From 28 to 30 June 2023, David Wengrow will give two public lectures and a seminar as  Albertus Magnus Professor at the University of Cologne. David Wengrow is Professor of Comparative Archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology at University College London. He has conducted archaeological field research in Africa and the Middle East. His research areas include comparative archaeology (the Middle East, North-East Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean), the question of state-building, cognitive and evolutionary approaches to explaining cultures, prehistoric art and aesthetics, and the intellectual and social history of archaeology and anthropology. He is one of the leading exponents of ‘World Archaeology’ and investigates the history of humanity and the understanding of human culture in an innovative way.

Date:

Wednesday, 28 June, 7.30 p.m.
‘Kairos: Human Prehistory in the Eye of the Storm’ (first lecture)
Main lecture hall 1+2 of the University of Cologne, main building,
Albertus-Magnus-Platz,
50923 Cologne

Afterwards, drinks in the foyer of the main building

Thursday, 29 June, 7.30 p.m.
‘On the Origins of “The Origins of Inequality” (Analysis of a Contemporary Myth)’ (2nd Lecture)
Auditorium B, lecture hall building,
Universitätsstraße 35,
50931 Köln

Friday, 30 Jun, 12 a.m.
‘Public Seminar’ (Public Seminar)
Auditorium XII, main building,
Albertus-Magnus-Platz,
50923 Cologne
 

The lectures are public, participation in the seminar is only possible with prior registration: https://amp.phil-fak.uni-koeln.de/anmeldung

The events will be held in English.

David Wengrow is co-author of the bestseller The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity and has written essays on issues such as social inequality and climate change for the Guardian and the New York Times. Wengrow has received numerous honours. He won the Antiquity Prize in 2014 and held the Radcliffe-Brown Lectures in Social Anthropology in 2022.

Many renowned scientists, including Jean-Luc Nancy, Giorgio Agamben, Noam Chomsky, Martha Nussbaum, John Searle, Judith Butler or Eva Illouz were awarded the Albertus Magnus professorship, which was founded in 2005. David Wengrow will be the 17th person of international standing to be appointed. The professorship is named after the medieval  polymath Albertus Magnus, who led the general studies of the Dominican Order in Cologne in the mid-13th century and is considered one of the spiritual fathers of the university founded in 1388.
 

Media contact:
Professor Dr Andreas Speer
Thomas Institute of the University of Cologne
+49 221 470 2309
andreas.speeruni-koeln.de

Press and Communications Team:
Jan Voelkel
+49 221 470 2356
j.voelkelverw.uni-koeln.de

For more information:
https://amp.phil-fak.uni-koeln.de/