Registration via https://event.ugent.be/registration/medievalstudiesday2024 from 21-06-2024 09:00 until 31-10-2024 12:00
The recent breakthrough of ‘critical animal studies’ emphasizes the fact that the history of the preindustrial world, and the Middle Ages in particular, can hardly be understood without paying specific attention to animals. Indeed, creatures great and small were everywhere and pervaded nearly all aspects of life. They did so as valuable sources of food, material and energy in everyday life and across economic sectors, but also as symbols of power, as dreaded pests or carriers of cataclysmic disease and of course as objects of inspiration and imagination in art and literature. The relation between humans and animals – often exploitative or utilistic – has been broadly studied for some decades, and the same is true for the sociocultural or symbolic significances of certain species in the Middle Ages. On the other hand, the study of animals in the past in their own right, for example as parts of historical ecosystems or as victims of mass anthropogenic or natural extinctions, is only beginning to be developed, albeit with impactful results. It is high time to take stock of this vibrant multidisciplinary field of medieval animal studies!
This year’s Medieval Studies Day ‘Pe(s)ts to Parchment’ will bring to the fore perspectives and recent research from ecological and economic history, archaeology, archaeozoology, literary studies, bio-codicology, heraldry and more. The day will consist of a mix of plenary lectures by some of the foremost experts in the field, as well as small-group hands-on workshops to be selected by the participants. The programme will be concluded with parallel sessions in which PhD students from various Flemish and Dutch universities will be offered the opportunity to present their ongoing research, which does not necessarily relate to the central theme of the day.
The Medieval Studies Day 2024 will kick off in the evening of Thursday November 7th with an optional cultural activity for early arrivals (registration required). This will be a group visit of the new exhibition ‘Judith. Een Karolingische Prinses in Gent?’/ ‘Judith. A Carolingian Princess in Ghent?’ at the Saint Peter's Abbey (Historische Huizen).
On Friday November 8th, the Medieval Studies Day will take place at conference centre Sint-Baafshuis, Biezekapelstraat 2, Ghent (entrance: Kapittelstraat).
09:45: Welcome with coffee and tea
10:15: Introduction
10:30: Keynote lecture by prof. dr. Thijs Lambrecht (Ghent University)
11:30: Lecture by dr. Antonella Sciancalepore (UC Louvain)
12:00: Lecture by dr. Jordan Claridge (London School of Economics and Political Science)
12:30: Discussion
13:00: Lunch
14:00: Workshops (parallel sessions, registration in advance) - Please note that you can choose only one option for a set of workshops!
Option 1 (at Boekentoren, Rozier 9, Ghent)
→ Workshop 1: Bio-codicology with dr. Nicolas Ruffini-Ronzani (Université de Namur)
→ Workshop 2: Manuscripts from the collection of Ghent University with prof. dr. Jeroen
Deploige and prof. dr. Wim Verbaal (Ghent University)
Option 2 (at Sint-Baafshuis)
→ Workshop 1: Archaeozoology with dr. Anton Ervynck and dr. An Lentacker (Agentschap
Onroerend Erfgoed)
→ Workshop 2: Heraldic and emblematic animals with dr. Hanno Wijsman (IRHT – CNRS)
15:00: Coffee break (Sint-Baafshuis)
15:30: Presentations of ongoing research by PhD students (parallel sessions)
17:00: Reception
The Medieval Studies Day 2024 is organized by the Flemish Medievalist Association, in cooperation with the Henri Pirenne Institute for Medieval Studies at Ghent University and with the support of the Dutch Research School for Medieval Studies.
For more information or questions, please do not hesitate to contact the organisers via secretariaatvwm@gmail.com