The EX-PATRIA team visited our University Ancient Studies Library (BS A). Guided by the Librarian Christophe Hugot we got a chance to see some sections of the EX-PATRIA Book Fund. In partnership with the BSA, the EX-PATRIA Project acquired several hundred works on a chrono-geographic area that is still underdeveloped within the University collections: studies and sources relating to the Global Late Antiquity of West Asia (for example on Sassanid Iran, on Syriac world, on the Caucasus, on the silk roads, the steppes, etc.) Anna & Bardaisan of Edessa. Anna: What a morning! The last time I experienced such an excitement was in the manuscript section in the British Library! The collection of books is so well assembled that examining it felt like entering a treasury. All the books that I wanted to read or even was not aware of but definitely need to consult are there. Amazing! Scrolling through the book titles fills you with an incredible enthusiasm for your research. Daniel & the TAVO: Tübingen Atlas of the Near & Middle East Daniel: There are so many possible directions for research represented within this extremely extensive collection that I wonder where I'm going to start! I can't wait to sink my teeth into them (metaphorically) once they are all catalogued and on our shelves. Thanks also to the building's cat for greeting us on the way out. I didn't know we had one of those!
We celebrate 2024 with the two postdoctoral researchers of the EX-PATRIA Project: Anna Usacheva and Daniel Alford . Daniel just arrived from Oxford to work on the mobility of families in Armenia and Northern Mesopotamia. Anna is working on across the border 'Antiochean expansion'.
Great news! Our project for Setting up European or International Scientific Networks (MRSEI) was supported by the ANR Funding agency. More activities are coming in 2024!