July 26, 2018 – The last two years the KNIR, DAI and OIKOS joined forces to organize a course in Rome on coinage and identity in the Roman and Early modern world. In 2018, Dutch (Re)MA and PhD students will be offered the opportunity to also get acquainted with Greek coins and the methods to study them in a course in Athens, organized by the NIA, Radboud University and OIKOS. This will be the start of an alternating course on coinage as a historical source in Rome and Athens. From now onwards the KNIR and the NIA will take turns in hosting a “coinage course” every year.
Course in Athens (2018)
The course in Athens (2018) focuses on Greek numismatics by addressing questions of method, history, archaeology, and economy. Students will be introduced to the main coin productions of the Greek world from the birth of coinage to the Roman conquest (including the Roman Provincial coinages considered, in many respects, as Greek coinages as well). Special focus is given to methodology, quantification and a long-term economic approach. The general historical context of the coinages discussed will be addressed, while questions of iconography, of messages transmitted by coins, and notions of targeted audiences will also be considered. In addition, practical skills in coinage identification will be practiced.
Course in Rome (2019)
The course in Rome (next edition in 2019) deals with the construction of identity through coins issued in the Roman world and the Early modern city states. In this course students explore this theme by examining the development of coinage production in these periods and addressing questions such as: Who issued the coins and the medals? Who used them? Could the messages on coins target specific audiences? What was the influence of tradition on the messages spread by this medium? What do we gain from comparing coins from different periods (antiquity and the early modern era), different types of rule (city states and empires) and different scales (local and imperial)? The course provides students with theoretical knowledge on the ideological function of coins and medals as well as on different numismatic methods. In addition, practical skills in the field of coin identification and exhibiting coins are an integral part of the course.
The 2018 Numismatic Course: Athens. How to tackle ancient Greek coinage and coins: A methodological intensive course (8-16 Seotember 2018)
The Radboud University Nijmegen (RU) and the Netherlands Institute at Athens (NIA) under the auspices of OIKOS organize a postgraduate methodological intensive course in numismatics (Radboud Universiteit code: LET-HLCS-NK01). This course is part of the joint numismatic project taking place every year, once in Athens, once in Rome (with the KNIR).
This nine-day course is primarily concerned with Greek numismatics by addressing questions of method, history, archaeology, and economy. Students will be introduced to the main coin productions of the Greek world from the birth of coinage to the Roman conquest (including the Roman Provincial coinages considered, in many respects, as Greek coinages as well).
Special focus is given to questions of:
– Methodology: from the ore and the mine to the mint; how blanks and coins were produced; how coins were distributed to end-users and did they circulate; in which way hoards have been created and what conclusions can be drawn from their study as related to coin circulation and levels of monetization; what historical information do we get from excavation coins both in micro- and macro-contextual levels;
– Quantification: how many coins have been produced per die, what the die study is, levels of monetization of a given economy, statistical models for accessing monetary analyses and quantifications;
– Long-term economic approach, such as the velocity of coin circulation or the ratio between monetized and non-monetized wealth based on the specialization of the two main tutors of the course.
Historical questions will also be addressed, since this course is meant to be an introduction to both Greek numismatics and numismatics as a science as well. The general historical context will be addressed for every coinage under study, while questions of iconography, of messages transmitted by coins, notions of targeted audiences will also be considered.
All courses and presentations will be in English. PhD students and (research) master students will be admitted to the course based on their academic background and motivation. A full program of the courses and visits to Athenian numismatic collections and archaeological sites is given below. The course is credited with 5 ECTS (140 hours), as follows:
– 1 ECTS for preparation of the numismatic material assigned by the tutors before arrival in Athens;
– 2 ECTS for participation to seminars, practical exercises, excursions. An active participation of the students is expected;
– 2 ECTS for preparing and presenting an individual assignment.
The assignment will be decided by the tutors in close discussion with the students based on their on-going research in the framework of their master and/or PhD thesis. This work (3,000 words long) is meant to examine both the capacity of students to address numismatic questions and their level of mastering the relevant bibliography and numismatic tools. The preparation for the assignment should already start before the course and a short bibliography will be addressed to the successful candidates in due time (1 ECTS).
Applications – a letter of motivation, a CV, and a recommendation letter by their supervisor (to be completed by an official grades? report for Research Master students) – should be sent to the organizers [Prof. Dr Panagiotis P. Iossif (PPI-Radboud Universiteit/EBSA) and Prof. Dr François de Callatay (FdC-Royal Library of Belgium/Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Paris/Université Libre de Bruxelles)] via email with the mention “Numismatic seminar: Application”. The deadline for applications is Tuesday, July 31st 12 am.
Now that the seven (7) places for Dutch students are taken, the organizers can offer the “international call” for four (4) more positions.
The seminar will take place at the Netherlands Institute at Athens, at the foot of the Acropolis (Makri 11, GR-117 42, Athens) and accommodation will be offered by the NIA to all successful candidates, as well as free access to the main Athenian libraries and passes to Museums and archaeological sites.
An inscription fee of 150 € is asked for file preparation and registration; accommodation fees and dinners are covered by the organizers.
For further information contact the organizers or visit the website of the Netherlands Institute at Athens.