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MEDICA: Studies in Honour of Robert Arnott

International Workshop

28-30 November 2025

University of Oxford

Oxford, England


Background

Robert Arnott was an exceptionally prolific scholar who participated in several fields

throughout his lifetime: archaeology, palaeoepidemiology, and medical history. He also

served a variety of roles within the medical community, including but by no means limited to

managing hospitals, assisting in patient and public advocacy, and establishing research

groups and new collaborative projects. Bob was passionate about each of his fields of

interest, but also in their intersections, which led to the publication of his most recent and

final book, Disease and Healing in the Indus Civilisation (Archaeopress, 2024). He was a

beloved colleague and friend, and a cherished community member, both within Green

Templeton College and the broader community.


This workshop celebrates Bob Arnott’s life and work. We invite contributions from friends

and colleagues from each of his many and varied fields, including but not limited to

medicine, medical history, paleoepidemiology, and archaeology. Note: the postponed 2024

workshop on Indus-Aegean Relations in the Bronze Age, of which Bob served as coorganizer,

constitutes one portion of this larger event.



Location

The workshop will be held in the Headley Lecture Theatre, Ashmolean Museum, University

of Oxford. Accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis will be available in nearby hotels.

There will be a public lecture on 28 November, followed by a drinks reception, at the

Ashmolean Museum. The workshop dinner will be held on the evening of 29 November.

Details of recommended hotels, registration fees, the dinner and domestic arrangements

will be contained within the Second Circular that will be sent after the closing date for those

who have provisionally registered.



Papers

Other than the keynote speaker, twenty minutes will be allocated to each paper, with

fifteen-minute presentations, plus five minutes for questions and discussion. There will

also be adequate time for additional discussion built into the programme.



Publication

We aim to invite all presenters to offer their papers for publication in a peer reviewed

proceeding of the workshop. The editor will be Dr Marie Nicole Pareja and will again be

offered to Archaeopress of Oxford.


Registration

Offers of papers in English (with their titles) and provisional requests to participate

should be sent to the email address below by 30 March 2025 at the latest. If any

proposed participant requires a formal letter of invitation for purposes of applying for a

UK visa or funding, please let us know. Those who wish to attend and are not presenting

are very welcome.


Provisional registrations and offers of papers should be sent to Dr. Marie N. Pareja

(indusaegean@gmail.com), from whom further information is available.



Academic Committee

Dr Marie Nicole Pareja

(University of Pennsylvania and ABASI)

Dr Andrew Shapland

(Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford)

Dr Timothy Clayden

(University of Oxford)

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