FIRST CIRCULAR

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE



Official religion of upper classes and popular religions of ethnic population groups. Anatolia and its neighbours in the 2nd and early 1st mill. BCE



Date:    February 20 - 22, 2003

Venue: Religionswissenschaftliches Seminar, University of Bonn, Germany



One topic of the conference will deal with questions concerning official religion of Ancient Anatolia in pre-hellenistic times and its impact on politics and society. But there is another point of equal importance: Are we able to trace hints of other religions which do not function as official religions within the Hittite kingdom and the succeeding Neo-Hittite States in Anatolia and Northern Syria? What do we know of such - partly ethnically defined - panthea, cults and rites and their adherents? Sources from Anatolia and neighbouring areas may shed light on these questions. Papers which will focus on these topics from a comparative point of view in regard to the Aegean area in Western Anatolia or to the Northern Syrian and Upper Mesopotamian areas are also welcome. Thus the organizers hope that the conference can contribute to further our knowledge of historical and sociological processes within religions of Anatolia.



All colleagues are invited to send the (preliminary) title of their contribution to the organizers until July 15, 2002. Further details (e.g. lenghth of English of German papers; accommodation) will be given in a second circular (September 2002)





Please contact:

Prof. Dr. Dr. Manfred HUTTER
Religionswissenschaftliches Seminar
Adenauerallee 4-6
D-53113 Bonn
Fax: ++49-228-737531
Email: mhutter@uni-bonn.de