El profesor Martin Dinter (King's College, Londres) impartirá una conferencia en inglés sobre tatuajes en la Antigüedad.
Abstract: Gell (1993) defines tattoos as both interior and exterior markings. They serve as a ‘paradoxical double skin’, which reflects both personal beliefs and societal pressures. We will apply this concept to the classical world by exploring the various meanings of ancient tattoos which are known to us through both archaeological and textual evidence. In addition to exploring the multifarious connotations that accompanied ancient tattoos, we will also survey the diverse tattooing methods in use throughout antiquity and discuss the politics of tattooing in antiquity. Although the Greeks and Romans regularly employed tattoos as punitive measures, so as to permanently degrade slaves and criminals, there is also a positive side of tattoos in antiquity. From Egypt to Thracia, voluntary tattooing performed decorative, magical, and religious functions. This evidence will allow us to challenge Foucault’s (1979) statement that the state exercised a ‘microphysics of power’ over the forcibly tattooed individual. For even coercive tattoos were subverted into manifestations of religious pride, as illustrated by the voluntary tattoos of Late Antique Christians. Finally, we will link ancient tattooing to modern body art by showcasing Soviet prison tattoos which make use of Latin citations, as they display the same patterns of coercion, subversion, and innovation that characterise tattoos in antiquity.
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