Life and Opinions of Michael Vickers, Gentleman. Birthday symposium on the occasion of Michael Vickers’ 80th anniversary

The international conference Life and Opinions of Michael Vickers, Gentleman takes place at Jesus College, University of Oxford, on the occasion of Professor Michael Vickers’ 80th birthday. Organised by Alexander Rubel, researcher at the Institute of Archaeology in Iași, the event brings together colleagues and collaborators of the distinguished British archaeologist for a symposium dedicated to his academic career and scholarly contributions.

Michael Vickers, Professor Emeritus of Archaeology at the University of Oxford and Emeritus Fellow of Jesus College, has pursued an extensive research career in classical archaeology and art. His scholarly interests encompass a wide range of subjects, from Greek and Roman pottery and toreutics, iconography, and metrology to the history and archaeology of the Black Sea region. His career has also been closely associated with the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, where he held various positions in the Department of Antiquities for several decades.

The Black Sea region, and Georgian archaeology in particular, has played an important role in his research. Michael Vickers has participated in numerous international projects and, together with Amiran Kakhidze, directed the excavations at Pichvnari, one of the major British-Georgian archaeological collaborations.

Conceived both as an academic gathering and an anniversary celebration, the Oxford symposium highlights the breadth of Michael Vickers’ scholarly interests and the impact of his research on classical archaeology and the study of the ancient world.