Showcase: The Manchester Museum Research Seminar
26 Mar 2007
'Old things - new ideas: re-thinking classical antiquity in the museum'
Wednesday 28 March, 3-5pm, at The Manchester Museum
Dr Maria Kostoglou, The University of Manchester. The classical world has fascinated scholars and the public for years inspiring not only the writing of lengthy monographs but also art, architecture, culture, including frequently the international fashion industry (Greek sandals and dresses are 'must have' this season) and Hollywood (Alexander the Great, Troy and '300' to mention the latest blockbusters). More recently, it has also been at the centre of major political debates about its role in the development of European identities. However, classical collections are hardly sharing this major public interest or attracting major investments and the same should be noted for classical archaeology as a discipline.
Bearing these controversies in mind, 'Old things - new ideas' addresses the past history, present state and future scope of classical archaeology and its uses in museum collections. By drawing inspiration from a number of examples from Britain and abroad as well as from the speakers' own research and working experience the talk questions our attitudes to classical antiquity, discusses different examples and introduces some novel research ideas that could make our classical collections a better place for accommodating exciting future research and public events.
Free.
The Manchester Museum, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL
Tel: 0161 275 2634