Friday, October 2, 2026

Open Access Journal: Epic Threads: A Journal of Reimagined Antiquity

Logo of a goose holding the comedy and tragedy mask with text above reading "epic threads" 

What if the past could speak — not just in fragments and footnotes, but in poetry, monologue, memory, and myth?  At Epic Threads, we weave together fact and fiction to breathe new life into the ancient world.

This is not your typical Classics journal. We are a student-run and professor-sponsored creative publication at the University of Waterloo, dedicated to rethinking what it means to write about Greece, Rome, and the ancient Near East. Our contributors draw from history, archaeology, philosophy, and epic tradition — but they tell their stories through drama, lyricism, imagination, voice, and art.

Here, emperors fall, soldiers dream, women rise, and gods doubt.

We believe that creative writing is not a departure from scholarly engagement — it’s a powerful extension of it. Each piece in Epic Threads is rooted in historical inquiry, but dares to go further: to ask what might have been, who was silenced, and how the ancient world still echoes through our own.

Whether you're a Classicist, a poet, a dreamer, or a historian with a pen — this journal is for you.

Epic Threads Volume 2
Vol. 2 (2026)

The Second Issue of Epic Threads realizes the journal's full vision, as a place for the production and critique of creative engagement with the classical and medieval world. This issue includes short stories, poems and artwork as well as a new review section.

Published: 15.09.2026

Front Matter

Creative Pieces

Short Stories

Poems

Artwork

The Odyssey Contest

Reviews


 

Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025): Epic Threads

Published: 05.10.2025

Front Matter

Creative Pieces

View All Issues

 See AWOL's full List of Open Access Journals in Ancient Studies 

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Egyptian Artists in the Late Antique and Early Islamic Mediterranean: Selected papers by Mab van Lohuizen-Mulder

Edited by Sean V. Leatherbury

This book presents six articles published in the 1980s and 1990s by the Dutch scholar Mab van Lohuizen-Mulder, an early proponent of the contribution of artists from Egypt to Late Antique and Early Islamic (Umayyad) building projects around the Mediterranean.

These articles examine the role of travelling Egyptian artists—mosaicists, painters, stone carvers, and stucco workers—in the decoration of now-famous buildings and objects, from San Vitale and the Orthodox Baptistery in Ravenna, to the Umayyad ‘desert castle’ of Qusayr ‘Amra and the Great Mosque in Damascus, to the Early Christian throne now in San Marco in Venice.

Van Lohuizen-Mulder’s original articles are used as a springboard to reconsider how we examine the varied contributions of local and international artists to some of the most expensive and significant churches, mosques, and palaces of the period. In addition to an introduction that contextualises van Lohuizen-Mulder’s work, each chapter features new high-quality images and a ‘recent work’ section in which the editor summarises the state of scholarship on the subject.

This book is a key resource for students and researchers interested in arts of Late Antique and Early Islamic Egypt, as well as those engaged more generally with travel, mobility, and exchange in the ancient and medieval Mediterranean.

Paperback ISBN: 9789464264579 | Hardback ISBN: 9789464264586 | Imprint: Sidestone Press | Format: 182x257mm | 290 pp. | Language: English | 75 illus. (bw) | 60 illus. (fc) | Keywords: late antique art and architecture; Byzantine art; Coptic art; Umayyad art; Islamic art; Egypt; traveling artists; architectural decoration | download cover | DOI: 10.59641/o9r5l6m7n8 | CC-license: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
 

List of Abbreviations

Preface (Wali van Lohuizen)

Biography of Mab van Lohuizen-Mulder (Wali van Lohuizen)

Author’s Acknowledgments (Mab van Lohuizen-Mulder)

Editor’s Acknowledgements (Sean V. Leatherbury)

Chapter 1: Introduction: From Egypt to the Wider Mediterranean: Tracing Late Antique Egyptian Artists and Motifs with Mab van Lohuizen-Mulder (Sean V. Leatherbury)

Chapter 2: The Mosaics in the Great Mosque at Damascus: A Vision of Beauty (Mab van Lohuizen-Mulder)
The Great Mosque at Damascus: Recent Work (Sean V. Leatherbury)

Chapter 3: Frescoes in the Umayyad Residence and Bathhouse at Qusayr ‘Amra: Paintings Made by Christian Artists from Egypt (Mab van Lohuizen-Mulder)
Qusayr ‘Amra: Recent Work (Sean V. Leatherbury)

Chapter 4: Early Christian Lotus-panel Capitals and Other So-called Impost Capitals (Mab van Lohuizen-Mulder)
Lotus-panel Capitals: Recent Work (Sean V. Leatherbury)

Chapter 5: Two-zone Capitals (Mab van Lohuizen-Mulder)

Chapter 6: Stuccoes in Ravenna, Poreč, and Cividale of Egyptian Manufacture (Mab van Lohuizen-Mulder)
Stuccowork in Ravenna: Recent Work (Sean V. Leatherbury)

Chapter 7: The Cathedra of St Mark in Venice (Mab van Lohuizen-Mulder)
The Throne of St. Mark: Recent Work (Sean V. Leatherbury)

Afterward: Alexandria versus Byzantium (Mab van Lohuizen-Mulder)


 

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Die Architektur des Pergamonaltares: Aufbau und Rekonstruktion

Volker Kästner

Für die Rekonstruktion der Architektur des Pergamonaltars wurden in dieser Publikation über 1170 Bauglieder in Zeichnung, Fotografie und Beschreibung aufgenommen. Dazu gehören hauptsächlich die zahlreichen im Museum Bergama und am Grabungsort verbliebenen Bauglieder, soweit sie identifiziert werden konnten, sowie alle heute in Berlin befindlichen Fragmente, die aus der vertraglich mit dem osmanischen Staat geregelten Fundteilung für die alte Museumsgrabung (1878–1886) stammen. Damit wird die von Manfred Klinkott im Band III 3 mit der Darstellung des Fundamentes und metrologischen Studien begonnene Bearbeitung des Pergamonaltars hier fortgesetzt und abgeschlossen. Ermöglicht wurden die vorliegende Dokumentation und die damit verbundenen Studien zur Architektur dieses einzigartigen Monumentes aus der hellenistischen Epoche Kleinasiens durch eine nach 1990 begonnene Kooperation der Antikensammlung der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin mit der Pergamon-Grabung des DAI. Für die Publikation wurde das Material des gesamten Bauwerkes vom Stufenbau bis zum Dach systematisch neu gegliedert. Hierbei erwies sich die Erfassung des antiken Versatzmarkensystems für die Rekonstruktion der baulichen Strukturen als besonders wichtig. So konnten die Vorstellungen vom Aufbau des Altars an vielen Stellen präzisiert werden. Zwei Marmorarten prägten einst das Erscheinungsbild des Bauwerkes: ein weißer, grau gebänderter Marmor von der Insel Prokonnesos (heute Marmara) und ein dunkler, blaugrauer Marmor von der Insel Lesbos. Aus ihnen kann die Wand des Hofes rekonstruiert werden, wodurch sich auch der Telephosfries fest in die architektonische Struktur einbinden lässt. Ausgehend vom Fundspektrum werden schließlich Vorschläge für die differenzierte Gestaltung der Westhalle und des Innenhofes mit dem Opferaltar erarbeitet. Bestätigt hat sich auch die These, dass das Bauwerk in der Antike nicht vollendet wurde. 

Altertümer von Pergamon

 

Published

August 31, 2026

Series

Altertümer von Pergamon

Bibliographic Information and Reviews

iDAI.bibliography/Zenon

Copyright & License

Copyright (c) 2026 Deutsches Archäologisches Institut

 

 
 
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Entwurf einer Sozialtopografie Dahschurs: Transformationen einer altägyptischen Kulturlandschaft

Lea Rees
SDAIK_15_Cover
The study illuminates the social topography of the archaeological site of Dahshur, which forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Memphis Necropolis. Addressing the central research question of whether Dahshur’s cultural landscape can be interpreted as a visual metaphor for prevailing social hierarchies, it constructs a social profile of the documented workplaces, settlements, and burial grounds. This approach (re)populates the site by reconnecting it with the individuals who once worked and lived there, thereby shaping the ancient cultural landscape. The first volume introduces the research objectives, methodology, and theoretical framework underpinning the study. Moreover, it provides an overview of the site’s research history alongside a detailed analysis of the temporal, functional, and social transformations of the cultural landscape from the Early Dynastic Period through to the Graeco-Roman Era. Key topics include the pyramid construction sites, the typology of settlements, and the demography of Dahshur. The second volume systematically presents the extensive dataset of the archaeological survey conducted between 1997 and 2000 by the German Archaeological Institute Cairo, which forms the foundation of this study. A chronologically structured pottery typology and a finds catalogue offer insights into the survey’s material assemblage, while a comprehensive gazetteer offers a detailed insight into the dating and function of over 120 recorded sites. This study also provides the first comprehensive map series of Dahshur, locating all previously documented sites and visualising the development of the cultural landscape of Dahshur.

Sonderschriften des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts Kairo 

September 7, 2026

Series

Sonderschriften des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts Kairo

Online ISSN

3052-783X

Print ISSN

1868-9450

Bibliographic Information and Reviews

iDAI.bibliography/Zenon

Copyright & License

Copyright (c) 2026 Deutsches Archäologisches Institut

 

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Thursday, October 1, 2026

Open Access Journal: Dionysus Ex Machina: Rivista annuale online di studi sul teatro antico

 [First posted in AWOL 16 August 2017, updated 1 October 2026]

Dionysus Ex Machina: Rivista annuale online di studi sul teatro antico
ISSN: 2038-5137 

Dionysus Ex Machina, rivista on line di studi sul teatro antico pubblicata con cadenza annuale, si articola in sei sezioni (Testi, Dopo l'antichità, Scene, Monumenti, Cinema, Laboratori. Scuola e Università) e in uno spazio ulteriore (Notizie) costantemente aggiornato, che ospita annunci, recensioni e agili schede di spettacoli teatrali, libri, convegni, festival attinenti alla drammaturgia e, più in generale, alla cultura classica. Sono disponibili liberamente tutti gli articoli, i contenuti multimediali, lo spazio Notizie e i link, previa registrazione gratuita. 

I volumi della Biblioteca di DEM possono essere acquistati interamente o per singoli articoli tramite Casalini Libri. 
DeM numero 17 – Anno 2026

 Indice
Direttori: Angela Maria Andrisano, Giusto Picone
Redattori: Alice Bonandini, Alessandro Iannucci, Marco De Marinis, Virginia Mastellari, Renata Raccanelli, Luigi Spina

Dionysus ex Machina resta annuale ma, a partire dal n.XIV (2023), assume la forma “aperta”.
Ciò significa che, anche dopo la pubblicazione online, saranno accolti i contributi pervenuti entro l’anno solare e approvati dalla redazione e dai referees

Ricordo di Mario Palumbo

Contributi

La sezione accoglie contributi che affrontano con diversità di metodologie questioni inerenti l'esegesi dei testi teatrali (anche frammentari) greci e latini. Ne discende una molteplicità di chiavi di lettura, diversamente orientate in senso filologico-linguistico, drammaturgico, antropologico, storico-letterario.




 DeM numero 16 – Anno 2025


Indice
Direttori: Angela Maria Andrisano, Giusto Picone
Redattori: Alice Bonandini, Alessandro Iannucci, Marco De Marinis, Virginia Mastellari, Renata Raccanelli, Luigi Spina

Dionysus ex Machina resta annuale ma, a partire dal n.XIV (2023), assume la forma “aperta”.
Ciò significa che, anche dopo la pubblicazione online, saranno accolti i contributi pervenuti entro l’anno solare e approvati dalla redazione e dai referees

Contributi

La sezione accoglie contributi che affrontano con diversità di metodologie questioni inerenti l'esegesi dei testi teatrali (anche frammentari) greci e latini. Ne discende una molteplicità di chiavi di lettura, diversamente orientate in senso filologico-linguistico, drammaturgico, antropologico, storico-letterario.



Tragic duality and gender identity: the sister pairs in Sophoclean tragedy
Adelaide Fongoni

Bacide, Glanide e il pesce siluro. Su un possibile pun in Ar. Eq. 1003-1004
 Barbara Giubilo


Il comico sulla scena. A proposito di una nuova traduzione delle Nuvole di Aristofane
Francesco Puccio


Esopo e la favola nella commedia non aristofanea
Alessandro Maggio


Il marionettista Potino e il pubblico di Atene in Ath. I 19e
Nicola Comentale


Dioniso pacificatore, Dioniso castigatore
Cornelia Isler-Kerényi


Rileggendo (e ricordando) Diego Lanza
Fabio Roscalla


Bisogna correggere anche i Maestri, qualche volta (Arist. Poet. 1456b 8-18)
Luigi Spina


Recitare le Troiane, riscrivere le Troiane. Dialogo con Angela Demattè
Alice Bonandini


Dalla biblioteca al teatro (passando per YouTube). Quasi un diario di scena
Emanuele Stolfi






 


 

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Open Access Journal: AI & Antiquity: Journal of Teaching and Technology in Ancient Studies

 [First posted 25 September 2025, updated 1 October 2026]
 
ISSN: 3081-4553 
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Founded in 2025, AI & Antiquity: Journal of Teaching and Technology in Ancient Studies (ISSN 3081-4553) was established on the conviction that Ancient Studies—encompassing history, archaeology, philology, and art history—urgently require a dedicated forum for critical reflection on pedagogy, teaching practices, and the transformative role of digital technologies in education. In a scholarly environment where research often takes precedence, this journal places teaching at the centre of attention: as a fundamental, creative, and intellectual dimension of professional practice in the study of the ancient world.

The journal’s mission is to foster dialogue among researchers, educators, and technologists committed to inclusive, active, and innovative pedagogies for engaging with the past. AI & Antiquity gives particular attention to perspectives historically overlooked in scholarship—especially those of women and other underrepresented groups—alongside the experiences of neurodivergent students and educators. As an online publication, it provides a dynamic platform for exchanging ideas and practices across disciplines and geographies. While artificial intelligence occupies a central place in this conversation, the journal also embraces a wide spectrum of digital tools—from immersive environments and data visualisation to collaborative platforms and gamified learning strategies—with the aim of reshaping how Antiquity is taught and learned in the 21st century.

AI & Antiquity is published under the umbrella of the Center for Innovation in Ancient Worlds (CIAW), a non-profit academic framework designed to sustain the journal and to foster new initiatives at the intersection of Ancient Studies, pedagogy, and digital innovation. Through CIAW, the journal benefits from a stable institutional base while remaining an independent academic initiative. It also counts on the support of the Area of Ancient History, Department of Sciences of Antiquity and the Middle Ages, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

Drawing on the expertise of a distinguished editorial team and an international advisory board, AI & Antiquity ensures academic excellence, fosters interdisciplinary innovation, and seeks global relevance in every contribution it publishes.

  Volume 1, Issue 1 (2025)
September 24, 2025
  Volume 2, Issue 1 (2026)
February 27, 2026
  Volume 2, Issue 2 (2026)
September 22, 2026

Volume 2, Issue 2 (2026) of AI & Antiquity, devoted to “Neurodiversity and Antiquity,” explores how Ancient Studies can move from a model centred primarily on individual accommodation towards more inclusive forms of educational design. Its contributions examine the intellectual strengths associated with neurodivergence, the experiences of neurodivergent educators, the reduction of barriers in tutorials and online learning environments, and alternative ways of structuring assessment without lowering academic standards. A central argument running through the issue is that inclusion does not mean making learning easier, but distinguishing more carefully between the disciplinary competences that must remain constant and the pedagogical conventions that can legitimately vary. The issue is dedicated to all neurodivergent people, whose experiences and perspectives enrich how we teach and understand the world.

The issue also connects these questions with the critical use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence. Several contributions show how AI can become an object of historical and pedagogical analysis rather than simply a tool to be adopted or prohibited, and how meaningful AI literacy depends on foundational skills such as critical reading, source evaluation, error detection, and argumentation. The three book reviews extend these concerns to digital competence in higher education, student attendance and participation, and the educational effects of Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece, reinforcing a common principle: educational innovation has value when it demonstrably supports learning, accessibility, and critical judgement.

Full Issue available in PDF:
Download PDF

Editorial

Articles

Reviews

 

See AWOL's full List of Open Access Journals in Ancient Studies  

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A Corpus of Roman Lead Ingots: Introduction, Analysis, Prosopography

Peter Rothenhoefer , Michael Bode , Norbert Hanel 
Ephemeris Epigraphica Electronica, 1
Bd. 1
Blei war in römischer Zeit wichtiges Handelsgut, das in großem Umfang in den Bergbauzentren verschiedener Provinzen abgebaut und in Form massiver Barren in alle Provinzen des Imperium Romanum verbracht wurde. Das vorliegende Werk liefert Daten zu mehr als 2700 römischen Bleibarren. Durch die innovative Kombination epigraphischer, archäologischer und archäometallurgischer Forschungsmethodik bietet es eine Grundlage für die Gewinnung vertiefter Einblicke in die antike Wirtschaftsgeschichte im Bereich der Metallgewinnung und Rohstoffdistribution. 

Lizenz

Creative Commons License

Dieses Werk steht unter der Lizenz Creative Commons Namensnennung - Weitergabe unter gleichen Bedingungen 4.0 International.

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.11588/propylaeum.1795
ISBN 978-3-96929-530-4 (PDF)
ISBN 978-3-96929-531-1 (Hardcover)

Veröffentlicht

30.09.2026


Titelei
Contents
V-VII
A corpus of Roman Lead Ingots
Overview
IX-X
Marietta Horster , Francisca Feraudi-Gruénais
Editorial Remarks
XI
Christof Schuler, Thomas Stöllner
Foreword
XIII-XIV
1. Preface
1-2
2. Acknowledgements
3-5
3. Lead in pre-Roman times
7-10
4. Lead in the Roman Empire
11-13
5. Inscriptions on lead ingots
15-23
6. Distribution of lead ingots
25-26
7. A typology of Roman lead ingots
27-35
8. Lead mining districts in the Roman Empire
37-55
9. Tracing the provenance of ingots
Lead isotope and trace element analysis
57-61
10. Discussion of the lead isotope and trace element analyses results
63-95
11. Analytical and provenance related data (Tables 1a–b, 2a–i and 3)
97-174
12. Persons and societates attested on lead ingots
175-261
13. Abbreviations and bibliography
263-331
14 List of illustrations and tables, EEE 1.1
333
15. Indices
335-374
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