Ancient Religious Dedications in the Western Mediterranean Basin

Project Information

ARD-West

Grant agreement ID: 654731

DOI

10.3030/654731

Project closed

EC signature date 2 March 2015

Start date 1 September 2015

End date 31 August 2017

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 160 800,00

EU contribution

€ 160 800,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITE LIBRE DE BRUXELLES
Belgium

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ARD-West (Ancient Religious Dedications in the Western Mediterranean Basin)

Reporting period: 2015-09-01 to 2017-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Ancient religious dedications written in prae-Roman languages constitute a relatively very well known epigraphic genre. They have been analysed by specialists in every epigraphical culture (Oscan, Etruscan, Iberian, Celtiberian, Punic, Venetic, etc.), who have deepen into the gods, the formulae and the dedicants written on this kind of inscriptions. Nonetheless, religious dedications have different features in every region and also pose certain problems in each one that cannot be assessed through an inner research; but from a comparative approach, searching solutions outside the cultural area.

This is what ARD-West offers: a comparative research on prae-Roman religious dedications of the Western Mediterranean cultures that permits us to broaden the horizons when studying an epigraphic genre.

This issue has been adressed basically in two ways:

a) through a database of religious dedications in Italic languages (Oscan, Umbrian), Gaulish and Palaeohispanic languages (Celtiberian, Lusitanian, Iberian), that is the foundation for a monography, where all the elements of the inscription (material and textual) are described.

b) through networking with specialists in every epigraphic culture of the West.
- in a conference (may 2017, Rome).
- thanks to the COST network AELAW (http://aelaw.unizar.es).

This previous study, the sharing of knowledge with other colleagues and the final monography will show not only up-to-date contents of an interesting corpus of inscriptions; but also will promote a new team spirit among European researchers.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

"The theoretical approach to the problem of the definition of a religious dedication has been deeply reflected. We have arrived to a definition that is potentially appliable to every religious dedication in prae-Roman epigraphic cultures of the Wet.

So far, the database of inscriptions has been substantially completed (Gaulish and Italic inscriptions). This work involves not only a ""catalogue"" of inscriptions, but also:
- Autopsies (and pictures) of a good number of inscriptions of Italy.
- Pictures of a good numer of inscriptions of Gaul, thanks to the generosity of museums.
- Review of readings.

All this new amount of information has given place to new findings and collaborations with museums, papers, conference participations and a conference organisation."

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

ARD-West has pushed the state-of-the-art not only regarding contents but also in methodology. So far, only two conference proceedings have dealed with the definition of religious dedications in Antiquity (1990, 2009); but no one has taken into account how fruitful a comparative approach among the local epigraphies could be.

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