International Round Table on Polychromy in Ancient Sculpture and Architecture

The 13th International Round Table on Polychromy in Ancient Sculpture and Architecture on

"Polychromy and the Senses: Integrating Scientific, Cognitive, and Aesthetic Perspectives on Ancient Colour"

will be organised in collaboration with the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, where it will take place from

November 18–21, 2026.

The 13th Polychromy Round Table, Polychromy and the Senses: Integrating Scientific, Cognitive, and Aesthetic Perspectives on Ancient Colour, foregrounds the sensory and experiential dimensions of colour as a way to move beyond a purely technical understanding of ancient polychromy. Building on decades of archaeometric advances and a rich tradition of philological engagement with ancient texts, the chosen theme aims to integrate material analyses of pigments and surfaces with the evidence of language, metaphor, and colour terminology preserved in literary, philosophical, and technical sources. By bringing these strands into dialogue with cognitive science, sensory archaeology, and digital reconstruction, the Round Table highlights how colour in Antiquity was theorized, named, and experienced not only as a visual property but as part of a broader multisensory, emotional, and conceptual field that shaped ancient ways of seeing and knowing. The 13th Polychromy Round Table seeks submissions for papers related to innovative projects and methods in interdisciplinary polychromy research under two rubrics, the principal theme “Polychromy and the Senses” and, as customary, “News from Current Research.”

Abstract submissions, with a maximum of 400 words, must include the title of your contribution, author(s), and affiliation(s). Please submit these to PRT13@amth.gr by March 15, 2026.

For more information, download the CfP here. More information on the venue can be found here.