An International Workshop to be held at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge, 8–9 September 2011

What are the archives of the body? Can the body serve as an archive itself? What sources tell us the most about the body? This workshop, sponsored by the Académie Nationale de Médecine, Paris, aims to bring together historians, literary scholars, art historians and archaeologists to explore multiple types of evidence about human bodies in the medieval and early modern periods, in Europe, the New World and the Muslim and Jewish worlds.

The sources examined might include: the archives of hospitals, universities and medical academies; civic, monastic, ecclesiastical and judicial records; iconographic sources, medical treatises and archaeological data.

A keynote paper, ‘The Body in Pain and Tales of Election and Damnation during the French Wars of Religion’, will be presented by Dr Luc Racaut (School of Historical Studies, University of Newcastle).

Possible topics may include:

• The holy body
• Iconoclasm, corporal mortification
• Medicine and diseased bodies
• Anatomical knowledge and pathology
• Gender, nudity and sexuality
• Bodily difference and disability
• The body as a commodity
• Beauty and the ideal body
• Senses, sensitivity and emotions

How to apply ?

Proposals for 20-minute papers are invited from

• advanced scholars,
• early career researchers and
• doctoral students.

Paper abstracts no longer than 300 words, with a brief CV and full contact details, should be emailed to both

• Dr Elma Brenner (ehob2@cam.ac.uk) and
• Dr Elena Taddia (elena@earlymodernhistory.com)

by 31 May 2011.

The language of the workshop will be English.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their submission by 15 June 2011.   

Comité scientifique :  

• Elma Brenner – Wellcome Trust Research Fellow,  Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge 
• Elena Taddia – Docteur ès Lettres ENS –Lyon, Trinity College Research Fellow, Dublin
• Luc Racaut, School of Historical Studies, University of Newcastle
• Laurence Camous, directrice de la Bibliothèque de l’Académie Nationale de Médecine, Paris
• Jérôme Van Wjiland, conservateur de la  Bibliothèque de l’Académie Nationale de Médecine, Paris