We invite abstracts for papers in German and English for a conference on ‘Animals in Ancient Warfare in the Eastern Mediterranean’ at the University of Graz, 16-17 December 2021. The conference will be held (depending on the Covid-19 situation) either in presence, online or in a hybrid form. War is a particularly human activity. Yet we have dragged many nonhuman animal species into our conflicts. Horses, donkeys, camels, elephants and dogs are some of the animals that have fought and died alongside humans, while donkeys, mules and cattle carried provisions, and other animals were eaten or sacrificed (e.g. for divination) during military campaigns. In the aftermath of battle, vultures and other animals pecked at the fallen on the battlefield. Even further behind the scenes, animal bodies were exploited in the production of, for example, elements of armour, weapons and chariots, and the hunting and killing of animals may have functioned as a kind of practice for war.

We encourage papers from any area and period of the ancient Eastern Mediterranean (including Greece, Cyprus, Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Egypt). If you are interested in participating please send an application with the title of your paper and a brief summary by 1 July to the following email-address: elisabeth.bischof@uni-graz.at
Best regards,
Klaus Tausend
Laerke Recht