Coins are an essential source of primary evidence for all students of the ancient world – historians, archaeologists, and literary scholars alike. The two-week training course at the British School at Athens provides hands-on experience of working with coins, both for those new to the subject and for those who wish to further their interest.
The course offers a chronological survey of Greek coinage, beginning with a discussion of money before coinage, and incorporating topics that range from the beginnings of the coinage in the seventh century BC up until the production of Greek coinage in the Roman period. The coinages of Greek settlements in various parts of the eastern and western Mediterranean will be studied, and Greek tokens will be discussed as well. There will be sessions on analytical techniques that assist the study of coins, such as describing and cataloguing, the importance of die studies, and the information that can be derived from hoards and site finds, weight standards and metrology, metallurgical analysis, databases.
The next course will be taught at the British School at Athens 22nd March – 4th April 2023. In addition to lectures and seminars led by the course directors (Dr. Clare Rowan and Dr. Mairi Gkikaki), there will be guest lectures on a variety of numismatic topics, and students will engage direct study of numismatic objects. Students will work to identify coins assigned to them and to present the results of their study. The course will utilize the rich range of numismatic resources in and around Athens – museums and other coin collections, archaeological sites, and libraries.
The course fee will not exceed €750 and includes accommodation in shared rooms at the BSA, where self-catering facilities are available, as well as 24-hour access to the superb library, entry to all sites and museums, and BSA membership for one month. Travel to and from Greece is the sole responsibility of the course participant. We are thrilled that the Royal Numismatic Society has agreed to offer 4x£500 bursaries to cover travel and subsistence costs for students attending this course. All students who indicate on their application form that they would like to apply for a bursary will be considered for this award.
The course is limited to 10 places, and is open to students pursuing post-graduate degrees. Students are recommended to apply to their universities for financial support; a number of BSA-administered full and partial bursaries are available for students who would otherwise be unable to attend. The deadline for application is December 31, 2022.
For the programme, further information and application, visit the BSA website.