Project description
New doctoral training programme on Roman inscriptions
What was the role of poetry in everyday culture in Roman times? This is a question that historians, philologists and archaeologists will examine. The EU-funded CARMEN project will train 11 early-stage researchers (ESRs) in the multidisciplinary study of Latin verse inscriptions called 'carmina epigraphica' – texts inscribed on gravestones and other monuments, which document social relations, language development and aesthetics in ancient Rome and its provinces. Within the framework of this four-year project, the ESRs will edit texts, analyse sociolinguistic, aesthetic and gender issues and discuss regional events in textual and material culture. The research will increase the awareness of cultural diversity and encourage the appreciation of popular art. What is more, the project will enable the ESRs to engage in academic research of the highest level.
Objective
CARMEN: Communal Art – Reconceptualising Metrical Epigraphy Network will train 11 ESRs to face societal challenges in the fields of intercultural understanding, popular culture, and protection of cultural heritage. Studying poetry in the epigraphic Roman tradition will help to regain an eminent body of European folk art tradition. This fascinating publicly exposed poetry (carmina) combines verbal art forms and material manifestations of cultural expressions for a period of 1000 years. We will edit texts, analyse socialinguistic, aesthetic, and gender topics, and discuss regional phenomena in textual and material culture.
Our innovative reconceptualization of this heritage will be an important step to democratise contemporary perceptions of art and to unlock the potential for understanding the heterogeneity of social and cultural performance. Obtaining specialist knowledge on the intriguing CARMEN topic will increase the awareness of cultural diversity and appreciation of popular art. We will take part in the creation of a new community of self-conscious participants in culture-production. Our multidisciplinary and intersectoral program will enable the ESRs to engage in academic research of highest level, as well as in issues of cultural heritage, knowledge transfer and contemporary non-elite culture all over Europe: A perfect match to the overall concept of the ETN-objective of enhancing mobility and employability.
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Coordinator
55122 Mainz
Germany