org.: Eleonora Andriani, Christian Förstel, Victor Gysembergh, Catherine Hofmann, Matthieu Husson, Anuj Misra, Han Qi, Stephen Johnston, Agathe Keller, Romain Lefebvre, Guillaume Loizelet, Divna Manolova, Somkeo Norindr, Jérome Petit, Adèle Sinifor, Florence Somer, Alexandre Tur (Alphabetical order).
Dates: June 8- June 12, 2026
Places: Bibliothèque nationale de France, Observatoire de Paris
Bibliothèque nationale de France and Observatoire de Paris are organizing, with the support of Université Paris Sciences et Lettres and Sorbonne Université, an intensive, hands-on workshop bringing together philologists, historians of science, art historians, and digital humanists to collaboratively study, classify, and interpret astral sciences manuscripts in Latin, Greek, Persian, Arabic, Sanskrit, and Chinese.
Aims
This intensive week-long workshop immerses participants in the exceptional collections of the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Observatoire de Paris. The program offers a unique triad of learning experiences centered on physical manuscripts, cutting-edge digital tools and the history of collections in both institutions. This second edition of the training week will be focusing on the physical/cosmological and astrological aspects of different theories and practices of astral sciences.
- Primary Sources: Context and Collections
Our journey begins with the manuscripts, printed books and instruments themselves. In a series of sessions led by historians of science and library curators, participants will engage directly with primary sources physically present in the Parisian archives to introduce the related historical context with a focus on the physical/cosmological and astrological aspects of the sources’ content. Collectively, these sessions will offer a comprehensive perspective on the global history of astral sciences. These astral sciences sessions will be intertwined with sessions dedicated to the history of the collections themselves, therefore equipping participants with the tools to critically examine the processes that shaped these archives and their consequences on the pasts and futures historiographies of astral sciences.
- Digital Tools: Texts, Tables, and Diagrams in the Digital Age
In the second pillar of the workshop digital tools experts and engineers introduce the transformative power of digital humanities and artificial intelligence. Participants will learn to apply cutting-edge tools specifically designed for the analysis of astronomical sources, including textual analysis, the digitization of tables and complex diagrams. These sessions provide a state-of-the-art understanding of recent advancements, fostering critical reflection on the process of turning sources into data and how these methods can productively disrupt traditional archival structures to enable new innovative layers of investigation.
- Student Projects: Hands-On Research and Comparative Analysis
The workshop culminates in hands-on project sessions, where participants will conduct group research. Depending on the interests of each group, these projects will focus either on the digital tools or deepen more directly questions in the history of – astral sciences . Students can work with a pre-selected set of sources or propose their own, receiving guidance from both historians and digital tools specialists. A key opportunity lies in comparing Parisian archives with documents from other global repositories, enriching the discussion on how archival structures influence the construction of history in the astral sciences.
Requirements and registration
Designed for advanced doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, and early career faculty specialising in astral sciences.
Registration is done via this form: https://framaforms.org/registration-training-week-a-global-history-of-astronomy-on-primary-sources-1738244383
Send your CV (1 p. max) and a letter of motivation (2 pp. max) to support your application at the latest on January 30, 2026. Selection results will be communicated on February 18, 2026 March 4, 2026 and participation will need to be confirmed by February 27, 2026 March 14, 2026.
A limited number of grants will be proposed to support participants from low income countries and/or with little institutional support. Results for the grants selection will be communicated also on February 18, 2026 March 4, 2026.
Participants must as much as possible bring a laptop with pre-installed digital tools. The links for the software will be provided in a portfolio in advance, together with assignments to prepare for the week.
Since the number of slots is limited, preference will be given to those candidates who can ensure that they will be present for the entire intensive week and who can commit to presenting a contribution.
Schedule
Day 1, 8 June 2026 (BnF, salle Emilie du Châtelet)
9:00–9:30 General presentation including presentation of student groups and projects
9:30–11:00 Primary sources: Greek sources
11:15–12:45 Primary sources: Greek sources
Lunch break – self organised.
14:15–15:30 Instruments / EIDA
15:45–17:00 EIDA / Instruments
Day 2, 9 June 2026 (BnF, salle Emilie du Châtelet)
9:00–10:30 Primary sources: South Asian sources
10:45–12:15 Primary sources: South Asian sources
Lunch break – self organised.
13:30–15:00 Primary sources: Chinese sources
15:00–16:30 Primary sources: Chinese sources
16:45–18:15 DISHAS
18:00–20:00: **Optional tour of the BnF
Day 3, 10 June 2026 (BnF, salle Emilie du Châtelet)
9:00–10:30 Primary sources: Arabic/Persian sources
10:45–12:15 Primary sources: Arabic/Persian sources
Lunch break – self organised.
13:45–15:30 Primary sources : Latin sources
15:45–17:15 Primary sources : Latin sources
Day 4 , 11 June 2026 (Paris Observatory, Salle du Conseil)
9:00–10:30 Primary sources: modern sources from Europe
10:45–12:15 Primary sources: modern sources from Europe
Lunch (covered by the organisation)
13:30–17:15 Students’ projects
Day 5, 12 June 2026 (Paris Observatory, Salle du Conseil)
9:00–12:15 Students’ projects
Lunch (covered by the organisation)
13:30–17:15 Students’ projects presentations
17:30 – 18:30: Optional tour of Paris Observatory
