Andrea Schmidt, University Professor at the Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium traveled to Tbilisi, Georgia during 28 May – 5 June 2013 where she was hosted by Professor Tina Dolidze, Head of the Department for Byzantine Studies (Institute of Classical, Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies), Iv. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and participant of our CEU HESP project.
While there she gave a two parts lecture hosted at the Tbilisi State University on:
"The origin, development and cultural identity of the Syriac script seen in the historical context of the Caucasian alphabets"
Abstract: The conference is divided into two parts (2,5h). It shows the origin of development of the Syriac alphabet among the Christian Arameans in the context of the development of the Caucasian writings, specifically the Georgian alphabet. It points out to the specificities and differences of the Christian Aramaic writing in the setting of the development of new “Christian” alphabets among Caucasian and other oriental people. The conference addresses the problem of the “sanctity” and in consequence of the ethnic identity of a writing (Armenian, Georgian) versus a non-ethnic polyvalent function of writing (Syriac) in Oriental Christianity. The power point presentation going along with the conference exemplifies the most important script types used throughout different time and geographical periods. A special accent is put to the oldest script types survived in mosaic inscriptions (Georgian, Syriac) inside and outside the centre of origin of the scripts in question.