17-19/10/2022 – International Conference: “Clay Figurines in Context: miniatures as crucibles of Nile Valley societies in the Second Millennium BC (Egypt and Nubia)”

We are pleased to announce the programme of the international conference “Clay Figurines in Context: miniatures as crucibles of Nile Valley societies in the Second Millennium BC (Egypt and Nubia)”, organised within the frame of the project PROCESS – “Pharaonic Rescission: Objects as Crucibles of ancient Egyptian Societies” (PI: Prof. Gianluca Miniaci, University of Pisa). 

Figurines representing humans, animals and other animate and inanimate subjects have been produced in large numbers in ancient Egypt since Prehistoric times. Nonetheless, the category of figurines made in clay (fired and unfired) has not received enough attention from scholars, while figurines in other types of materials have been privileged (wood, metal, faience, ivory, etc). Especially for the II millennium BC, typological studies and research on the ‘context’ are limited. The conference aims to bring attention to the contextualization (according to type and deposit) of clay figurines in the Bronze Age in Egypt, with a comparative and diachronic perspective (including Predynastic and New Kingdom material).

The event will be held at the University of Pisa (Aula Magna Storica, Via Curtatone e Montanara 15, Pisa) on October 17, 18 and 19 and will take place in hybrid mode.

To attend the conference, both in-person and virtually, please register at: clayfigurinespisa@gmail.com

For other enquiries, please write to process.miniaci@gmail.com.

Organizing committee: G. Miniaci, M. Betrò, V. Forte, W. Grajetzki, D. Raue, A. Tooley, C. Alù, C. Saler, S. Thuault

Organisation assistants: L. Lombardi; Z. Bartolommei; L. Fioretti; E. Iemane; C. Libardoni; L. Youssef