Postgraduate conference on alcohol in the ancient world

THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA:

CAS Graduate Student Conference: Call for Papers

Alcohol in the Ancient World

Conference Date: February 24th and February 25th, 2017
Conference Location: Penn Museum, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Host: Center for Ancient Studies, University of Pennsylvania
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Patrick McGovern, Penn Museum
Abstracts Due: December 1, 2016

The Center for Ancient Studies (CAS) calls for papers from graduate students in any discipline who are engaged in the study of alcohol in the pre-modern world. Beer, wine, and other fermented beverages have played an important role in the social, political, economic, and religious lives of humans for thousands of years. The embedded nature of alcohol in human societies makes it a productive locus for research on a wide range of topics. Possible subjects include the role of alcohol in:

• Production technologies and techniques
• Consumption practices and contexts
• Visual and literary culture
• Law
• Medicine
• The construction and negotiation of identity and gender
• Trade and political economy
• Ritual

Research on the prohibition of alcohol in pre-modern societies is also encouraged. This can be approached from a number of angles. Who is prohibited and why? When and where do these prohibitions apply? What do they entail? How are they enforced and how are they circumvented?

Follow the link for information on submitting a paper proposal.