CALL FOR PAPERS
The International Association for Research on Pottery of the Hellenistic Period (IARPotHP)
announces its
7th CONFERENCE
HELLENISTIC POTTERY IN CONTEXT:
A WORLD OF DYNAMIC INTERACTIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE AND POTTERY
BRUSSELS, 6th-9th of OCTOBER 2025
The geographical expansion, increased mobility, and cosmopolitan spirit evident in the Hellenistic period created for the first time a truly globalized world. In this world people from “old Greece”, the newly-conquered areas, as well as the western Mediterranean, became receivers of exogenous, overarching cultural trends against the backdrop of their own local cultural backgrounds. This made for a particularly complex and ever-evolving cultural reality/identities, which archaeology strives to unlock and understand. Pottery, arguably the most abundant find in any excavation, can offer invaluable insights and facilitate such an effort, if treated accordingly. Provided that ceramic vessels are – more often than not – culturally charged, playing an integral role in a plethora of social and religious events, their rigorous examination and a clarification of the way they were employed can shed light on these events. In this regard, we believe that focusing on the “contexts” of pottery (production and geographical contexts and contexts of use) can be a very constructive way forward. We invite papers on Hellenistic pottery, which concentrate on the above notions in an effort to reconstruct the dynamic cultural reality of Hellenistic societies at both a regional and inter regional level.
Topics of the conference
1. Production contexts
Pottery production has received a lot of interest in recent years. Although there have been publications on this subject relating to the Hellenistic period, there is still much ground to be covered. This rich area of research can offer insights into production installations, the locations and conditions of manufacture, spatial and professional organization of pottery workshops, the place of manufacture in urban and rural landscapes and economy, as well as in the way this aspect of production was embedded in other economic and social networks. We therefore invite participants to propose papers which focus on any of the above themes, as well as on other issues relating to pottery production, such as the tools used, the chaîne opératoire, special pottery products, the combination of different product categories (e.g. vases and lamps), supply and demand, as well as the impact of clientele on various aspects of manufacture.
2. Contexts of use
Pottery was made to be used, and even reused. It is the many facets of this topic that we propose to explore in this section. The functions of pottery in relation to their contexts of use, the different sets found in residential, funerary, production or sacred contexts, all fit into this topic, as well as how different shapes were utilized in isolation or in varying combinations. The distribution and positioning of pottery in specific spaces can help define the function of these areas. This aspect of the study of pottery can shed light on social organization, daily or extraordinary practices which involve vases, as well as local economies or religious practices. The composition of assemblages can also provide information on the behavior of producers and consumers and the production of certain ceramics for specific contexts of use. The issues of repair and reuse of pottery, and the conditions in which this happened, are also of interest.
3. Regional interactions and identities
Scholars have long argued for the capacity of virtually any ancient settlement/city to be a pottery production center, albeit with varying qualitative and quantitative traits. At the same time, pottery has been among one of the most frequently traded commodities throughout the Hellenistic world. Under this theme, we invite questions about the impact of location on the two other themes of production and consumption of pottery. This can range from the micro level (a specific location in the city/settlement) to the regional. Papers in this section aim to define local ceramic identities, local practices, local shapes and their contexts of use, specific combinations of local and imported pottery and how this could vary depending on location, period, and the identity of the users. Particularly welcome is the comprehensive examination of locally-produced pottery and imports, especially when informed by quantitative evaluations and scientific analysis, as they are expected to clarify the ceramic character of a site or a (micro-) region, highlight the presence and extent of commercial networks, and evaluate the ever-present entanglement of the “global” with the “local”.
4. Ceramic and scientific intersections in a digital era
The application of scientific analysis to various types of ancient material evidence, Hellenistic pottery included, as well as the use of a multitude of digital tools, represent a growing phenomenon in recent times. Connected with different aspects of the above topics, such as the provenance of vases and the clarification of commercial networks, archaeological science continues to prove its value, while digital tools, like databases, photogrammetry, and 3D scanning offer new possibilities for the study, documentation, and presentation of pottery. Via this topic we want to motivate participants to communicate case studies that showcase the way, in which these research tools can be useful for the study of any of the three topics detailed above and for the overall progression of the study of Hellenistic pottery.
Finally, we strongly encourage participants to propose panels, which could investigate a topic of their preference in a more detailed and thorough manner. Depending on the total number of presenters, participants in a panel may not be able to present a paper in any of the other sessions too.
If you wish to present a short paper or a poster, or organize a panel at the conference, please send a completed registration form and a short abstract (max. 500 words) in English, French, German or Italian by May 31st, 2025, to:
The languages of the conference are – as in previous meetings – English, French, German, and Italian.
NOTE: English is the only accepted language for abstracts, as well as for the captions in Power Points.
Further information on the conference and a registration form are available on our homepage:
Early bird registration fee: The conference fee for non-IARPotHP members is 60€ due May 31st, 2025. For later payments, the conference fee will be raised to 80€. It should be noted that the conference fee is waived only for IARPotHP members, who have paid their Association fees (including the calendar year 2025) by May 31st, 2025.
Account owner: ULB UNIVERSITE LIBRE DE BRUXELLES
Bank: Belfius Banque SA
IBAN: BE62 0689 3186 3061
BIC: GKCCBEBB
Purpose of bank transfer: 4R00D000296 + name of participant + IARPotHP 7
The 7th IARPotHP conference is organized by the CReA-Patrimoine (the Research Centre in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage of the Université libre de Bruxelles, ULB) and the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels.
The Organizing Committee:
- Dr. Alexandros Laftsidis (CReA-Patrimoine, Université libre de Bruxelles)
- Dr. Natacha Massar (Royal Museums of Art and History)
- Prof. Athena Tsingarida (CReA-Patrimoine, Université libre de Bruxelles)
The Scientific Committee:
- Dr. Vasilica Lungu (Institute for South East European Studies, Romanian Academy, Chair of IARPotHP)
- Dr. Guy Ackermann (University of Geneva, Board of IARPotHP)
- Dr. Zoi Kotitsa (Independent Researcher, Board of IARPotHP)
- Dr. Alexandros Laftsidis (CReA-Patrimoine, Université libre de Bruxelles, Board of IARPotHP)
- Dr. Edyta Marzec (PCMA University of Warsaw, NCSR Demokritos, Fitch Laboratory BSA, Board of IARPotHP)
- Dr. Natacha Massar (Royal Museums of Art and History, Board of IARPotHP)
- Kamila Niziolek (Jagiellonian University, Board of IARPotHP)