LEWISTON — Bates College will host the 38th annual New England Medieval Conference beginning at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, in Room G65, Pettengill Hall, 4 Andrews Road (Alumni Walk).

The theme is “Medieval Miseries: Responses to Hard Times.” Conference topics range from the plague to the connection between physical disabilities and royal ambition, from the rise of stock markets to depictions of grieving for the dead.

Among the presenters is Bates Professor of History Michael Jones, who will speak about “The Worst of Times and the Worst of Times: Climate, Famine and Pestilence during the Medieval Transitions.” Jones’ talk will explore the 6th and 14th centuries in terms of climatic deterioration, famine and epidemic, revealing parallel miseries that afflicted both of these transitional periods.

Another Maine presenter is Véronique Plesch, a professor of art at Colby College, who will give a presentation on graffiti and frescoes.

Registration closes Friday, Oct. 14. Lunch will be served in Bates’ new commons. At 5 p.m. a reception will take place in the Bates College Museum of Art, 75 Russell St.

The conference is open to the public. Registration is $25. To register or for more information, call 207-786-6400 or visit bit.ly/Bates-medieval.