RTG 1876

Core Faculty

Prof. Dr. Jochen Althoff
(spokesperson)
(Classical Philology)

Prof. Dr. Alexander Pruß
(vice spokesperson)
(Near Eastern Archaeology)

Apl. Prof. Dr. Annemarie Ambühl
(Classical Philology)

Prof. Dr. Heide Frielinghaus
(Classical Archaeology)

Prof. Dr. Sabine Gaudzinski-Windheuser
(Pleistocene Archaeology)

Prof. Dr. Marion Gindhart
(Classical Philology)

Prof. Dr. Claudia Lauer
(Medieval German Studies)

Prof. Dr. Johannes Pahlitzsch
(Byzantine Studies)

Prof. Dr. Tanja Pommerening
(Spokeswoman 2013 to October 2020)
(Egyptology)

Prof. Dr. Doris Prechel
(Ancient Near Eastern Studies)

 

Former Memberrs of the Core Faculity

Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dietrich Fischer [JGU Mainz; Medical History] (until March 2018 member of the core faculty; since April 2018 cooperation partner)

Prof. Dr. Sabine Obermaier [JGU Mainz; Medieval German Studies] (until September 2017 member of the core faculty; since October 2017 cooperation partner)

Prof. Dr. Ursula Verhoeven-van Elsbergen [Egyptology] (until September 2019 member of the core faculty; since October 2019 cooperation partner)

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Research Programme

In their theses, doctoral students studied one or more specific concepts of humans and nature, within one culture as well as comparing various cultures, based on sources that may be written, iconographic, or archaeological, within an area that comprises the ancient Near East, the Mediterranean, and Europe, during any period from 100.000 years B.C.E. to the Middle Ages.

The focus was on the types, representation, and evolution of these concepts (mechanisms of transmission, creation, application, etc.), and moreover on their natural, local, temporal, generic, linguistic, iconographic, sociocultural or individual forms, and on temporal or regional continuities and discontinuities.

Early ideas about humans and nature often show a surprising similarity on the surface between one culture and another. This makes it imperative to distinguish between concepts that are universal and those that are specific and individual, before claiming that interchanging has taken place. The wide range of disciplines that were part of our RTG provided opportunities for focusing research projects in such a way that they at the same time advanced knowledge in one specific discipline and also provided answers within the wider framework of the universal or individual character of such concepts. We had students from different disciplines work on identical or similar topics in order to facilitate ground-breaking studies for such a comparison.

Four partly overlapping research domains:

A) Concepts of original state and primordial elements, the origin and the end of the world

B) Concepts of natural phenomena, the forces of nature, and natural catastrophes

C) Concepts of flora, fauna, and natural environment

D) The conceptualization of the human body, of disease, healing and death

 

Further information (in German)

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Study Programme and Activities

A variety of different forms of learning enabled our doctoral students to acquire the necessary skills for independent research, communication, collaboration and scholarly debate, and for forming networks with other scholars and beyond their own particular discipline.

Our RTG was organised in a manner to facilitate connecting with other scholars in the field at home and abroad. They participated as speakers, participants, and organizers, in two annual conferences that have a long tradition at the University of Mainz and that directly concern the topics studied in our RTG, i.e. Marburg Dialogues on Ancient Healing Arts, and Antike Naturwissenschaft und ihre Rezeption (AKAN), which were an integral part of our teaching, as other workshops run by the RTG, and international conferences.

During the three years of the doctoral programme, our students were introduced to a wide range of methods in the humanities and in science, both in theory and in practice. Greater than usual opportunities for public scholarly debate, for presenting and defending an argument and their own work enabled them to acquire the confidence necessary to hold their own in an international context of increasing complexity and competitiveness.

Further information (in German)

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Contact

 

 

Spokesperson

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Jochen Althoff

Institut für Altertumswissenschaften / Gräzistik
Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Jakob-Welder-Weg 18 (Philosophicum)
55128 Mainz

Phone: 0049 6131 39-22116
Fax: 0049 6131 39-24797

E-Mail

Vice Spokesperson

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Alexander Pruß

Institut für Altertumswissenschaften / Vorderasiatische Archäologie
Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz
Hegelstr. 59
55122 Mainz

Phone: 0049 6131 –39 38326

E-Mail

 

Coordination

Dr. Sabrina Niederelz

Graduiertenkolleg 1876 "Frühe Konzepte von
Mensch und Natur"
Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Hegelstr. 59
55122 Mainz - Germany

Phone: 0049 6131 39-27228

Working times: Mon, Thurs, Fri (in even weeks)

E-Mail

 

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Members

The RTG's core faculty comprised 10 professors of Egyptology, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Near Eastern Archaeology, Classical Philology, Classical Archaeology, Middle High German, Byzantine Studies, and Medical History.

During the period of the RTG (10 years) a total of 35 doctoral students and 3 post-docs were funded by the German Research Foundation as "wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter". At any one time, there were twelve funded positions. In addition, other doctoral students with external funding were part of the group. They had the same rights and responsibilities as those paid by DFG and took part in the same programme of study, the only difference being the source of funding.

A considerable number of associated faculty and institutes provided additional support for our graduate programme. You can find a list of all cooperating institutes and partners here.

During the second funding period, the RTG invited scholars from outside each term for two days. Furthermore, a total of two Mercator-Fellows were integrated for an extended stay in Mainz to work with our graduates students.

Administrative support for all members of the RTG was provided by an extra member of staff in charge of coordinating our work.

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