Paphlagonia and Pontus in Antiquity and Early Byzantine Period

(7th C. BC - 7th C. AD)

Call for papers

An international conference on Paphlagonia and Pontus in antiquity and the early Byzantine period (7th C. BC - 7th C. AD) will take place between May 31st and June 4th, 2008 at the Dokuz Eylül University in Izmir, Turkey. The conference is jointly organised by the Department of Archaeology, Dokuz Eylül University, Izmir and The Centre for Classics and Archaeology, School of Historical Studies, University of Melbourne. This conference will be organised as a part of the Paphlagonia Project, a long-term archaeological field project in central Paphlagonia www.paphlagonia.com.

We invite papers from scholars and graduate students on any aspect of Paphlagonia and Pontus in the above period. The conference aims to bring together participants from throughout the world to discuss a range of issues concerning this North Anatolian landscape and encourage dialogue amongst and between Classical and Near Eastern archaeologists, ancient historians, classicists and all other disciplines from Classical, Near Eastern and Anatolian Studies.

Paphlagonia is an area of the central Black Sea coastal region of Turkey, situated between Bithynia and Pontus, and separated from Galatia by an eastern outlier of the Bithynian Olympus. It is a mountainous district with the Halys as its chief river; along its coast were a number of colonies, including Greek Sinope. It was a contact zone between the Greeks of the Black Sea region and the Iron Age population of Central Anatolia.

The conference seeks papers on both the adaptation and change and the continuity of culture(s) over time and space, and on the construction of ethnic identities in the culturally diverse area of Paphlagonia and Pontus. Participants are encouraged to explore all kinds of evidence on the region and its relations with other areas (Galatia, Bithynia, Propontis, Thrace, Colchis/Georgia, Armenia, the rest of the Black Sea, etc.), including textual, archaeological, artistic, anthropological, numismatic and epigraphic, from Archaic to Early Byzantine times.

A post-conference excursion is planned on June 4th to both of the archaeological museums of Izmir and to the excavations at Agora and Old Smyrna.

Papers may be given in any Western European languages (English, German, French, Italian, Spanish) and in Turkish, although English is preferred for both oral and poster presentations.

We hope that you will be able to participate.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact one of the organisers:

Please submit an abstract of not more than 300 words with the registration form (Word doc 40KB) as soon as possible, and not later than January 1st, 2008. by e-mail (preferred) to paphlagonia@deu.edu.tr; or by fax: +90 232 453 4188.

Abstracts of accepted papers will be published separately and also made available on the conference web site which is still under construction.

The proceedings of the conference will be published. Detailed information will be given in the Second Circular.

The participation fee is 30 euros (20 euros for students). This does not include accommodation, fooding or your travel expenses to Izmir.

If you prefer, we will book an hotel on your behalf. Please let us know. Otherwise, lists of hotels in downtown Izmir are available at the net, such as www.izmirliyiz.com/izmir_otelleri.html. The price range is between 15 and 100 euros per night (excluding breakfast). Most of the hotels are within a short distance of the Conference Hall (DESEM).

The organisers seek the widest participation at this conference. We would like to encourage colleagues from all parts of the world to attend. We should be grateful if you would display copies of this circular in your institution.

We look forward to your joining us at the Dokuz Eylül University in Izmir.

Ergün LAFLI
Gocha TSETSKHLADZE