Funerary Landscapes of the Late Antique Oecumene: Contextualizing Epigraphic and Archeological Evidence of Mortuary Practices, University of Heidelberg, May 30–June 1, 2019
Funerary practices and epitaphs are a central research field of Classical Studies. Especially in times of social, political and religious change, evidence from the tombs and their surroundings is a key factor in our understanding of continuity and transformation processes on multiple cultural levels. Late Antiquity was doubtlessly one of such transitional phases. However, research on burial practices and tomb inscriptions of this period is still very uneven. Although hundreds of necropoleis, coemeterial churches and individual tombs are known across the Late Antique World, a holistic documentation including epigraphic, iconographic, spatial and social analysis, as well as anthropological examination and natural scientific data, is mostly lacking.
Through this conference we would like to undertake a start to fill some lacunae on Late Antique funerary research. First, we will try to link as many disciplines as possible in order to draw a more complete picture of sepulchral habits of Late Antiquity as it hitherto has been done. Secondly, we intend to give – for the first time – a Mediterranean-wide overview on Late Antique funerary landscapes, not only examining global trends, but also local and regional habits. Thirdly, we want to illustrate the potential of new contextual approaches; questions on the materiality and design of epitaphs and tombs, their visibility, perception and accessibility will be central guidelines of our conference.