Conferences
1 September 2016 Start
2 September 2016 End
UK Institute of Classical Studies, Woburn Suite, G22/26, Ground Floor, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU

Website

Law and Writing Habits in the Ancient World

September 1-2, 2016

The conference aims to compare and contrast the use of writing in the dissemination of legal texts and related documents in ancient East Asian cultures (Japan, China, and Korea) and in the Greco-Roman world. What is envisaged is that the papers on Japanese, Korean, and Chinese practices will be complimented by papers exploring similarities and differences that we may identify in Greco-Roman cultures.

The registration is free, but participants are kindly asked to contact by 21th August. For further information and registration, please contact Asako Kurihara at [email protected].

Programme

Chairs Akira Momiyama and Takao Fujita

Day 1: The 1st of September

9.15am Coffee/tea during registration

9.45am Opening Remarks

Tsuneko Sumiya, Nara University

10.00am-12.00am Session 1: The Display of Laws by Private Religious Associations

  1. Research into a Northern Qi pillar honouring a local Buddhist Benevolent Society.

Eiji Sagawa,University of Tokyo

2. Revisiting Greek Sacred Laws and Foundations

M. Carbon, University of Copenhagen

(read as a joint paper with Edward Harris, Durham University)

3. A Comment from Chinese History

Akira Momiyama

12 noon Sandwich lunch, juice, water, and tea/coffee

13.30pm-15.30pm Session 2: Transmission of the Laws and the Edge of Empire

1. Kwanggaet’o Stone Inscription Writings

Lee Sungsi, WasedaUniversity

2. TBA

Charles Crowther, Oxford University

3. A Comment from Japanese History

Hiroki Ichi, Osaka University

3.30 pm Tea/coffee and biscuits

4pm-6pm Session 3: Material Diversities in the Displays of Laws

1. A Genealogy of Communicating with the Masses of Japan

Akihiro Watanabe, Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties

2. Writing, Democracy, and Law in Ancient Greece

Michel Gagarin, University of Texas

3. A Comment from Greek History

Lene Rubinstein, Royall Holloway of London

Day 2: the 2nd of September

9am-11am: The Significance of the Written Laws as Objects

1. The Model of Proclamation by Inscription

Takao Fujita, Kansai University

2. The Effect of Written Law as Object

Asako Kurihara, Osaka University

3.  A Comment from Greek History

Adele Scafuro, Brown University

11am Coffee/tea and biscuits

11.15am-1.15pm Session 5: Magical Effects of the Writing

1. Memorial Roof Tiles in Ancient Japan—for whom were they inscribed?

Ryo Takeuchi, Nara Univeristy

2. Metaphors that Maim in Ancient Greek Binding Spells

Esther Eidinow, University of Nottingham

3. A Comment

Tsuneko Sumiya, Nara University

1.15pm Sandwich lunch, juice, water, and tea/coffee

2pm-3pm General Discussions and Closing Remarks