Bagnani Lecture 2026
To say that disasters “destroy” is to state the obvious, but in truth, traces of ruinous events in the ancient evidence are notoriously difficult to interpret.
Event Details
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Wednesday, March 4, 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Building: Enwayaang
Room: 103
Cost: Free
To say that disasters “destroy” is to state the obvious, but in truth, traces of ruinous events in the ancient evidence are notoriously difficult to interpret. Texts almost always trade in tropes and hyperbole, and can thus work at cross-purposes with the material record. Moreover, archaeology almost never provides evidence for the cause of a destruction layer or trauma to a skeleton. So how then is archaeology useful for an ancient historian interested in disaster? This lecture will explore these and other methodological challenges, and propose some potential solutions, for the use of archaeological evidence in the study of disaster in Late Antiquity (250-600).
Speaker bio: Kristina Sessa (AB, Princeton University, PhD UC Berkeley) is professor of History at The Ohio State University, where she teaches ancient and medieval history. Her research focuses on the social, cultural, and environmental history of Late Antiquity, especially in the western regions of the empire. She is the author of two monographs, several edited volumes, and is presently writing a book about disasters.
Contact Info
Program Coordinator: Hugh Elton, hughelton@trentu.ca
Acad Admin Assistant: Ngoc Bui, agrs@trentu.ca