'Identity' qua concept has been fundamental for the scholarly understanding of pre-modern societies. Communication and exchange have, in turn, been fundamental to how scholars conceive of 'identity': group membership; social identification; communication media; the built environment; interactions with the divine; exchanges with 'others' — all have been key to what it means to have an 'identity' and to how we define it.

Developments within the natural sciences, including paleogenetics and stable isotope analysis, make 'identity' even more urgent by addressing previously insoluble or even inconceivable questions. At the same time, these new approaches risk reviving outdated concepts, like the "Kurgan hypothesis" by Marija Gimbutas, or even views comparable to those of Gustaf Kossinna, himself influenced by the "Kulturkreislehre" and the "Völkisch movement".

Contributions to this conference may address, for instance, family traditions, the self-constitution of ancient societies, the use of "Others", identity-based conflict, and territorial claims. We shall discuss how myth, religion, collective memory, language, material culture, and culinary traditions define cultural identities and enforce cohesion. We encourage participation from doctoral candidates of different disciplinary backgrounds in order to ensure a variety of perspectives.

Contact and registration: ox-ber.grad.conference2020@berliner-antike-kolleg.org

This event will be funded by the Oxford-Berlin Graduate Network in Ancient Studies (OX/BER_HUM4), Berlin University Alliance.

Further information on the programme will follow soon.

Unfortunately, the event has to be cancelled due to the current situation. The conference is to be postponed to the end of the year.