Conference
Organised by: Dajana Ehlers, M.A.
Contact: contra.conference@outlook.com
„Antiquity“ has become an integral part of contemporary popular culture. It is reproduced,
transformed, and reimagined. But how are these different reconstructions of antiquity
created? What sources and ideas do they draw upon, and what images of the ancient world
do they produce?
The interdisciplinary conference ConTrA 2027 explores these questions under the title:
ConTrA 2027 – Reconstructing Antiquity
Knowledge, Imagination and the Making of the Ancient World
The conference invites participants to explore different approaches to antiquity and its reception:
from video games, comics, literature, film and television to board games, museums, exhibitions,
and virtual-reality reconstructions, as well as TikToks, memes, AI, and reenactment projects.
The conference focuses on forms and formats through which antiquity is communicated, staged,
reconstructed, or deliberately reinterpreted. „Reconstruction“ is understood in a deliberately broad
sense, encompassing scholarly and museum reconstructions, representations in popular culture,
and creative or speculative reinterpretations. Of particular interest is the relationship between
knowledge and imagination, and the question of how ideas about antiquity are created,
transformed, and transmitted.
We invite contributions that reflect on, analyse, document, or critically examine these topics.
ConTrA welcomes contributions from researchers and practitioners working on antiquity and its
reception in contemporary culture, including, but not limited to, the fields of archaeology, history,
public history, media studies, museum studies, digital humanities, and game studies.
Please submit an abstract of no more than 400 words by 15 November 2026 to
contra.conference@outlook.com. Presentations should not exceed 30 minutes.
The conference will take place:
Date: 19 February 2027
Place: Archaeological Institute, University of Cologne
Fee: €15; charged to cover refreshments and snacks during the
conference
Further Information: ConTrA Conference