In consultation with members of the Classics Department and Humanities 110 faculty, I am using the funds from my Murdock Grant to develop a digital library of classical images that will enhance teaching in the Classics Department, in the Humanities Program, and across the broader Reed curriculum. Coins, architecture, vase-paintings, sculpture, inscriptions and other forms of material culture are some of the most important evidence on the ancient world, and they can illuminate the texts that we read in courses on literature, philosophy, language, religion, and history. However, the logistical difficulties inherent in visual presentation have traditionally hindered the integration of such images into text-based courses. An easily accessible and well-organized digital archive of classical images will help bridge the gap between literary evidence and material remains, and it will enable Reed students to develop a fuller picture of the ancient world and a deeper appreciation of the range of materials that give us access to that world. In addition, the database will make it easier for professors to use images in conference presentations and incorporate them into their articles and monographs.
We will use the bulk of the Murdock funds to scan the large collection of images that the college and individual faculty members already possess. I will also purchase software to support the creation of the database that will organize this archive of images and allow us to introduce the images into our classes more easily.