Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christliche Archäologie

The Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christliche Archäologie (AGCA) is a scholarly association and central platform for academic exchange in the field of Christian Archaeology. According to its official website, it promotes research into the material testimonies of Late Antiquity, the Early Middle Ages, and the Byzantine Empire. The AGCA connects universities, museums, and heritage conservation bodies in the German-speaking region and beyond, fostering dialogue between academia and the public, with a particular emphasis on supporting early-career researchers. The association is known for organizing regular conferences. Its XXIV conference, held in Bonn in May 2018, focused on the history of the discipline. The proceedings were published in 2022 by Propylaeum as an open-access volume edited by Sabine Schrenk and Ute Verstegen, titled 'Forschungsgeschichte als Aufbruch: Beiträge zur Geschichte der Christlichen Archäologie und Byzantinischen Kunstgeschichte'. The volume includes contributions from representatives of institutional Christian Archaeology and Byzantine Archaeology and Art History in Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey, the Netherlands, Austria, and Switzerland, covering the history of the field at various locations, key research personalities, important national and international excavations, and the activities of research institutions and museums. The AGCA serves as a networking hub for scholars and institutions, facilitating collaboration and the dissemination of research. Its activities include conferences, publications, and support for young academics. The association operates primarily in German-speaking countries but has a broader European reach, as evidenced by the international participation in its conferences and publications.

The Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christliche Archäologie (AGCA) is a scholarly association dedicated to the study of Christian Archaeology. Its history is intertwined with the development of the discipline in German-speaking countries. The association organizes regular conferences, known as Tagungen, which serve as important forums for presenting research and discussing methodological and theoretical developments. A significant event in the association's history was its XXIV conference, held in Bonn from 10 to 12 May 2018. The conference theme was the history of the discipline itself. This led to the publication in 2022 of an edited volume, 'Forschungsgeschichte als Aufbruch: Beiträge zur Geschichte der Christlichen Archäologie und Byzantinischen Kunstgeschichte', edited by Sabine Schrenk and Ute Verstegen and published by Propylaeum. The volume is available as a free eBook and includes reports from representatives of institutional Christian Archaeology and Byzantine Archaeology and Art History in Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey, the Netherlands, Austria, and Switzerland. It covers the history of the field at various locations, profiles key research personalities, discusses important national and international excavations, and details the activities of national and international research institutions and museums. The publication provides a broad overview of the discipline's history, highlighting its diversity and traditions, and serves as a foundation for its future development. The AGCA continues to function as a central platform for academic exchange, connecting universities, museums, and heritage conservation bodies. It promotes dialogue between academia and the public and places special emphasis on supporting early-career researchers.

• 2022

  Publication of the conference proceedings as an open-access volume by Propylaeum.

• 2018

  XXIV conference held in Bonn from 10 to 12 May, themed on the history of the discipline.

Academic network and platform for Christian Archaeology and Byzantine Art History in the German-speaking region.

1. 1AGCAagca.de
2. 2Geschichte – AGCAagca.de
3. 3Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christliche Archäologiewikidata.org