photographiste

"Studying Latin and Greek in high scholl, I was steeped in
ancient culture! I joined the graduate school École Normale Supérieure (ENS) to study classical literature and then followed a dual programme in literature and history at university. I passed the Agrégation competitive examinations and then defended a thesis in Roman history before becoming a senior lecturer in ancient history at the University of Western Brittany (UBO). More tahn an end in themselves, I saw languages as a means to analyse the culture and practices of civilisation. I specialised in the history of the Roamn Empire and worked on the themes of geography, urban planning and cultural exchanges, with a particular focus on ancient cartography. A fewyears ago, I initiated a new line of research on ancient photography which documents archaeology in Pompeii. In the 19th century, this new photography process played an enormous role in the dissemination of archaeological knowledge. I am studying the extent to which, even today, it can enhance our knowledge of ancient sites.

Each year, undergraduate students are given the opportunity to participate in a wonderful trip. We take them to Italy, Greece, Turkey -Ephesus for example, is an absolutely exceptional site. Two hours in the field are worth six or eight hours in a lecture theatre,but it is important to be able to take time to look around and really take it all in and contemplate one's surroundings; for me, as someone who conducts research there following in the steps of past explorers, these places are full of emotion and are steeped in history. It is also a story of the great Western museums which have built their reputation on the appropriation of archaeological objects. Certain students have never left Brittany, and this culture shock causes them to mature. It is our role to help them become independant and generate intellectual curiosity. Creating this spark in the student, transmitting and sharing knowledge, and taking charge of administrative tasks to ensure the proper functioning of the university is an enormous amount of work which is often achieved to the detriment of research."

Delphine Acolat,
Senior lecturer in Ancient History, University of Western Brittany

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