We are pleased to announce this Oxford Roman Economy Project conference, which will be published as part of the Oxford Studies on the Roman Economy series. This two-day conference will be held at the Old Library, All Souls College, Oxford, on 22nd and 23rd September, 2017.
The recycling of materials and objects was extensive in the past, but is rarely embedded into models of the economy; even more rarely is any attempt made to assess the scale of recycling, perhaps because it frequently operated in de-regulated, liminal spaces. Yet recent developments, particularly ‘big data’ approaches, and high-resolution analytical chemistry, are increasingly offering the means to reconstruct, and even to quantify, recycling.
This conference, which focuses principally on the Roman Imperial and Late Antique world, will develop and integrate methodological approaches, and begin to adapt our models of the ancient economy to accommodate the significant role of recycling. Crucially, it will investigate recycling during times of economic prosperity as well as ‘crisis’.
By fostering discussion between participants with a range of specialisms, this conference and landmark publication will enrich our understanding of the ancient economy, and provide a useful contrast with the global systems in operation today. Most importantly, they will set the agenda for integrated, quantitative studies of past recycling practice.
Programme
Download programme as a pdf
| Friday 22nd September |
| 09.00 |
Registration |
| 09.20 |
Welcome and Opening Talk
Thomas J. Derrick (University of Leicester), Chloë N. Duckworth (Newcastle University), Andrew Wilson (University of Oxford)
|
| |
|
|
Session 1: Recognising Commodities, Transforming Meaning
Chair: Andrew Wilson (University of Oxford)
|
| 09.30 |
Recycling in the Roman World – Concepts, Materials, and Organisation
J. Theodore Peña (University of California, Berkeley)
|
| 10.15 |
The Reuse of Textiles in the Roman World
John Peter Wild (University of Manchester)
|
| 11.00 |
Tea, Coffee and Biscuits (Hall) |
| 11.30 |
Reuse and Recycling of Papyrus
Erja Salmenkivi (University of Helsinki)
|
| 12.15 |
Recycling of Statuary and Spolia
Simon J. Barker (Heidelberg Universität and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München)
|
| 13.00 |
Lunch (Hall)
|
| |
|
|
Session 2: New Approaches to Recognising and Quantifying Recycling in Transmutable Materials
Chair: Elizabeth Fentress
|
| 14.00 |
Coinage and Metals Recycling
Matthew Ponting (University of Liverpool)
|
| 14.40 |
Large-Scale Modelling of Copper Alloy Recycling
Peter Bray (University of Oxford)
|
| 15.30 |
Tea, Coffee and Biscuits (Hall) |
| 16.00 |
Isotopes and Glass Recycling
Patrick Degryse (KU Leuven)
|
| 16.45 |
Roman Merchant Ship Cargo of Scrap Metal and Raw Materials in Caesarea Harbour
Jacob Sharvit (Israel Antiquities Authority)
|
| 17.30 |
Discussion |
| 18.30 |
Drinks Reception (Great Quad) |
| 19.30 |
Evening Meal (Hall)
For speakers, chairs and panelists
|
|
|
| Saturday 23rd September |
|
Session 3: Site Formation, Visibility, and Temporality of Recycling
Chair: Chloë N. Duckworth (Newcastle University)
|
| 09.30 |
A Regional Economy of Recycling Over Four Centuries at Spolverino, Tuscany, and Environs
Alessandro Sebastiani (University at Buffalo), Thomas Derrick (University of Leicester)
|
| 10.15 |
The Organised Recycling of Roman Villa Sites
Beth Munro (Institute of Classical Studies)
|
| 11.00 |
Tea, Coffee and Biscuits (Hall) |
| 11.30 |
Old Buildings, Building Material, and the Death of Recycling in Post-Roman Britain
Robin Fleming (Boston College)
|
| 12.15 |
Reuse of Roman Artefacts in Late Antiquity and the Early Medieval West: A Case Study from Britain
Ellen Swift (University of Kent)
|
| 13.00 |
Lunch (Hall)
|
| |
| Session 4: Expert panel and discussion |
| Chair |
David Mattingly (University of Leicester) |
|
| Panel |
Catherine Alexander (Durham University) |
Anthropology, global perspective |
| |
Jane Evans (British Geological Survey) |
Analytical science methodologies |
| |
Christopher Green (University of Oxford) |
Temporality, GIS |
| |
Astrid van Oyen (University of Cambridge) |
Theorising material culture |
| |
Andrew Wilson (University of Oxford) |
The Roman economy |
| 15.00 |
Panel Discussion |
| 15.00 |
Questions from Audience |
| |
Concluding Remarks
Chloë N. Duckworth, Newcastle University
Andrew Wilson, University of Oxford
|
Conference organised by:
Chloë N. Duckworth, Newcastle University
Andrew Wilson, University of Oxford
Thomas Derrick, University of Leicester
