From 23–25 June 2026, the University of Warsaw will host the international conference “Sailing Uncharted Seas. Recent Advances in Pottery Studies in the Near East and Eastern Africa during the Late Antique and Early Medieval Periods.”
The conference is dedicated to exploring the still uncharted seas of pottery research relating to the Late Antique and Early Medieval periods across a broad area encompassing the Levant, the Red Sea and Gulf regions, and Eastern Africa. The wide geographic scope of the accepted abstracts highlights unexplored territories of ceramic studies and yet unrecognized connections between regions.
One of the main aims of the meeting is to demonstrate the potential of pottery studies to address broader research questions, while emphasizing the importance of engaging with the tangible agency of ceramic materiality. In recent decades, significant advances have transformed the field well beyond traditional chrono-typological approaches. The conference is intended to showcase these innovations and to foster dialogue across regions, methods, and interpretative traditions.
The event is co-organized by the Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw and the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw (PCMA UW).
The detailed programme will be announced at the end of April 2026.
Organizing Committee
- Dr Piotr Makowski (Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw)
- Dr Jerzy M. Oleksiak (PCMA UW)
- Dr Katarzyna de Lellis-Danys (PCMA UW, National Museum in Warsaw)
- Prof. Tomasz Waliszewski (Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw)