CONFERENCE: Practical Knowledge and Medical Practice in Ancient Mediterranean Cultures (Berlin, Nov. 2-4, 2015)
Practical Knowledge and Medical Practice in Ancient Mediterranean Cultures
Nov 02 - Nov 03, 2015
International conference
organised by the project A03 "The Transfer of Medical Episteme in the
'Encyclopaedic' Compilations of Late Antiquity" (Heads: Prof. Dr. Philip
van der Eijk, Prof. Dr. Markham J. Geller)
To focus this meeting on the theme of
Medical Practice will serve as a reminder that – whatever elaborate theories
ancient experts might have held ‒ this was not all that mattered in the
day-to-day needs of their profession. Given the paucity of written evidence and
archaeological remains, we tend to know more about the intellectual
underpinnings of ancient medicine than about actual medical procedures. Since
theory and practice were of equal importance in the constitution and
transmission of medical knowledge, it is worthwhile to try and tease out
whatever information is available about the reality of medical treatments.
The conference presentations will address the different healing practices
(diagnosis, bloodletting, surgery and other forms of treatment, including incantations)
and the ways in which this practical medical knowledge was gained and
transferred via experts, institutions and procedures. The multi-perspective and
comparative approach to Mesopotamian, Greek, Byzantine, Jewish-Talmudic,
Chinese, Persian and Syriac medical traditions will help to sharpen the
understanding of practical medicine in the Mediterranean across different
periods and in varying socio-cultural contexts.
Admission
is free. For organisational reasons participants are kindly requested to
register – please contact: lennart.lehmhaus@fu-berlin.de
The conference is organised by Christine F. Salazar (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), Lennart Lehmhaus (Freie Universität Berlin), Franziska Desch (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin/TOPOI-BerGSAS).
The conference is organised by Christine F. Salazar (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), Lennart Lehmhaus (Freie Universität Berlin), Franziska Desch (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin/TOPOI-BerGSAS).
Programme
Monday, 2 November 2015
Venue: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Klassische Philologie, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin-Mitte, Marmorsaal, Room 2249a
9.30
a.m.
Registration
Registration
Session
I: 10 a.m.–12 o'clock
Conference Opening / Welcome by Philip van
der Eijk
Karl-Heinz
Leven (Erlangen):
“…auch die Ärzte konnten zunächst nicht helfen” – Pest-Therapien in der Antike und in byzantinischer Zeit
12.30
Lunch break
“…auch die Ärzte konnten zunächst nicht helfen” – Pest-Therapien in der Antike und in byzantinischer Zeit
12.30
Lunch break
Session
II: 2.15–4.50 p.m.
Matteo
Martelli (Berlin):
Recipes and therapies ascribed to the prophet Esdras in the Byzantine and Syriac tradition
Recipes and therapies ascribed to the prophet Esdras in the Byzantine and Syriac tradition
Short
break
Dan
Levene (Southampton):
Interdigitation of heterodox and orthodox in the living medical tradition of Ethiopia – stimulating thoughts about earlier Near Eastern magico-medical traditions
Interdigitation of heterodox and orthodox in the living medical tradition of Ethiopia – stimulating thoughts about earlier Near Eastern magico-medical traditions
4.50
p.m.
Afternoon tea at Foyer Marmorsaal
Afternoon tea at Foyer Marmorsaal
Session
III: 6–7.30 p.m. – Keynote Lecture
Venue: Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Jägerstraße 22–23, Einstein-Saal (via the main entrance of the Akademie/Gendarmenmarkt), 5th floor
Welcome address and Introductory words
Ralph
Jackson (British Museum, London):
Medical Instruments in Late Antiquity: Continuity and Change
Medical Instruments in Late Antiquity: Continuity and Change
Tuesday, 3 November 2015
Venue: Freie Universität Berlin, TOPOI-Haus, Hittorfstraße 18, 14195 Berlin-Dahlem, Vortragssaal
9.30
a.m.
Morning coffee at TOPOI-Wintergarten
Morning coffee at TOPOI-Wintergarten
Session
I: 10–10.45 a.m.
Strahil
V. Panayotov (Berlin):
What do we know about Mesopotamian surgery – and what would we like to know?
What do we know about Mesopotamian surgery – and what would we like to know?
Short break
Session
II: 11.15 a.m.–12.15 p.m. – Keynote lecture
Nils P.
Heeßel (Würzburg):
The domiciliary visit of the Babylonian healer – what do we actually know about the practical side of Babylonian diagnostics?
The domiciliary visit of the Babylonian healer – what do we actually know about the practical side of Babylonian diagnostics?
Lunch at
TOPOI-House
Session
III: 1.45–3.15 p.m.
Shulamit
Ch. Shinnar (New York):
Rabbinic Techniques for Examining Parturient Tissue: Considering the Place of Graeco-Roman Medical Traditions within the Rabbinic Textual Corpus
Rabbinic Techniques for Examining Parturient Tissue: Considering the Place of Graeco-Roman Medical Traditions within the Rabbinic Textual Corpus
Stefanie
M. Rudolf (Berlin):
The Syriac Medicine man – medical science according to Bar Bahlul
The Syriac Medicine man – medical science according to Bar Bahlul
Coffee
break
Session
IV: 3.45–4.45 p.m.
Ronit
Yoeli-Tlalim (London):
On the practice of bloodletting in the Hebrew medical work Sefer Asaf
On the practice of bloodletting in the Hebrew medical work Sefer Asaf
Lennart
Lehmhaus (Berlin):
“Red for Red” – bloodletting between medicine and lifestyle in Talmudic sources
“Red for Red” – bloodletting between medicine and lifestyle in Talmudic sources
4.45
p.m.
Concluding remarks by Markham J. Geller
Concluding remarks by Markham J. Geller
High Tea
– Refreshments
Session
V: 6.15–7.45 p.m. – Keynote lecture
Paul U.
Unschuld (Charité Berlin):
What Is (Chinese) Medicine?
What Is (Chinese) Medicine?
Wednesday, 4 November 2015
Venue: Freie Universität Berlin, TOPOI-Haus, Hittorfstraße 18, 14195 Berlin-Dahlem, Kaminzimmer
9.30
a.m.
Coffee at TOPOI-House
Coffee at TOPOI-House
10
a.m.–2.30 p.m.
Workshop “Practical Medicine in Jewish Scriptures and Adjacent Cultures”
Workshop “Practical Medicine in Jewish Scriptures and Adjacent Cultures”
Moderation: Franziska Desch
(Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)
Participants include Shulamit Shinnnar
(Columbia University, New York), Lucia Raggetti (Arabistik, FU Berlin), Lennart
Lehmhaus (SFB 980, FU Berlin).
The conference is funded by the Collaborative Research Center 980 “Episteme in Motion” and supported by the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation and the “Zentrum Alte Welt” of the Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften.
Contact Info:
Lennart Lehmhaus
Freie Universität Berlin
SFB 980 - "Episteme in Bewegung"
Schwendenerstraße 8, 14195 Berlin
Projekt A03 "Talmudic Medicine"
Prof. Markham J. Geller
c/o Hittorfstraße 18
14195 Berlin
Tel +49 (0)30 838.57687
Fax +49 (0)30 838.53770
Contact Email:
URL: