A New Season of the Digital Classicist Berlin Seminar
One of the rewarding parts of my new role in Berlin has been helping to organize the Digital Classicist Berlin Seminar 2025/26. Hosted by the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW), this long-running lecture series brings together researchers from across the world who explore the use of digital methods in the study of the ancient world.
This year’s seminar runs under the theme “Potenziale und Grenzen digitaler Methodik”—The Potentials and Limits of Digital Methods. From citizen science to AI, from digital twins to network graphs, the talks highlight both the promise and the pitfalls of applying computational tools in Classical and Ancient Studies.
A Season Built on Diversity
The program spans a wide range of disciplines, formats, and perspectives. We kick off on October 14 with a panel on Citizen Science and Linked Open Data, followed by presentations on 3D/VR technology in classical sculpture (Oct 21), and the online life of cuneiform collections (Oct 24). These opening sessions already set the tone: digital work in the humanities thrives when it is collaborative, critical, and cross-disciplinary.
Later talks continue this diversity—network science, digital editions, virtual reconstructions, biblical text mining, and AI-driven Classics all find space within the program. The speakers range from early-career researchers to seasoned digital humanists, with international representation from Sofia, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Florida, and beyond.
Highlights and Personal Picks
One talk I’m particularly looking forward to is on October 24, where Adam Anderson will speak about evaluating cuneiform in the World Wide Web. It’s a crucial topic—not only for Assyriologists and digital philologists, but for anyone interested in how ancient data circulates, is recontextualized, and gains (or loses) meaning online. The session promises both critical reflection and practical insight into how ancient texts live on the web.
Another session I’m excited about takes place on December 16: “From Shovels to Servers” brings together a group of archaeologists to reflect on the potential of digital methods precisely by confronting their limits. The format is explicitly comparative and experience-based, which I think will lead to an honest and nuanced discussion about what works, what doesn’t, and what still needs inventing.
Link to the Website: https://digital-classicist.bbaw.de/
Programme
