Pompeii I.14 Project »
With the aid of the Research Travel Award, I was able to travel to Italy this summer to participate in data collection for Dr. Maurizio Forte’s Neurocities and Ruinscapes Bass Connections team, as part of the Vulci 3000 Project. Our work was primarily based in the archeological site at the Etruscan and Roman city of Vulci, though we did additional experiments in Rome. The main goal of the summer work was to collect eye-tracking data using the Pupil Invisible glasses, which will later be used to create a virtual… read more about Sidney Jordan: Neurocities and Ruinscapes Bass Connections Project »
This summer I participated in the Living Latin in Rome organized by Paideia Institute. LLIR is an intensive program conducted almost exclusively in Latin. This year’s theme was Horace’s poetry. In seminar-style daily meetings we read and discussed Horace and the relevant cultural and historical material in Latin. In the afternoon we explored the archaeological sites and museum. These tours—and oftentimes lectures—were also in Latin and included additional readings and activities in Latin. The readings featured a diverse… read more about Mariami Shanshashvili: Horace and Living Latin in Rome »
Hello! I am Caitlin Childers and I’m originally from Gaffney, South Carolina. I’m a first-year Master's student, focusing on Digital Art History. I am spending two weeks as project manager on a Bass Connections project called Neurocities and Ruinscapes. We are at an archaeological site called Vulci in Rome, working on data collection. It’s an Etruscan site, and I’ll be working with my professor, Dr. Maurizio Forte, and two undergrads and learning more about the site itself. My interest in the project is informed by my goal… read more about Caitlin Childers: Neurocities and Ruinscape: Eye Tracking Experiments »
I am grateful for the department’s travel funding, which enabled me to travel to Cyprus for an archaeological excavation, and to go to Turkey to observe important archaeological sites in-person. In Cyprus, I helped investigate Kalavasos Vounaritashi, an Iron-Age site in the middle-south of the Island. This rural site is the first of its kind to be investigated in Cyprus. Our five-person team, led and directed by Dr. Catherine Kearns (Chicago) aimed to uncover another section of the site in order to better understand its use… read more about Andrew Welser: Vasilikos Valley Project »
Congrats to Alex Karsten for successfully defending his dissertation last week. His dissertation title was The Theognidea in Reperformance: A Rhetorical Rereading. Well done Dr. Karsten! read more about Alex Karsten successfully defends his dissertation »
Congrats to Sinja Küppers for successfully defending her dissertation today! Her dissertation title was Marginalized Voices and Nontraditional Pathways in Higher Education in the Late Roman Empire. Well done Dr. Küppers! read more about Sinja Küppers successfully defends her dissertation »
Congratulations to our CLST Class of 2023! Classical Civilizations MajorAbong’o AdongoEric JohannessenDavid Mellgard Jr.Amanda Turner IDM: Classical Studies/HistoryTyler Donovan Classical Civilizations MinorAlexandra BriceZachary Burd Greek MinorGreg Orme Latin MinorAnneke Zegers Graduation with Distinction & AwardsDavid Mellgard Jr. - High DistinctionDavid Mellgard Jr. - David Taggart Clark Prize in… read more about Congratulations to our CLST Class of 2023! »
This past Thursday, April 27th, Class of 2023 CLST graduate, David Mellgard, presented his Senior Honors Thesis titled, "Claudius' Conquest of Britain: The Importance of Cultural Capital in the Early Roman Empire." David Mellgard with his advisor, Professor Boatwright (Emerita), at the presentation of his Senior Honors Thesis. David Mellgard, Class of 2023, presents his Honors Thesis. read more about David Mellgard (BA '23) presents Senior Honors Thesis »
At this year’s meeting, the Classical Association for the Middle West and South, the largest regional conference for Classical Studies in the United States, honored two Duke Classical Studies Graduate Students with major awards. Sinja Küppers wins the Rudolph Masciantonio CAMWS Diversity AwardSinja Küppers is the graduate student winner of this year’s Rudolph Masciantonio CAMWS Diversity Award. Each year the awards committee selects one graduate student and one undergraduate student whose… read more about Duke Graduate Students Win Awards at CAMWS Meeting »
Kate Morgan has been awarded a Loeb Classical Library Foundation Fellowship as well as three residential fellowships: a Getty Villa Scholar Grant (Malibu, CA; research theme: The Classical World in Context: Anatolia), a Fellowship in Hellenic Studies at Harvard’s Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington, D.C., and a Visiting Research Scholar position at NYU’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World in New York. All are to support the completion of her monographic project, provisionally titled Beyond Midas: Towards a… read more about Kate Morgan Wins Sabbatical Fellowships »
Congrats to Erickson Bridges for successfully defending his dissertation yesterday! His dissertation title was Rereading Lucretius: The Plague of Athens and Epicurean Attachment in De Rerum Natura. Well done Dr. Bridges! read more about Erickson Bridges successfully defends his dissertation »
Congrats to Michael Freeman for successfully defending his dissertation yesterday! His dissertation title was The Hands That Write: Life and Training of Greco-Roman Scribes. Well done Dr. Freeman! read more about Michael Freeman successfully defends his dissertation »
Duke and UNC Students came together on Saturday, March 4th for a collegial symposium to talk about current research projects and budding ideas. Daniel Orr (Duke) gives a talk at the joint Duke-UNC Graduate Symposium Ben Moon-Black (Duke) presents a new research idea to Duke and UNC Grads read more about Duke-UNC Graduate Student Symposium 2023 »
Since 2008, Kathryn Morgan has spent her summers on an archaeological excavation in Turkey, where she has marveled both at the rich cultural artifacts of the region and the kindness of the people who live there. All of that is weighing heavily on the archaeologist this week in the wake of the devastating Turkey earthquake whose epicenter was just eight miles from the dig site and the community that Morgan, a Duke assistant professor of classical studies, has come to know so well. “These people who have a very simple life… read more about Classics Faculty: Earthquake Hit a Region of Generosity and Cultural Significance »
Duke students with a desire to live outside their own political and cultural bubbles will have a new housing option this fall. A new Living-Learning Community for Transformative Ideas will house about 35 students with meeting spaces that can host up to 75. Headquartered in Kilgo Quad on Duke’s West Campus, this new program will bring students together who are actively looking to explore ideas different from their own, said its faculty sponsor, Jed Atkins. “This is about having students take the lead in creating a space… read more about Coming Soon: A Duke Dorm for Transformative Ideas »
A Cultural History of Money in Antiquity, edited by Prof. Stefan Krmnicek (Universität Tübingen), has just been published in simplified Chinese (货币文化史Ⅰ 希腊罗马时期钱币的诞生与权力象征. Shanghai: Wenhui Publishing House). Prof. Alicia Jiménez contributed to the volume with a chapter titled: “Money and its interpretation. Archaeological and anthropological perspectives.” read more about New translation of A Cultural History of Money in Antiquity in Chinese »
Last year Lauren Ginsberg was excited to be invited to write a historiographical essay and to contribute to the world premiere of the new opera, Poppaea, by composer Michael Hersch and librettist Stephanie Fleischmann. This past week, she traveled to Baltimore for its first screening in the US to introduce Poppaea's life and to take part in a panel discussion with opera creators: Staging Poppaea - Gender, Power and Violence. How do we stage violence against women in the contemporary moment in a way that centers the… read more about Professor Ginsberg contributes to a panel discussion on new opera »
