Writing and Power in the Roman World: Literacies and Material Culture

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Part I. Understanding Literacies, Material Culture and Practice in the Roman World

1. Introduction: literacies, power and identities

2. The practicalities of literacy: writing implements in the Roman world

3. Literacy as technology and practice

Part II. A Case Study

4. Materials and production

5. Metal inkwells in the Roman Empire

6. A practice turn: thinking about inkwell use

7. The spatial and social distribution of inkwells

Part III. Writing Equipment in Funerary Contexts and the Expression of Identities

8. Literacy as performance: self-presentation of the educated elite?

9. Literacy and the life course: gender

10. Literacy and the life course: age

11. Literacy, the body and elite identities: writing and status

12. Conclusion: writing Empire through material culture