Frédérique Duyrat

frederique duyrat
Professor of Ancient Numismatics; Director of Collections and Keeper of the Heberden Coin Room, Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology
Governing Body Fellow at Wolfson College
frederique.duyrat@ashmus.ox.ac.uk

Qualifications: MA, PhD, Habilitation (Sorbonne University)

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1290-6902

Link to college page: https://www.wolfson.ox.ac.uk/person/frederique-duyrat/

 

 

Academic Background

I am an experienced academic and museum professional with a diverse background spanning Ancient history, numismatics, and museum management. I hold the highest academic degree in France, having completed my Habilitation à diriger des recherches at the Sorbonne. For over a decade, I have served as the director of the Department of Coins, Medals and Antiques at the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF), where I previously worked as curator of Greek Coins. Before joining the BnF, I taught Ancient History at two French universities. My career has been characterised by a blend of administrative responsibilities, management, teaching, and academic research. I have maintained an active research profile, focusing on Greek coinage and the Hellenistic world, and have organised numerous scientific conferences. My experience includes leading major renovation projects, developing exhibitions, improving collection accessibility, securing acquisitions, and advancing digital initiatives, but also supervising students’ research at Masters and Doctoral levels and leading research projects. Throughout my career, I have strived to maintain strong connections between the cultural and academic worlds, which I believe is crucial for the advancement of both spheres.

Research Interests

My interests have evolved from a 15-year focus on the Hellenistic World, particularly Syria and the East, to more fundamental questions about Greek coinage. Recently, I have explored the definition of "Greek coinage" in relation to non-Greek cultures, studied representations of coins on Greek vases, and investigated the lack of archaeological traces of mints striking precious metal. These new paths are culminating in my current project on the massive gold coinage in the name of Alexander the Great. I explore ancient coinage through its iconography, metal analyses, metrology, coin hoards, and coins from excavations, as well as by utilising all available sources — from texts to vase paintings and archaeological contexts.

I have been a principal investigator or co-principal investigator on several international initiatives, including the JPI-CH ARCH project (Ancient Coins as Related Cultural Hertitage (ARCH): https://www.greekcoinage.org/arch-project.html), which developed the first exhaustive portal on Greek coinage in partnership with colleagues from France, Oxford and Valencia. I am also a member of the steering committee for nomisma.org (http://nomisma.org/), a collaborative project providing stable digital representations of numismatic concepts.

Research Keywords

Ancient history, Ancient Syria, Ancient Economies, Numismatics, Metal analyses, Linked Open Data, Cultural heritage preservation

Teaching

I teach Greek Numismatics at the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (Paris)

Publications

Full Publications:

Selected Publications: