Why digitization and outreach? Why now?
It's been quite a week in the world of Classics and Classical Archaeology and I'm gearing up for a pair of public talks on the Lux Project, so I've been thinking quite a bit about the impetus behind the project lately.
Last weekend I, along with my colleagues Conor Whately, Michael MacKinnon, and Peter Miller, attended the annual joint meetings of the Society for Classical Studies and the Archaeological Institute of America in San Diego. This conference in particular was meant to be celebratory, as it is the sesquicentennnial (150th) anniversary of the SCS. For me personally, I had the chance to give out the Women's Classical Caucus' award for professional leadership to my very own PhD supervisor, Ruby Blondell (https://classics.washington.edu/news/2019/01/08/uw-grad-student-and-faculty-member-win-lcc-and-wcc-prizes). We also celebrated the excellent work of a group known as The Sportula, who give microgrants to Classics students, especially those from historically marginalized groups (https://thesportula.wordpress.com/). On Thursday evening, I saw the future of my field and felt proud to see Classics turning to groups it had not previously welcomed.
Unfortunately, the SCS also saw a pair of racist incidents (for more on those, see here: https://medium.com/@danelpadillaperalta/some-thoughts-on-aia-scs-2019-d6a480a1812a and here: https://classicalstudies.org/scs-news/from-scs-leadership). This has caused a great deal of reflection from many Classicists, including me, about the future of our field and how we can make it not just diverse, but welcoming to scholars from historically marginalized groups (much-needed in Classics).
From my perspective, the key to inclusivity is access and this is the primary goal of the Lux Project. As Simone and I are discovering, the Hetherington Collection is an incredible resource for understanding the day-to-day lives of people in Greco-Roman Egypt. It is a tool that needs to be available to scholars, students, AND the general public. On that note, I'd like to consider how even small undertakings like the Lux Project can contribute to the inclusivity of Classics as a whole.
Access to materials: As Simone and I have discussed elsewhere, Winnipeg is not exactly a hotbed of antiquities from the Mediterranean basin. Even though ancient Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern cultures are a key part of the grade school curriculum here, many students may never come into contact with antiquities. Even events like the Olympus exhibition at the Winnipeg Art Gallery can be cost-prohibitive for schools and individuals. Through outreach events such as our visit to Margaret Park School this summer and through the teaching modules we are working on, we can bring these items to students. We are even considering creating replicas with 3-D printers to send to remote communities.
Access to opportunities: For our host of undergraduate volunteers (12 and counting!), Simone and I want the Lux Project to offer opportunities to learn research techniques and professional skils they can use in whatever they choose to do after they graduate. Part of the beauty of being at a school like the University of Winnipeg is that undergraduate students can take part in research that is often restricted to graduate students elsewhere. Our volunteers will be joining us in the lab next month, working with the objects in the collection directly, taking part in photography, building the website, and researching each piece individually. Students are at the heart of what we're doing: we want our own students to take advantage of the excellent resource we have right here on our campus.
Access for scholars elsewhere: Many of the objects in the Hetherington Collection are everyday items, the furniture of day-to-day life in Greco-Roman Egypt. Often these items need to be studied as parts of larger patterns to reveal useful information to scholars. By creating digital images of objects like the lamps from the collection, we can make them accessible to scholars from all over who can use them as part of their comparative work. One contact we've already made involves the study of fingerprints from inside the lamps, left behind as the lampmaker presses the clay into the mold. This allows scholars to trace the work of individual lampmakers, whose names have long ago vanished.
These are only a few of the ways that our little project can make the study of antiquity more accessible within our community and beyond. I am certain that more will reveal themselves to us as we progress. Working with the students involved with the Lux Project shows me the thriving future of our field and I cannot wait to see what we will accomplish together.
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| Not-so-sunny San Diego |
Last weekend I, along with my colleagues Conor Whately, Michael MacKinnon, and Peter Miller, attended the annual joint meetings of the Society for Classical Studies and the Archaeological Institute of America in San Diego. This conference in particular was meant to be celebratory, as it is the sesquicentennnial (150th) anniversary of the SCS. For me personally, I had the chance to give out the Women's Classical Caucus' award for professional leadership to my very own PhD supervisor, Ruby Blondell (https://classics.washington.edu/news/2019/01/08/uw-grad-student-and-faculty-member-win-lcc-and-wcc-prizes). We also celebrated the excellent work of a group known as The Sportula, who give microgrants to Classics students, especially those from historically marginalized groups (https://thesportula.wordpress.com/). On Thursday evening, I saw the future of my field and felt proud to see Classics turning to groups it had not previously welcomed.
Unfortunately, the SCS also saw a pair of racist incidents (for more on those, see here: https://medium.com/@danelpadillaperalta/some-thoughts-on-aia-scs-2019-d6a480a1812a and here: https://classicalstudies.org/scs-news/from-scs-leadership). This has caused a great deal of reflection from many Classicists, including me, about the future of our field and how we can make it not just diverse, but welcoming to scholars from historically marginalized groups (much-needed in Classics).
From my perspective, the key to inclusivity is access and this is the primary goal of the Lux Project. As Simone and I are discovering, the Hetherington Collection is an incredible resource for understanding the day-to-day lives of people in Greco-Roman Egypt. It is a tool that needs to be available to scholars, students, AND the general public. On that note, I'd like to consider how even small undertakings like the Lux Project can contribute to the inclusivity of Classics as a whole.
Access to materials: As Simone and I have discussed elsewhere, Winnipeg is not exactly a hotbed of antiquities from the Mediterranean basin. Even though ancient Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern cultures are a key part of the grade school curriculum here, many students may never come into contact with antiquities. Even events like the Olympus exhibition at the Winnipeg Art Gallery can be cost-prohibitive for schools and individuals. Through outreach events such as our visit to Margaret Park School this summer and through the teaching modules we are working on, we can bring these items to students. We are even considering creating replicas with 3-D printers to send to remote communities.
 |
| Simone showing the collection to a group of volunteers |
Access for scholars elsewhere: Many of the objects in the Hetherington Collection are everyday items, the furniture of day-to-day life in Greco-Roman Egypt. Often these items need to be studied as parts of larger patterns to reveal useful information to scholars. By creating digital images of objects like the lamps from the collection, we can make them accessible to scholars from all over who can use them as part of their comparative work. One contact we've already made involves the study of fingerprints from inside the lamps, left behind as the lampmaker presses the clay into the mold. This allows scholars to trace the work of individual lampmakers, whose names have long ago vanished.
These are only a few of the ways that our little project can make the study of antiquity more accessible within our community and beyond. I am certain that more will reveal themselves to us as we progress. Working with the students involved with the Lux Project shows me the thriving future of our field and I cannot wait to see what we will accomplish together.
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