Tis (Not) But a Scratch: New Directions in Medieval Graffitological Scholarship, session at the 60th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University, May 8-10, 2025

Often divorced from visual studies, inaccessible beyond its support, and erased by well-meaning conservation efforts, medieval and early modern graffiti is difficult to study yet essential for understanding the Middle Ages. Scholars and students of all levels are invited to submit abstracts for papers on medieval and early modern graffiti. The session welcomes interest in graffiti among varied disciplines, such as philosophy, musicology, art history, military history, and theology, and among public-facing institutions concerned with the display and preservation of graffiti in situ and elsewhere. Papers of the “material” and “global” turns and in the digital humanities are especially encouraged.

Abstracts must be submitted through Confex.

Session organizer:
Sarah Frisbie, Case Western Reserve University