it would be really really really cool if there were a way to legitimize self-acquired knowledge. like ok we all know that one person who knows enough about a subject to basically already have a degree, if only they'd learned those things in a classroom. honestly we could talk for a lot longer about the ways the institution of college is failing us, but... listen, we think if someone is passionate about a subject so as to become as knowledgeable as an expert, they should be recognized as one. there are many reasons why many people cannot go to university, but they should not be barriers to the world of academia. some simply can't afford it, some don't mesh with the rigid system of formal higher edu. but those people are still capable of learning and having extensive knowledge on things. why should only those who sat in a classroom for 4+ years get any credit?
Howdy, y'all! I'm excited to announce that Saving Ancient Studies Alliance (SASA), a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to making the ancient world more accessible, has published a massive calendar of events related to the ancient world. I'm also very excited to announce that this project has been my baby for the better part of a year and I'm so proud to finally have it published.
This calendar includes conferences, lectures, classes, and field school/excavation opportunities, among other things. There are events included all the way until 2033, and it will be continuously updated by SASA's team of hardworking volunteers. Further, though this calendar definitely favors the ancient Mediterranean, there are opportunities associated with various ancient civilizations all over the world. This is an awesome resource for any scholar who is looking for an opportunity to expand or share their knowledge.
UPDATE: currently, due to a miscommunication with our web design team, the calendar is inaccessible to people who do not volunteer with the organization. we are working on it, and hope to have it up and running for the public very soon. I will update this post with the link when it is available.
In the near future, we hope to have a similar list specifically for scholarships, fellowships, and other monetary awards. So, keep your eye out for that!
SASA also has a ton of other great resources for scholars of the ancient world ranging from beginner to seasoned professional. We have links to hundreds of databases, resources, and professional organizations, bilingual (English-other language) lists of archaeological vocabulary for 8 languages, educational videos, twitch streams for ancient-world-related video games, and 50+ partner organizations for all things ancient!
Formal language makes science more accessible, not less. Formal English is a global lingua franca, and used by academics the world over. A regional dialect or any given individual's specific colloquial speech is not taught in English classes in Japan, Mongolia, France, or Argentina, but formal language usually is, because it is nigh-universally acceptable in English-speaking countries and will allow for the broadest range of communication. By writing in a formal/professional register, native English speakers make their research more accessible to the rest of the scientific community; in turn, non-native speakers publishing in English will obviously resort to the standardized formal/professional register.
howdy <3 Saving Ancient Studies Alliance (SASA) in a volunteer-driven nonprofit that works to stimulate interest in the ancient studies and combat downward trends in humanities education across the globe. to support this mission, they're offering 16 FREE summer reading groups. check below the cut for more info.
Painted Stories: Reading Maya Mythology in Codex-Style Ceramics, June 1-29, Thursdays at 4PM EST: This reading group introduces participants to key mythological themes in Classic Maya (250-900 CE) material culture, particularly as seen on a subset of ceramic vessels known as "codex-style" vessels. No prior knowledge is necessary. RSVP HERE
The Alexander Romance, June 2-30, Fridays at 11AM EST: This reading group introduces participants to the ancient reception of Alexander the Great, with a focus on the Alexander Romance. Attend to join discussions of the ancient Macedonian hero through texts in translation. No prior knowledge is necessary. RSVP HERE
Is This Your Neighbor, Is This You? Looking at Others and Ourselves in Theoprhastus' "Characters," June 2-16, Fridays at 2PM EST: This reading group introduces participants to philosopher and natural scientist Theophrastus (371-287 BCE) and his thirty unsavory "Characters" inspired by real citizens of ancient Athens. Explore the ideas of stereotype and ethics, and examine modern methods of perception. No prior knowledge is necessary. RSVP HERE
Mother, Murderer: Medea's in Antiquity and Beyond, June 4- July 2, Sundays at 3PM EST: This reading group introduces participants to Medea, the infamous Colchian princess who endures in ancient mythology and beyond. Readings will range from Euripides and Ovid to Toni Morrison. Discussion will explore themes of revenge and gender studies. No prior knowledge is necessary. RSVP HERE
True Stories: Classical Sci-Fi and Fantasy, June 5-July 3, Mondays at 5PM EST: This reading group will introduce participants to the relationship between Classical works and the genre of science fiction. Discussions will explore similarities and differences through exciting themes of fictional empires, Roman utopia, and spaceships. No prior knowledge is necessary. RSVP HERE
Beyond the Silk Roads: June 8-July 6, Thursday at 9AM EST: This reading group will guide participants through the "Silk Roads" with a particular focus on Central Asia. Discussion will focus on pre-modern globalization, through primary source readings such as the Sogdian merchants' letters and Dunhuang texts. No prior knowledge is necessary. RSVP HERE
She's Just Not That Into You: Unrequited Love in Antiquity, June 8-July 6, Thursdays at 2PM EST:This Reading Group will guide participants through the theme of unrequited love in antiquity, and explore how tales of love and rejection are universal and timeless. Readings include translated texts of ancient poets, such as Sappho and Horace. No prior knowledge is necessary. RSVP HERE
The Pyramid Texts: The Earliest Egyptian Rituals, June 8-July 6, Thursdays at 3PM EST: This Reading Group will guide participants through the oldest religious literature in the world: the Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts. Discussions will explore beliefs and myths as present in the mortuary texts, and how they manifested in rituals. No prior knowledge is necessary. RSVP HERE
Tomb Robberies in Ancient Egypt: Prevention, Persecution, and Punishment, June 13-27, Tuesdays at 11:30AM EST:This Reading Group will introduce participants to the methods of Egyptology through primary texts and archaeological sources. With a focus on the Late New Kingdom, discussions will explore the questions of who and why involving tomb-robbing, and traditions of funerary practices. No prior knowledge is necessary. RSVP HERE
Atoms and Void: Lucretius' "On the Nature of Things," June 13-July 11, Tuesdays at 1PM EST: This Reading Group will introduce participants to the great Latin epic De Rerum Natura (On the Nature of Things), and its author Lucretius' key ideas of Epicureanism. Discussions will explore the poem's provocative ideas on pain and pleasure, and how they have impacted early modern science. No prior knowledge is necessary. RSVP HERE
Reading the Abbasid Past: History and Islamic Heritage, June 14-28, Wednesdays at 11AM EST:
This Reading Group will guide participants through the era of the Abbasid Caliphate, or the "Golden Age" of the Islamic World. Exploring a wide range of themes including science, philosophy, and art, discussions will explore the fascinating socio-political lives of the affluent Abbasids and their impact on present-day materials and heritage. No prior knowledge is necessary. RSVP HERE
Queer Lives and Loves in Ancient History, June 14-July 12, Wednesdays at 1PM EST: This Reading Group will use Queer Theory to explore and uncover evidence of LGBT+ lives in the Ancient World. Readings will involve Ancient Greek, Latin, and Near Eastern literature, and participants will be encouraged to challenge Western norms of identity, and modern approaches to historic interpretation. No prior knowledge is necessary. RSVP HERE
Curse Tablets: Personal Communications with the Dead and the Gods in the Ancient World, June 16-30, Fridays at 2PM EST:This Reading Group will explore the relatively unknown realm of curse tablets in the Ancient World. Through evidence left behind by women, men, and slaves over the span of 1,000 years in history, discussions will explore the motivations and consequences of such writings. No prior knowledge is necessary. (RSVP link broken)
Defying the Gods, and Forgotten Female Rage, June 18-July 30, Sundays at 11:30AM EST:This Reading Group will encourage participants to explore the representation of women in heroic tales through significant ancient texts such the Epic of Gilgamesh and Homer. Discussions will focus on the tragedy and anger of female characters in epics, who primarily appear as accessory to male heroism. No prior knowledge is necessary. RSVP HERE
From Harlots to Heroines: Royal Women in the Hebrew Bible, June 29-July 13, Thursdays at 12PM EST: This Reading Group will focus on three royal women in the biblical texts: Jezebel, Esther, and the female lover in the Song of Songs. Reading and discussions will explore primary sources, and how engendered narratives highlight writer bias and impact modern interpretations. No prior knowledge is necessary. RSVP HERE
Unlocking Beowulf, August 4-18, Fridays at 11AM EST:This Reading Group will explore Beowulf as a reflection of both the Norse and Anglo-Saxon worlds. Participants will gain a cultural and historical understanding of the poem, and explore various issues of identity, politics, gender, and nation-making in the Early Middle Ages. No prior knowledge is necessary. RSVP HERE
the belfast summer school in ancient languages is offering courses in beginning, intermediate, and advanced Latin and Greek, as well as Biblical Hebrew, Classical Arabic, Egyptian Hieroglyphs, and Old English, both in person at Queens University Belfast and online. prices range from GBP 75 to GBP 145 for one-two weeks of classes. information can be found here.
Titulus: Declaratio Linguarum: De Legibus Nostris Communicandis: Official Declaration on Language Use for Scholing Publications
Issued by the Scholing Institute of Multicultural Engineering and Symbolic Ethics To all readers, collaborators, scholars, engineers, friends, allies…Titulus: Declaratio Linguarum: De Legibus Nostris Communicandis: Official Declaration on Language Use for Scholing Publications
Titulus: Declaratio Linguarum: De Legibus Nostris Communicandis: Official Declaration on Language Use for Scholing Publications
Issued by the Scholing Institute of Multicultural Engineering and Symbolic Ethics To all readers, collaborators, scholars, engineers, friends, allies…Titulus: Declaratio Linguarum: De Legibus Nostris Communicandis: Official Declaration on Language Use for Scholing Publications
You know what I think would dramatically help make academic papers more accessible?
A software I could download that would take all the inline citations in a paper and just turn them into foot notes. I swear to god academic papers are so much harder to read when every sentence is interrupted by random names and dates. Obviously these people need to be cited, but in reality I’m not going to actually pay attention to that while I’m reading. It just adds clutter. Give me a foot note, give me a read more button, give me something that wont cause my reading software to stumble robotically through names inevitably causing me to zone out and loose my place.
