Category Archives: Uncategorized

Department of Classics – University of Toronto

TREVOR VAN DAMME – UCLA

Seeking Abundance in Post-Palatial Greece: Household Economics and Community Resilience

 In this paper I compare post-palatial Mycenaean households at three settlements in central Greece: Eleon, Kynos, and Lefkandi: Xeropolis. All of these households were destroyed in violent conflagrations that resulted in a high degree of preservation. I examine three key metrics (household size, storage capacity, and textile production) in order to demonstrate that a high degree of social inequality persisted throughout the post-palatial period. Furthermore, the households with the greatest food storage capacities show evidence for large scale textile production suggesting the manufacture of value-added goods for trade. This bolsters recent evidence for continuity in long distance trade and presents a much more robust picture of the post-palatial economy of Greece challenging previously held notions of decline and stagnation. I reject the currently held position that core-periphery dynamics dictated the formation of the post-palatial landscape and instead propose a model driven by human agents seeking out new opportunities. This paper concludes that environments abundant in resources, connectivity, and new technologies played a crucial role in the development of early Greece.

Tuesday, February 7, 2017 4:00 pm

Lillian Massey Building, Room LI205

125 Queen’s Park

Be sure to check out the Events page to see what’s coming up (recently updated)!

1. Classics Department Merch Interest Survey

Are you mad that the U of T Bookstore doesn’t sell Classics Dept. merch? Let us know if you want to remedy that! If there’s enough interest, we’ll solve that problem! Click on this link to go to the form. Note that this is not going to ask for payment—we’re simply seeing whether there’s demand.

 2. CAC Greek Sight Translation Contest

If you’re interested in translating for fame and fortune (literal cash prizes), check out the Classical Association of Canada’s sight translation contests. Greek is Thursday (Thu 26 Jan) in LI 205 at 11:00. Click on the link above to see more details!

3. Backpacks to Briefcases (b2B)

Check out these opportunities! Click on the link to see the latest update!

4. Mediaeval Studies Undergraduate Society Conference

Check out our upstairs neighbours’ conference!

5. Congratulations to Professor Alison Keith

Yesterday, the appointment of Professor Alison Keith as Director of the Jackman Humanities Institute, for a five-year term, effective July 1, 2017, was announced. Professor Keith serves as the Classics Department’s Acting Chair for this year. Congratulations, Professor Keith!

From the B2b Co-ordinator:

Dear students,

The Faculty of Arts & Science invites you for more Backpack to Briefcase (b2B) events for the Winter term! Take part in b2B career skills workshops and connect with alumni at speed networking events, mentorship dinners, industry networking receptions, and the U of T Next Steps Conference.

Here are a few b2B events you can register for now: 

b2B Speed Networking – Social Sciences
Tuesday, January 24^th (6-8pm)
Alumni from various Social Sciences departments will discuss their U of T education, the value of their degree, and their pursuit of successful careers. Over a series of 10-minute conversations with each group of alumni, you can broaden your connections and increase your exposure to career options. Complimentary food and refreshments will be served!

b2B Industry Night: Careers in Government, Social Justice, Not-for-Profit

b2B Industry Night: Careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)
Wednesday, February 15^th (6-8pm)

Thinking about a career in government, social justice, not-for-profit, or STEM fields? Mix and mingle with alumni at this networking reception at Hart House. Make connections and speak with multiple alumni who graduated from the Faculty of Arts & Science and have gone on to pursue a career in government, social justice, not-for-profit, or STEM. Complimentary food and refreshments will be served!

Register for these b2B networking events at http://alumni.artsci.utoronto.ca/b2b-registration-winter-2017/.

NOTE: Full participation in the b2B program can be included on your Co-Curricular Record (CCR). This involves: attendance at one b2B Career Centre workshop, one student-alumni b2B networking event, and completion of a related b2B reflection activity. Your CCR is an official U of T document that lists approved activities/experiences that you’ve participated in outside the classroom.

We look forward to seeing you at upcoming b2B events – feel free to get in touch if you have questions about the program!

Sincerely,

Carlo Siochi & Lara Roccatani

Alumni Relations Officers
Faculty of Arts and Science, Office of Advancement

University of Toronto
Rm 111, The Stewart Building

149 College Street | Toronto, ON | M5T 1P5 | Canada
e: backpack@artsci.utoronto.ca

p.s. Staying Connected through b2B
Learn how to stay connected to the alumni you’ve met at b2B events and through the b2B LinkedIn group. Hear how to grow your network and prepare/practice for informational interviews. Expand your understanding of where your degree could take you in the future. Register at http://alumni.artsci.utoronto.ca/b2b-staying-connected/

Wednesday, January 18^th (2 – 4pm)

Friday, January 20^th (10am – 12pm)

As 2016 comes to a close, some of you may be looking for summer plans…we’ve just received this opportunity from a former CLASSU executive who participated on this dig last summer.

The site is a Roman villa in the middle of Portugal. We were working on the bathing complex and there are a lot of existing mosaics still intact, which is pretty neat. Also a lot of coins. And you get to fly drones on surveys!

If you want more information, we’ve got a poster here, and you can get in touch with us and we can put you in contact with the person who did it last year!

Hey everyone,

Just a quick new announcement from Professor Keith about an exciting volunteer activity (featuring potentially free books and definitely free conference attendance):

Professor Keith is looking for another volunteer for the 2017 SCS conference in Toronto–this time for the University of California Press, which needs people to staff the booth during the conference–free badge and apparently free books too! The hours are long: Thu 5 Jan 2:00-6:30; Fri 6 and  Sat 7 Jan 9:30 am – 5:30 pm; and Sun 8 Jan 8 am – 12 noon.

In return, you’ll get three hours off each day for lunch and visiting panels. There has been mention that you might also get some books. If you have the time, it would be extremely appreciated. Please contact akeith@chass.utoronto.ca for more details!

The CAC Senior Latin Sight Translation Competition has been scheduled for Thu. 19 Jan. 2017, 12:00 pm in NF 006 (90 minutes; no dictionaries)

The CAC Senior Greek Sight Translation Competition has been scheduled for Thu. 26 Jan. 2017, 11:00 am in LI 205 (90 minutes; no dictionaries)

Prizes and certificates of merit are offered for the best translations, at sight, of a set passage in Latin and for the best translations, at sight of a set passage in Greek:

1st Prize: $150.00
2nd Prize: $100.00
3rd Prize: $50.00

Greetings! Salvete! Χαίρετε!

We hope that your Study Break has proven to be full of fun and procrastination! If you are running out of ways to procrastinate this week or this month, check out some of these upcoming CLASSU Events! For the sake of brevity, we’ve put the bare minimum for each—click on the links for more information!

Plebeian: Call for Assistant Editors and for Papers!

Get involved! Editor or Author or both? Submit your submissions by Nov 17^th and Jan 20^th respectively.

Aliens, Romans, and Bears, Oh My! Then Meet ‘n’ Greet Classics Grad Students!

Come hear two cool talks and then talk with the grad students! Friday 18 Nov. from 1-3 and 3-5 respectively. Food and copious amounts of candy will be provided.

CLASSU Pub Night

Come and join us to get #volutum #στρέφθεν #turnt. The Regal Beagle, 7:00 p.m. on Friday 25 November. We’re buying the drinks and nachos. It’s going to be #accensum #ἡμμένον #lit.

Society for Classical Studies Conference

A good volunteering/networking opportunity. Will show you what academics do outside the classroom.  Deadline: Fri. 11 Nov.!

Signing off/valete/χαίρετε!

Willem and/et/και Sam
On behalf of the CLASSU Senate

The Call for Papers is now available! We are looking for papers to be presented at our conference in March 2017, which will be published in Volume III of Plebeian. We strongly encourage you to consider submitting papers that received A-range grades in 300- and 400-level courses and independent studies, although any and all papers we receive will be considered. The deadline for submissions is Friday 20 January 2017 at 4:00 p.m. In addition to the details in the Call for Papers, the Plebeian Style Guide will be made available here in the coming weeks. For more information, please feel free to contact the Editor-in-Chief, Willem Crispin-Frei, at classu.plebeian@gmail.com.

Applications for Associate Editors remain open until 17 November. For more info, see the Plebeian page.

Are you interested in putting your editorial skills to the test? Do you want to split hairs over comma splices? Do you want to make sure Plebeian never goes out of style (as prescribed in the Plebeian Style Guide)? We are hiring six associate editors. Click on the link in the title to see the official call for associate editors and check out Plebeian online for the application form and more info. Applications are due in on Thursday 17 November 2016 by 4:00 p.m.

Click here for the official Plebeian Call for Associate Editors 2017.

Shared from Professor Akrigg:

Experience the World! (Click for the Study Abroad Postcard)

Interested in learning about international opportunities? Join us at our annual Student Exchange Fair. We will be showcasing 150 exchange destinations in 40 countries and will be joined by partner representatives from — University College London, University of Liverpool, Maynooth University, University of Sydney, University of Copenhagen and Campus France.

Meet with our returning exchange students as well as current inbound exchange students who will share their insights on their global adventures.

CIE Student Exchange Fair (St. George campus)
Tuesday, November 1, 2016, 11am to 3pm
Cumberland House, 33 St. George Street

UTM Student Study Abroad Fair
Wednesday, November 2, 2016, 11am to 3pm
Davis Building, Meeting Space

UTSC Study Abroad Fair
Thursday, November 3, 2016, 11am to 3pm
UTSC Meeting Place

If you are interested in Summer Abroad (not Study Abroad) from a student’s perspective, feel free to contact Willem Crispin-Frei, CLASSU President.