All Events

How did political shifts in southern Babylonia during the third millennium BCE impact land and social status? For most of this period, independent city-states coexisted, sometimes clashing with each other or with Kish in the north. Eventually, the region unified under the Sargonic dynasty and then the Third Dynasty of Ur. Despite these changes, the land-tenure system stayed stable due to environmental needs, particularly large-scale irrigation. Most arable land was controlled by rulers, governors, and temples, with individual land rights depending on one’s freedom and social status. Society had three main groups: free citizens, who owned land and were conscripted part-time; serflike individuals, who were free but conscripted full-time and rarely had land; and enslaved people, who were unfree and did not possess land. This presentation will explore the continuity and shifts in land ownership and liberty across the Early Dynastic, Sargonic, and Ur III periods.

This workshop is organised in honour of two medieval historians – Alheydis Plassmann and Björn Weiler – who spent their careers championing comparative approaches to the political culture of high medieval Europe (c. 1000-1300). Compared to earlier centuries, historians tend to remain in their own national academic ‘sub-tribes’ for this part of the Middle Ages, a consequence of the sheer variety and amount of evidence that scholars have access to from the turn of the millennium, but also of a legacy of national historical narratives, inherited from the nineteenth century, concerned with the development of the nation state. The workshop will aim to honour the legacy of these two historians by bringing together established and early-career scholars to consider how we can further our understanding of the relationship between power and dependency in medieval politics beyond a national framework.

How did late Romans experience disasters and military conflicts? Many scholars argue that these events contributed to the Empire's decline. However, this presentation offers a different perspective, focusing on how disasters affected individuals and their relationships. How did disasters impact social networks and force people into new dependencies? The talk will explore these questions and suggest that outcomes for survivors were often influenced by emerging structures of dependency, such as the ransom market.

Strong Asymmetrical Dependencies: Perspectives from Asia, Past & Present This event addresses the underrepresentation of Asia in labor and slavery studies by focusing on the histories, legacies, and current forms of dependency, slavery, bondage, coerced labor, and forced displacement in Asia. We invite scholars and researchers from all disciplines to submit innovative case studies and contributions on emic perspectives, historiography, memory, archival practices, and digital approaches. The conference will feature paper presentations, thematic sessions, and roundtables, including discussions on the future of the field and digital methodologies. Abstract Submission Deadline: October 31, 2024 Selected Contributions Announced: December 15, 2024 Draft Papers Due: 1 month before the event Funding: Hotel accommodations in Bonn are covered; travel funding prioritizes those without access to travel funds.