Cities, Territories and Identities, 1st International Conference “Roman and Late Antique Thrace” (RaLATh), Plovdiv, Bulgaria, October 7–10, 2016

Located in an ever contested area of Southeastern Europe, Thrace has posed numerous challenges to scholarship for well over a century. Until recently, material found within the national borders of the modern-day states that cover ancient Thrace was rarely examined together with that found “beyond”, due to political or other restrictions. In view of the advancing research in the last decades, this fascinating region at the crossroads of empires deservedly attracts more and more scientific attention.

The National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, in partnership with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Rhodope and Istanbul University, will host an international conference specially dedicated to Roman and Late Antique Thrace (RaLATh). The event will be appropriately held in the very heart of the region – Plovdiv, the descendant of ancient Philippopolis.

The conference theme focuses on the cities of Thrace, their territories and the expressions of local identity in Roman and Late Antique times. We aim to bring together archaeologists, historians, numismatists, epigraphists, art historians, and scholars from any related fields, for an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the region. Contributors are invited to discuss all aspects of urban life in Roman and Late Antique Thrace. Relevant areas of research include, but are not limited to: settlement patterns, civic space planning, architecture, city economy, religion, festivals. Selected Proceedings of the conference will be published before the next edition of the event in autumn 2017.

Papers should be presented in English, German or French.