Reception of the ancient world in trading, collecting, gaming and fortune-telling cards
CFP: online conference 21-22 November 2025
In a world where many aspects of our lives encompass digital and virtual experiences, there has also been a turn towards the physical, and an example of this would be an increasing popularity in cards for gaming, collecting and fortune telling. The ancient world appears in these cards in many ways, for example Wonders of the Ancient World Top Trumps (an informative card game aimed at young learners), Gods and Titans Oracle Cards (fortune telling using characters from mythology) and Magic the Gathering, Theros: Beyond Death (trading cards aimed at adult gamers and collectors).
We would like to invite you to submit an abstract for our online conference on the ancient world and cards on 21-22 November to be held via Zoom. Presentations should be 20 minutes in length, and as well as academic papers we would be interested in workshops and discussions with creative practitioners. Following the conference will aim to publish selected contributions.
Some suggested topics are below, but please do not feel constrained by this list if you have other ideas centred on cards and the ancient world:
a. How the reception of the ancient world in cards developed over time (what is represented/adopted and adapted? are there any patterns? who is the target audience?)
b. Historical accuracy vs adornment in cards for gaming, collecting and fortune telling
c. Ancient world and popular imagination: how do they interact in cards for gaming, collecting and fortune telling
d. Cards in the classroom: pedagogical use of cards and how to implement gamification in the curriculum
e. Case studies (presentation of your own cards / the adaptation of antiquity in an existing stack of cards)
Please submit abstracts of 250 words to Amanda:
Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein. and Guen Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein. by 15 October 2025, meanwhile please feel free to contact the organisers with any questions.
Best Wishes
Amanda Potter, Open University and Guen Taietti, Beatriu de Pinós Postdoctoral Researcher, Autonomous University of Barcelona / University of Liverpool