Leiv Amundsen’s diary 1927-1929. Its value and historical context
The classical philologist Leiv Amundsen (1898-1987) was one of the pioneers of papyrology in Norway. He studied Classics in Oslo in the early 1920s and got involved in papyrological research as an assistant to Samson Eitrem who had initiated the acquisition of papyri with purchases in Egypt in 1910 and 1920.
With the support of a Laura Spelmann Rockefeller Memorial scholarship young Leiv Amundsen spent the academic year 1926-1927 studying papyrology at the University of Michigan and participated for two seasons (autumn 1927- spring 1928 and again autumn 1928 - early spring 1929) in the excavation of the village of Karanis in NE Fayum, carried out by the University of Michigan. The purchases of papyri which Leiv Amundsen made during his stays in Egypt greatly enhanced the collection of the University of Oslo (inv. nos. 570-1411).
This seminar will present the diary which Leiv Amundsen kept during his stay at Ann Arbor and Egypt (1927-1929) with focus on the information gained from it concerning the acquisition of papyri for the Oslo collection and the Michigan excavations at Karanis.
Anastasia Maravela is Professor of Ancient Greek, Dept. of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas, University of Oslo.
Chair: Prof. Han Lamers (IFIKK)