Prof. Dr. Thomas Schattner
February 2023 - March 2023
Research Project: The Built Urban World in Isidore of Seville‘s "Etymologiae"
Isidore of Seville‘s (c. 560-636) "Etymologiae" are the densest, known, written source of information on the ancient world between the 2nd and 9th centuries. The proposed study is concerned with the question of the extent to which this encyclopaedic work can contribute to our understanding of the process of the transformation of the urban world in Late Antiquity. For this purpose, books 15 (Architecture and Urban Planning), 18 (Buildings for the Entertainment of the Public) as well as 19 and 20 (Wall Construction, Building Decoration, etc.) are first and foremost to be taken in consideration. The focus lies primarily on the question of the realia, that is, the question of the share of the material world. On the one hand, this is Isidore's world of the 6th and 7th centuries, but it is also the older stock of Antiquaria still present in this world. Above all, however, it is also the question of Isidore's very own share in the monumental work and thus the question of the value of the work as his own creation; for the elaboration of contemporary aspects and contemporary references it illuminates Isidore's own share, explains his view, supplements the ancient sources and thus results in a more complete and comprehensive view of the author and the work of the "Etymologiae". Realia should initially be all those objects that can appear in an archaeological context. The study will probably lead to a discussion of the concept of the city in Antiquity/Late Antiquity, which is difficult because Antiquity itself struggled to find a more precise definition.
Profile
Prof. Dr. Thomas G. Schattner (ret.) is Full Professor of Classical Archaeology at Giessen University and was Scientific Director of the Madrid Department of the German Archaeological Institute (1996-2021). He obtained his PhD at Mainz University (1986/87) after completing his studies in Coimbra and Bonn and has been honoured with Grants and Awards in Memberships in Scientic Societies, such as Gran Institución Duque de Alba/Ávila, Academia Andaluza de la Historia/Sevilla, Real Academia de Bellas Artes y Ciencias Históricas/Toledo, Academia Portuguesa da História/Lisboa, Real Academia de Santa Isabel de Hungría/Sevilla, Real Academia de la Historia/Madrid, German Archaeological Institute/Berlin, Research Doctoral Fellowship, Gerda Henkel-Stiftung/Düsseldorf, Promotional Fellowship of the Senatorial Commission of the Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität/Mainz, Exchange Fellowship of Universidade de Coimbra/Portugal..
CV
Selected Publications
Schattner, Thomas G. (2021), "Das Forum", in: Thomas G. Schattner, ed., MULVA VIII (Madrider Beiträge 41), Wiesbaden: Reichert Verlag, 279-484.
Schattner, Thomas G. (2020), "Comunicación y comportamiento. Sobre la relación entre el paisaje urbano de las ciudades romanas y la comunidad cívica ilustrado através de algunos ejemplos hispanos", in: Javier Andreu Pintado (ed.), Parva oppida. Imagen, patrones e ideología del despegue monumental de las ciudades en la Tarraconense hispana (siglos I a. C.-I d. C.), Tudela: Fundación Uncastillo 105–132.
Schattner, Thomas G. (2018), Munigua. Un recorrido por la arqueología del municipium flavium muniguense, Sevilla: Universidad de Sevilla.
Schattner, Thomas G. / Valdés Fernández, Fernando, eds., (2017a), Wasserversorgung in Toledo und Wissensvermittlung von der Antike ins Mittelalter ‒ El suministro del Agua en Toledo y el saber hidráulico durante la Antigüedad y la Edad Media. Akten der Tagung in Toledo vom 24. bis 25. September 2009, Actas del coloquio de Toledo del 24 al 25 de septiembre de 2009, Tübingen: Wasmuth Verlag.
Schattner, Thomas G. (2017b), "Den Vögeln zum Fraß. Ein Motiv der nordhispanischen, keltischen, etruskischen und griechischen Vasenmalerei und Reliefkunst", Madrider Mitteilungen 58, 152‒213.
Schattner, Thomas G. (2017c), "Projet d’étude des cultes et des sanctuaires de l’ouest de la péninsule ibérique à l’époque romaine, réflexions sur les nouvelles fondations“, in: Sabine Agusta-Boularot / Sabine Huber / William van Andringa (eds.), Quand naissent les dieux. Fondation des sanctuaires antiques : motivations, agents, lieux. Kolloquium Rom 18.‒20. Juni 2015 (Collection de l’École française de Rome 534), Rom/Athen: École Française, 351‒381.
Schattner, Thomas G. (2007), Didyma III,4. Die Fundkeramik vom 8. bis 4. Jh. v. Chr., Mainz: Ph. von Zabern.
Schattner, Thomas G. (2003), Munigua. Cuarenta Años de Investigaciones (Arqueología Monografías 18), Sevilla: Junta de Andalucía.
Schattner, Thomas G. (1990), Griechische Hausmodelle. Untersuchungen zur frühgriechischen Architektur (Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Athenische Abteilung. Beiheft 15), Berlin: Dr. Mann Verlag.
