Event Summary
Lecture by Dr. Caitlín Barrett (Cornell University)
Throughout the Roman Empire, many people used amulets inscribed with unusual-looking divine images, esoteric signs, and "names of power" or "voces magicae." Many such images and inscriptions also represent Roman adaptations of foreign (especially, though not exclusively, Egyptian) iconography and utterances. Scholars typically categorize such artifacts as "magical" and assume that they were used for personal ritual purposes. However, an analysis of "magical gems" from documented archaeological contexts suggests a relatively broad range of possible functions and values for such artifacts. "Magical gems" may not have constituted a clearly-bounded iconographic or epigraphic category in antiquity, but a functional category, constantly negotiated through practice and user choice.
The Pittsburgh Society of the Archaeological Institute of America and the Department of Classics sponsor two lectures in Mediterranean archaeology per academic year that are free to the public. This semester’s lecturer is Caitlín Barrett, a specialist in Classical archaeology and Egyptology, as well as the archaeology of religion and ritual, and household archaeology.
Location and Address
G13 Cathedral of Learning