Early Sciences Working Group

The Early Sciences Working Group (ESWG) brings graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and faculty together to discuss current work in the fields of ancient, medieval and early modern science and medicine. Our primary goal is to provide a forum for student and faculty scholars to present and receive comments on their current research. Presenters at the working group share drafts of articles, dissertation chapters, and research from books-in-progress or independent projects. Students and faculty have taken the opportunity to practice conference papers at the working group. Members of the group offer valuable feedback on the presentation and content of these talks.

This year, as part of the existing Early Sciences Working Group format of pre-circulated papers, we are excited to introduce a new workshop focused on the interpretation of primary sources. Primary source engagement is at the heart of our scholarly practice, yet it often happens in isolation. This new group seeks to create a more communal space for encountering and interpreting sources together. We also hope to expand our sense of what kinds of materials can count as sources in the history of science, and how we approach them. Primary sources may include traditional textual materials—recipes, letters, treatises, marginalia, case notes, petitions, legal records, travelogues, or manuals—as well as visual and material sources such as maps, diagrams, anatomical drawings, botanical illustrations, medical images, instruments, artifacts, and so on.

Presenters at this year's working group include graduate students in the History and History of Science departments, the Committee on the Study of Religion, East Asian Languages and Civilizations, the Department of the History of Art and Architecture, as well as postdoctoral fellows, visiting scholars, and Harvard faculty. 

The Early Sciences Working Group is particularly focused on promoting graduate student work, encouraging networking and the exchange of ideas among graduate students, and assisting graduate students at all levels of advancement. Graduate students present research papers and portions of prospectuses or dissertations, as well as primary sources. Students nearing the completion of their degrees practice job talks at the working group. More experienced students in the group, as well as faculty, are also a valuable professional resource for first, second, and third year graduate students. 

ESWG meets on Thursdays, from 12:00-1:15 ET, both in person and online. 

The faculty sponsors are Hannah Marcus and Eric Moses Gurevitch; the graduate student coordinators are Courtney Gragson and Briana Brightly.

To join our mailing list, please email brianabrightly@g.harvard.edu