The MAVORS-Institute was founded in order to support specialist research and scholars, to preserve our knowledge and to further our understanding of all aspects related to ancient civilizations, societies and their armies.

 

Ancient Military History inspires wide and general interest. Yet, Military History is also an inherently controversial subject, as it is often mistaken solely for the study of killing techniques, war heroes and battle field operations. A balanced approach, however, must include all aspects pertaining to the army itself, as well as to the military’s interrelations with its historical, political, social, economic and cultural surroundings. Such an approach allows for substantial improvements of our understanding of the past.

Most important is the understanding and making full use of all our sources. Unfortunately, no book from the ancient world describes the history of ancient armies, and only little has survived on particular battles, campaigns or military practices. Yet, each year numerous excavations and surveys produce new and abundant evidence. Ancient Military History draws its information and conclusions from a wide variety of sources from different periods: from ancient books including literary and legal texts as well as poetry, from inscriptions and graffiti on stone, papyri and bronze or wooden tablets, from archaeological excavations and surveys, from satellite images, aerial photography and geophysics, from multifarious artifacts and finds such as coins, reliefs and paintings, weapons, statues or the remains of the soldiers’ food, clothing and tools etc. These sources, however, are generally difficult of access. Their interpretation requires specialist training and expert experience. No one scholar can fully master all these highly specialized disciplines. Interdisciplinary expert collaboration is the solution. The MAVORS-Institute is therefore dedicated to a balanced and interdisciplinary research approach.

 

Roman military diploma. Slavonski Samac.

 

Universities are generally expected to train and employ such experts. However, at most universities staff reductions and employment policies, large and continuing cuts in research and library budgets of the relevant (typically tiny) departments, and ever growing numbers of students have led over the last two decades or so to decreasing specialist research activities, a loss of specialist expertise and a generalization of academic teaching. The dynamics of research into the Ancient World is further being crippled by the diversion of parts of the remaining resources away from scientific research or into projects with no relevance to the Ancient World.

As progress and even preservation of knowledge in every science depends on specialist research and expertise, the academic standards and even the future of these disciplines, Ancient History in particular, is endangered! Archaeological services, too, rarely have the means to permanently employ such specialist experts, as funding for extensive post-excavation research is notoriously scarce. Furthermore, within university circles Ancient Military History, though of great fascination to the general public, is often mistaken for old-fashioned battlefield history. It is considered to be against the spirit of our age and thus usually enjoys little if any support within academic institutions.

 

Thus, challenging the spirit of our time, the MAVORS-Institute was founded with the hope to help fill this ever growing gap and thereby to preserve and increase our understanding of the Ancient World. With our interdisciplinary approach and by making our research results widely accessible the Mavors-Institute has chosen an innovative course to preserve and further our science, by relying on the direct support of all who enjoy the world of Ancient Military History.

The MAVORS-Institute thus needs your support!