Call for papers – FAn Symposium: Rewriting History (Paris, 17–18 June 2026)

The Major Research Programme (MRP) ‘The Fabrication of Antiquity’ (FAn) is organising a conference on 17 and 18 June dedicated to the themes of competing memories and the colonisation of the past. The event will explore, through the comparative lens characteristic of FAn, phenomena of contestation, ‘rewriting’, reinterpretation, and even substitution of a narrative tradition and/or a dominant historiographical paradigm by a group (etc.) with divergent interests, particularly for the purposes of self-legitimisation. Etiological myths and other national histories certainly form part of the investigation, but do not exhaust it, as the scope will extend equally to religions, knowledge and techniques.

This multidisciplinary and multi-regional conference will feature contributions from specialists already involved in the study of Japan, Mongolia, China, India, Iran and the ancient Mediterranean world. However, the organisers wish to open it up to the entire FAn community and therefore invite its members to submit proposals for papers on these themes, with no restrictions on subject matter, cultural areas or time periods, including Western modernity. Papers relating to the Americas, Africa and Oceania will be particularly welcome. Papers may address rivalries of memory in recent and contemporary times as well as within ancient societies themselves.

Young researchers are particularly encouraged to get in touch.

Proposals, in the form of a brief abstract, should be sent to Vincent Eltschinger (vincent.eltschinger@ephe.psl.eu), Vassa Kontouma (vassa.kontouma@ephe.psl.eu) and Andréas Stauder (andreas.stauder@ephe.psl.eu) by 30 April 2026.

With our thanks and warmest regards,
The GPR PSL FAn team,
Vincent Eltschinger, Vassa Kontouma, Andréas Stauder.