During the archaeo-oriental studies Seminar, Dr. Dobrochna Zielińska (Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw) presented her research results about “Body politic vs. body natural A case of expression of indigenous identity of Nubian rulers”.
Abstract: The presentation is part of the project “Costumes of Authority. The Image of Royalty and Clergy in Christian Nubia”, directed by Karel Innemée at the Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw. Various aspects of royal representations, including their physical and individual appearances became a focus of our discussions. The classic study The King’s Two Bodies. A Study in Mediaeval Political Theology, by Ernst Kantorowicz, explores the concept of a king having both a political and natural body. This paper analyses the representations of Nubian authorities from the medieval period, in the context of a comparison with their predecessors from the Napatan and Meroitic periods. The research explores and discusses whether the representations actually reflect the physical features of an individual, or whether they are an element of the body politic. This and further questions shall arise during the presentation, though answering them all may not always be possible.
The seminar took place on Monday, 9th October, at 5 pm UTC+2 on Zoom.
Read more about “Archaeo-Oriental Studies”.