Pasts Imperfect (2.22.24)
Black Classicism, the Politics of Archaeology, Psychedelic Romans, and More
This week, ancient historian Javal Coleman discusses Black Classicism, a new project at UT-Austin, and the fate of DEI in Texas. Then, Josephine Quinn explores how global encounters influenced what we call “The West” in her new book, the fight to protect Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni, Roman era hallucinogenic substances found in the Netherlands, the ancient history of smooching, new ancient world journals, and much more.
Black Classicism in Texas and DEI by Javal Coleman
As Black History Month begins to come to a close, I could not help but reflect on the history of Black Classicism, in particular, the history of Black Classicism in Texas. A few individuals at the University of Texas classics department, including myself, examined the history of Classicism in Texas. We put together an exhibition in Austin to showcase this history.
The exhibition allows for viewers in person and online to get to know Black Classicists and the life they led. It includes information about individuals such as Hightower Theodore Keating, who was born in Austin, Texas in 1859. He was among the first generations of African Americans to attend public schools that were specifically designated for African Americans.
One of my favorite individuals to learn about was David Abner Jr. Abner and his family, who moved to Marshall, Texas in 1870. He attended Wiley College and eventually enrolled at Straight University in New Orleans, where he studied classics. In 1877, he attended Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee where he continued his study of western antiquity. While at Fisk, one of his Greek compositions was put on display at the museum. After graduation, Abner moved back to Marshall, where he attended Bishop College and became the first African American to graduate from a Texas school of higher education. He then became the first Black professor at Bishop College in 1884. This rich history is a reason to celebrate not just being Black for individuals such as myself, but also to celebrate the accomplished Black people of this field.
William J. Simmons and Henry McNeal Turner, "CLXIII. Professor David Abner, Jr.". Men of Mark: Eminent, Progressive and Rising. Cleveland, OH: George M. Rewell & Company. OCLC 06293247
Working on this project was deeply personal for me. The work done by Pramit Chaudhuri, Ayelet Haimson Luskov, Adriana Cásarez, Will Wasta Werner, Elena Naverre, Winona Youngblood-Sultze, and Colin MacCormack on this project continues to inspire me. I cannot help but feel connected to the history of Black classicists in Texas because I myself am a part of this continuing history.
But with all of this joy and celebration comes a moment of bittersweetness. Texas legislators have outlawed any sort of DEI initiatives undertaken by public universities. Likewise, any offices that were purely dedicated to DEI had to rebrand themselves and modify their agendas.
In a previous blog post, I discussed the difficulty of being the only Black person in my department. And in an interview for Black Classicists in Texas, I discussed my experience with my own identity in the classics classroom. While I know that my offer of admission at the University of Texas is not a result of affirmative action or some move to Black the classics at UT, I can’t help but wonder if people will consider not admitting African American students or others from diverse backgrounds out of fear.
While the history of Black classicism in Texas is deeply rich and valuable, it is hard to imagine how the classics in Texas will be for minority individuals. Will it be possible for departments to promote and discuss these and other important Black histories in order to promote change and equity? It seems that the case for Texas is negative. But we should not give up, and we should not yield. I am unsure if I am the first Black PhD student at the University of Texas Classics, but I hope that I will not be the last.
Lastly, I would like to dedicate this post to Folake Onayemi, who unfortunately passed away on February 14th of this year. She was a professor of Classics at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria and was the first woman to be awarded a PhD in Classics in Nigeria. She earned her PhD in 2001 from the University of Ibadan with her dissertation entitled Fear of Women’s Beauty in Classical and African/Yoruba literature. Her work on the reception of the Classics in Nigeria will continue to inspire.
Folake Onayemi as interviewed by Oghenovo Egodo-Michael in 2022. She was a scholar of Greco-Roman mythology and Yoruba literature. Her Wikipedia entry is a rich deep dive into her career, as created by the WCC Wikiproject. You can also listen to a podcast on The Iliad she contributed to here.
Public Scholarship and a Global Antiquity
Over at the BBC’s Radio 4, they speak to ancient historian Josephine Quinn about global influences on the construction of Western Civilization and her new book, How The World Made The West – A 4,000 Year History. In it, she challenges the traditional narrative that places Greece and Rome at the center, demonstrating how so-called “western values” were “developed by long-standing links between a much larger group of cultures, from the Gobi Desert to the Atlantic Ocean and beyond.” On the podcast, archaeologist Carolina Rangel de Lima then discusses the diversity of Roman army recruits and its impact on the makeup and culture of the Roman army, as underscored in the new British Museum exhibition, Legion: Life in the Roman Army.
The Learning Network at the New York Times had a delightfully salient Word of the Day for Valentine’s Day: antiquity! PI readers, find your nearest high school junior studying for the SAT and impress them by using it in a sentence. (Sorry, I actually have no idea how to impress 16-year-olds.)
The editors at the Las Vegas Sun make a compelling case for Arizona legislators to protect Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni — the Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument — from local mining initiatives. Sacred to more than a dozen tribal nations, the 1,500 acres of land was recently designated as a national monument by President Biden.
Biological anthropologists have begun to trace genetic evidence of Down syndrome from Iron Age Spain. Historically, Down syndrome has been difficult to identify based on physical characteristics of bone fragments. But with the help of “shotgun sequencing,” a cheaper and more straightforward method of genetic identification than full-scale DNA sequencing, scientists can now screen thousands of bones for different genetic conditions.
At the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, there is a new display highlighting the work of pioneering Black classicist William Sanders Scarborough. As they note, “William Sanders Scarborough was born enslaved in Macon, Georgia, in 1852. Following the American Civil War and emancipation, Scarborough—interested in the ancient world and classical languages—attended Atlanta University then Oberlin College. He became a professor of classics at Ohio’s Wilberforce University in 1877, earning wide recognition upon publication of the textbook First Lessons in Greek four years later.”
Archaeological writer and social media manager Georgia Xekalaki discusses “The Politics of Archaeology: Palestine as a Capsule Case Study” in an important post on Medium. In it, the politics of reporting archaeological finds is discussed as pertains to the IAA and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
It is not a secret that archaeology in Israel goes hand-in-hand with state aspirations for expansion. Also, especially this time, there is war, and at war, as in love, “all’ s fair”. In that framework, propaganda is expected. The striking point is the reach of this propaganda out of the conflict zone and across the world.
Who doesn’t love a good story about scientists blowing stuff up? Jan Maurycy Uszko and his team at the University of Bristol have been experimenting with a substance called “fulminating gold,” which early modern alchemists used to plate stuff in gold. Why does it make purple smoke? Why explode gold at all?? My unenlightened take: because it’s fun.
If you want to start experimenting with hallucinogenic drugs and don’t know where to begin, some ancient Romans in the Netherlands might recommend black henbane. Archaeologists have found a hollowed-out goat femur filled with around a thousand little seeds in a water pit along with a cow skeleton, dog skull, a brooch, and ceramics (what a haul!). Users beware, though: black henbane, according to Pliny the Elder, can cause some nasty side effects.
Finally, charmingly, Franz Lidz reports on the history of smooching in ancient Sumeria. Just imagine your great-great-great-times-5,000 grandparents puckering up. Gross!
New Antiquity Journal Issues (by @YaleClassicsLib / yaleclassicslib.bsky.social)
Ancient Near East Studies Vol. 60 (2023)
Classical World Vol. 117, No. 2 (2024) NB Philip A. Harland “Revisiting Wise “Barbarians” in the Hellenistic Era”
Antiquity Vol. 98, No. 397 (2024) Special Section on the Geospatial Platform for Andean Culture, History and Archaeology (GeoPACHA)
Near Eastern Archaeology Vol. 87, No. 1 (2024) Stamp Seals from the Southern Levant, Part 2
Vivarium Vol 62, No.1 (2024)
Cambridge Archaeological Journal Vol. 34, No. 1 (2024) NB Matthew C. Greer “Humanist Missteps, A Black Studies Critique of Posthumanist Archaeologies” with commentaries
Analecta Bollandiana Vol. 141, No 2 (2023)
Chronique d'Egypte Vol 98, Nos. 195-196 (2023)
Journal of Ancient Near Eastern Religions Vol. 23, No.2 (2023) NB Amgad Joseph “Divine and Human Hatred in Ancient Egypt”
Journal of Buddhist Philosophy Vol. 5 (2019) (Revived)
Classical Journal Vol. 119, No. 3 (2024)
Byzantion Vol. 93 (2023) NB Caroline Macé “ The 'Hymn to What is Beyond Everything' Attributed to Dionysius the Areopagite and Gregory of Nazianzus”
Archiv für Papyrusforschung und verwandte Gebiete Vol. 69, No. 2 (2023)
Apeiron Vol. 57, No. 1 (2023)
Interfaces: A Journal of Medieval European Literatures No. 10 (2023) #openaccess Narrating Time in the Twelfth Century
Medieval Ecocriticisms Vol. 3 (2024) #openaccess
Journal of Greco-Roman Christianity and Judaism Vol. 19 (2023) #openaccess
Le Muséon Vol. 136, No. 3-4 (2023)
Pallas No. 120 (2022) #openaccess L'image et sa sémantique. Regards sur les stratégies figuratives dans l'Antiquité
Yearbook of Ancient Greek Epic Online Vol. 7 (2023)
Studies in Late Antiquity Vol. 8, No.1 (2024) Bishops, Barbarians & Responses to Crisis
Ancient Philosophy Vol. 44, No. 1 (2024)
Events, Exhibitions, and Online Lectures
On Feb 24, 2024 11:30 AM CT is the William Leo Hansberry Africa Roundtable: “On the occasion of his 130th birthday, Hansberry Society panelists will discuss the groundbreaking vision and work of William Leo Hansberry in laying the foundation for the study of Africa and its diasporas, the factors that led to the disciplinary fracturing of his vision, and the importance of Hansberry's approach to current areas of research.” Register here
