For the past several years, classics professor Mike Sampson (University of Manitoba) has conducted research on the Kelsey Museum’s collection for his “Books of Karanis” project. This interdisciplinary project, launched in 2021, investigates Greek literary culture in Karanis, Egypt, utilizing papyri and the rich excavation data from the University of Michigan’s historical digs. Through this work, Dr. Sampson and his collaborators hope to assemble a wide-ranging reconsideration of Karanis’ archaeology—synthesizing the excavation data along with analyses of the papyri, ceramics, and numismatic evidence.

Kelsey Museum Flash Talks are 15-minute Zoom lectures by Kelsey curators, staff members, researchers, graduate students, and guests talking about their recent research or current projects. Each presentation is followed by 15 minutes of Q&A. Flash Talks are free and open to all visitors.

To register for this lecture, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/ezPjKytQuWxF7FbB8. Zoom log-in information will be provided upon registration. Please sign up by 9:30 AM the day of the event to ensure you receive a confirmation email containing the access code.