British Institute for Libyan & Northern African Studies

‘Between Sahara & Sea: Africa in the Roman Empire’ – A Roundtable on David Mattingly's new book.
2024-06-04 17:30 - 19:30 UTC | UCL Institute of Archaeology, Lecture Room G6, 31-34 Gordon Square, London, WC1H 0PY, United Kingdom
This new book by David Mattingly offers a refreshing, ground-breaking study that challenges orthodox views and proposes a new framework for understanding North Africa under the Roman Empire (first century BCE – third century CE). Focusing in particular on local contributions to the making of this region, the book charters a new path towards a bottom-up investigation of North African archaeology through a careful analysis of the material cultures of urban, rural, and military communities.
This roundtable will provide an opportunity to reflect on the themes covered by the book and its broader archaeological and historical implications. It will feature a series of presentations and responses by leading scholars and an open discussion with the audience.
Interventions by: Corisande Fenwick (UCL), David Mattingly (University of Leicester), Eva Mol (University of York), Josephine Quinn (University of Oxford)
The event will be followed by a drinks reception.

Admission is free and all are welcome to attend – please click here to reserve your place(s)
About the Speaker:
David Mattingly is an archaeologist and historian of the Roman world. He is currently Professor of Roman Archaeology at the University of Leicester. Following his BA in History at the University of Manchester, David completed a PhD under the supervision of Professor Barri Jones. He was a British Academy Post-doctoral fellow at the Institute of Archaeology, Oxford (1986-1989), then Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan, before coming to Leicester in December 1991 as a Lecturer. Promoted to Reader (1995) and Professor (1998), Prof Mattingly held a British Academy Research Readership award from 1999-2001, was elected Fellow of the British Academy in 2003 and Member of the Academia Europaea in 2013. He was Director of Research for the College of Arts, Humanities and Law (2009-2012) and held a major research grant from the European Research Council (2011-2017) for the Trans-Sahara Project.

Excavating Archives: New Perspectives on the Roman Military Base at Bu Njem, Libya by Dr Anna Walas
2025-03-20 17:00 - 19:30
Dr Anna Walas discusses the exceptionally well-preserved Roman military base at Bu Njem. Her research fills the gap in the regional picture of its history and challenges traditional inward-looking agendas in studies of Roman frontier sites.
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About the Speaker

Dr Anna Walas is an archaeologist and ancient historian of Roman frontiers with a focus on North African and Britain. She has recently finished the British Institute for the Libyan and North African Studies Postdoctoral Writing Fellowship as she is working on a monograph on the site of Bu Njem, Libya. Anna is also a member of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site Advisory Group and the MENA subgroup. She is the Chair of Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference. She has degrees from the Jagiellonian University, University of Cambridge (MPhil) and a PhD in Archaeology from the University of Leicester.

Greeks and Libyans in Ancient Cyrenaica: Cooperation and Conflict by Dr Kristian Göransson
2025-04-15 17:00 - 19:00
Dr Kristian Göransson presents the history of Greeks living in the colonies in Cyrenaica from the 7th century BC onwards who came into close contact with their Libyan neighbours. These interactions were sometimes but not always peaceful, and this lecture seeks to explore the relationship between the Greeks and the Libyans in the Archaic and Classical periods.
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About the Speaker

Dr Göransson is Senior Lecturer in Classical Archaeology and Ancient History at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. His research interests focuses on the Greeks in Cyrenaica and Sicily but also on ancient pottery, in particular transport amphorae. For several years he was part of the Society for Libyan Studies Euesperides project and wrote his doctoral thesis on the amphorae from the site (Lund University, 2007). He is currently working on a monograph on the ancient Greeks in Cyrenaica. He was previously Director of the Swedish Institute of Classical Studies in Rome (2013–2019) and before then Curator of Greece and Rome at the Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities in Stockholm.

Tripolitania in the Roman Empire and Beyond: Current Work and New Directions
2025-05-13 17:00 - 19:00
To celebrate the recent publication of “Tripolitania in the Roman Empire and Beyond” (published by BILNAS – available as paperback and Open Access eBook), this online roundtable brings together a group of scholars who discuss their contributions to this volume.
Particular attention is focused on new directions and potential future developments of research, highlighting the richness of Tripolitania’s archaeological and cultural heritage.
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Programme
17:00 Welcome – Nichole Sheldrick
17:05 Introduction to Tripolitania in the Roman Empire and Beyond – Niccolò Mugnai
17:10 Thirty years studies: from old theories to new perspectives – Sergio Aiosa.
17:25 Food Supply of the Limes Tripolitanus: State of Research and Future Perspectives – Florian Schimmer
17:40 In further search of the Romans in Jabal Nafusa – Isabella Welsby Sjostrom
17:55 Discussion – Chairs: Niccolò Mugnai and Nichole Sheldrick
