Thanks to the Classical Studies department’s Research Travel Award, I was able to complete the 2024 Postgraduate Epigraphy Course at the British School at Athens (BSA) in Greece. Dr. Peter Liddel and Dr. Polly Low taught the class, covering all of the need-to-know topics for understanding epigraphy and incorporating it into research, and all over a period of just 10 days. One portion of the program focused on lecture-style sessions for learning about the history of epigraphy, how to work on it, and why it’s important to do so. The other portion of the course consisted of Dr. Liddel and Dr. Low guiding us through important epigraphical sites and museums in Athens, with a strong focus on the epigraphic material at each location. This created an invaluable opportunity to apply what we learned in lectures to real inscriptions.
Additionally, we were able to gain hands-on experience with inscriptions included in the BSA’s own museum collection. We practiced reading difficult letters as well as describing and documenting the important details of inscriptions. The course culminated in a presentation by each student, analyzing one inscription assigned to us from the Epigraphic Museum of Athens. All of this gave me crucial experience in doing epigraphic research, which I hope to include in my future research, including my dissertation. Taking this course gave me much needed knowledge and confidence for approaching epigraphic research myself, but also gave me the ability to show others how to incorporate inscriptions in their work. On the note of working with others, the course also allowed me to expand my professional network, meeting colleagues working on a variety of fascinating subjects and bringing diverse perspectives to the field.
Participating in this course was a great privilege, and I am very grateful to have received the Research Travel Award from the department, which made it possible for me to afford the fees associated with the course, which otherwise would have been too much of a financial stress. My time at the BSA was among my most enriching experiences, and I thank those who helped to make it possible.
Classical Studies
