Following on the success of “Masons at Work”1, the  symposium aims to assemble specialists to examine building practices in  the pre-industrial world, with an emphasis on Greek, Roman, Byzantine,  medieval, and pre-modern Islamic architecture. In addition to invited  speakers, we are soliciting 20-minute papers that examine the problems  which pre-modern masons commonly encountered - and the solutions they  developed - in the process of design and construction.  Evidence may be  drawn from a variety of sources, but we encourage studies based on the  analysis of well-preserved buildings.

Those wishing to speak should submit by email a letter to the  organizing committee, including name, title, institutional affiliation,  paper title, plus a summary of 200 words or fewer.  Graduate students  should include a note of support from their adviser.  Deadline: 15  November 2014.  The final program will be announced immediately  thereafter.  Submit proposals to ancient at sas.upenn.edu with “Against  Gravity” in the subject line.

• 1. held in spring 2012, and  published as  http://www.sas.upenn.edu/ancient/publications.html