Project information
Project manager
Emily Hanscam, Linnaeus University
Other project members
Ahmed Taiye Mohammed, Linnaeus University
Financier
Crafoord Foundation, Linnaeus University Centre for Concurrences in Colonial and Postcolonial Studies, UNESCO Chair in Heritage Futures, Linnaeus Knowledge Environment: Digital Transformations
Timetable
1 Oct 2021–30 Sept 2023
Subject
Archaeology (Faculty of Arts and Humanities)
More about the project
New Romans examines sociopolitical contexts of historical and current references to Classical Antiquity in the United States, asking about the possible significance of the Classical tradition for negotiating the future of American society. How have different aspects of Classical Antiquity (ranging from Ancient Greece to the Roman Republic/Empire) been used to recraft and reaffirm identities at times of political change in the US?
This project aims to demonstrate that the appearance of Classical motifs, tropes, references, and allusions alongside claims to a uniquely ‘American’ identity are based on an imaginary relationship with the past, likewise highlighting the importance of dismantling the universalising narrative of a Western Civilization. The anti-Democratic violence at the US Capitol on 6 January 2020, can for instance be seen as one particular legacy of a long-term connection drawn between the US and Rome. New Romans takes a critical approach to heritage and national identities inspired by post-colonial theory, similar to a number of other current LNU Concurrences projects.
New Romans will then direct this critical perspective on the Classical legacy in the US toward imagining future identity building, and the on-going role of perceptions of the past in fostering social sustainability in the US.
This project is part of the research in:
Linnaeus University Centre for Concurrences in Colonial and Postcolonial Studies
