 Past Events 2005 |
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A Council for British Archaeology seminar to be held at the British Academy (10 Carlton House Terrace, Lower Regent St, London) on Thursday, 24th February 2005. Admission free to all. Non-CBA members are welcome to attend and participate as observers in the short formal business session at lunchtime. ** Of Cabbages and Kings ** "The time has come", the Walrus said, "to talk of many things: of shoes - and ships - and sealing wax - of cabbages and kings." (Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland) Scientific studies have been a component of archaeological research since the beginnings of archaeology as an academic discipline, but, for the last 50 years, have played an ever-increasing role (eg radiocarbon dating, materials analysis, DNA, etc). In fact, it is hard to think of a major scientific discipline which now does not have some application to archaeology. As well as being a strength, this also presents a substantial challenge. Ever since the demise of 'Renaissance Man' - someone (male or female!) who can assimilate and contribute to all of human knowledge - it has become virtually impossible to expect an archaeologist to be 'expert' at all the specialisms routinely employed. The challenge, therefore, is one of interdisciplinary dialogue and synthesis - synthesising data from multiple scientific methods to give a clearer picture, and synthesising this picture with archaeological evidence and theory to create something relevant to the study of the human past. Despite its many achievements, scientific archaeology is not completely immune to criticism. Some of it tends to be trivial and is irrelevant to archaeology - answers in search of questions. Some of it is poor science. It is sometimes possible to detect a 'bandwagon effect' - a scientific technique is trumpeted as being able to deliver a miracle cure, and everybody leaps on board. An archaeologist therefore needs to be 'an educated consumer' for all things scientific. Unfortunately, the structure of the traditional archaeological report does not promote effective integration, with a whole series of appendices written by different specialists on a particular material (animal bone, human bone, small finds - usually broken down by material category, etc), if they are poorly digested and badly integrated into the overall narrative. Often these appendices are conveniently bound into a separate volume, for ease of omission! This session will explore some of the areas where a synthetic approach is showing real benefits to archaeology and will attempt to address some of the more popular urban myths in scientific archaeology. Programme: 11.00 - 12.00 Prof Mark Pollard (Research Laboratory for Archaeology, University of Oxford) - Overview 12.00 - 12.45 CBA Winter General Meeting 12.45 - 14.00 Lunch (not provided, numerous local venues available) 14.00 - 14.30 Dr Simon Blockley (Research Laboratory for Archaeology, University of Oxford) - "Integrating chronometry and archaeology" Generating reliable chronologies is an essential part of good archaeological interpretation. Absolute chronology is probably the most ubiquitous aspect of the application of the physical sciences to archaeology. Nevertheless, there are difficulties that are routinely encountered in science-based dating, and it is often left to the archaeologist to interpret dating evidence, accept or reject dates, and produce final site chronologies. There is clearly a need here for more integration between archaeologists and scientific specialists. This presentation will outline some of the challenges often encountered in producing, interpreting and integrating chronologies; followed by a discussion of strategies designed to improve chronological frameworks, such as: multi-proxy dating, Bayesian inference and tephrochronology. 14.30 - 15.00 Dr Tamsin O'Connell (MacDonald Centre for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge) - "Did Neolithic people really hate fish? Stories from bone isotopic analysis" You are what you eat, as the old adage goes, and so the history of all that you consume is recorded at the molecular level in your bones. Over the last twenty years, isotopic analyses of human remains have enabled archaeological scientists to investigate the diet, geographical origin and migration patterns of prehistoric populations. In this talk, I will describe the current state of research in archaeologically-focussed isotope studies, outlining what we have done and can do, and how researchers are tackling our present limitations. 15.00 - 15.30 Tea & coffee (provided) 15.30 - 16.00 Prof Carl Heron (Bradford University) - "Sticky messes from the past - residue analysis for detecting artefact use" Recent analytical investigations of amorphous plant and animal products (e.g., food debris, plant resins, waxes, dyestuffs) have demonstrated archaeological potential over a considerable chronological and geographical range. The secure identification of specific products from molecular and isotopic patterns can assist in assessing the roles that these substances played and in determining the use of artefacts on which these residues survive. Only by placing these studies into a wider context can the full archaeological value be realised. 16.00 - 16.30 Dr Nick Branch (Centre for Quaternary Research, Royal Holloway, University of London) - "Improving integration, reconstruction and explanation in environmental archaeology: a multi proxy approach" 16.30 Summary & Close Further details from the Council for British Archaeology.
25-26 February 2005 People and the Environment in the Ancient Mediterranean: Columbia University, New York The Center for the Ancient Mediterranean at Columbia University is organizing a graduate student conference on the relationships between human societies and their physical environments in the ancient Mediterranean. The emphasis will be on the changes in these relationships. The conference will therefore have two aims. First, it seeks to examine the effects of human actions on their physical surroundings. How did demographic and economic expansion and decline change the relationships between societies and their environment? How much and how often did state actions alter the natural world? Can we really speak of ancient communities as ‘controlling’ their environments? Second, the conference will also explore the ways in which these changing environmental conditions led ancient peoples to rethink their place in the Mediterranean world. How were the changing conditions of the Mediterranean reflected in literary, historical, geographical, and medical texts? How aware were ancients of the changing nature of their world? How conscious were they of the environmental consequences of human actions? Did the fact of empire change relationships to, and modes of perception of, the environment? Did religious change affect attitudes to the natural world? What role did philosophies, such as stoicism, play in driving ancient peoples to reflect upon the relationship of society and individuals to the natural world? The keynote address will be delivered by Michael Jameson, Crossett Professor Emeritus of Humanistic Studies at Stanford University. Submissions from all disciplines are welcome and encouraged. The Center for the Ancient Mediterranean at Columbia University
Environmental archaeology in Landscape archaeology To be held at University College Winchester (formerly King Alfred's College, Winchester) on 31st March 2005 *** Last opportunity to register *** Abstract The focus by archaeologists of whole landscapes ('Landscape archaeology') from an approach that was previously site-base, is one of the most significant changes to our discipline in the last 20 years. To quote one major archaeological textbook: ".... fieldwork used to be seen almost exclusively in terms of the discovery and excavation of sites. Today, however, while sites and their excavation remain of paramount importance, the focus has broadened to take in whole landscapes, and surface survey at sites in addition to - or instead of - excavation. Archaeologists have become aware that there is a great range of "off-site" or "non-site" evidence, from scatters of artefacts to features such as ploughmarks and field boundaries, that provide important information about human exploitation and the environment." (Renfrew, C. and Bahn, P. [1996] Archaeology: theories, methods and practice. Second Edition. Thames and Hudson, London, p. 67) Landscape archaeology has been the subject of many conferences, but never one dedicated to environmental archaeology. Nevertheless as landscape archaeology has become more prominent environmental archaeology has itself had to change in approach and methodology. Such developments are therefore the subject of the Association of Environmental Archaeology Easter conference hosted by the Department of Archaeology, University College Winchester on Thursday 31st March 2005. Programme 10:00-10:20 Arrival and registration 11:30-12:00 Coffee 12:00-12:20 A divided land: integrating social and environmental histories on Dartmoor, SW England Joanna Brück (University College Dublin), Ralph Fyfe (University of Exeter), Robert Johnston (University of Sheffield), Helen Lewis (University of Oxford) and Helen Wickstead (University College London) 12:50-14:00 Lunch 14:00-14:20 Reconstructing landscape-wide environmental changes at a local scale - a case study from the New Forest Michael Grant (University of Southampton) 15:20-15:50 Tea 15:50-16:10 Alluvial fan deposition and site distribution relationships within the Sparta Basin, southern Greece Richard Pope (University of Derby) and Keith Wilkinson (University College Winchester) The conference has a registration fee of £28 for AEA members/students and £35 for non-members (who are not students). This fee includes conference attendance, a book of abstracts, morning and afternoon refreshments and a two course buffet lunch. Limited accommodation is available on campus for the nights of 30th and 31st March at a cost of £30 per person. Those who wish to attend Environmental archaeology in Landscape archaeology should contact Robin Bendrey to book a place on Robin.Bendrey@winchester.ac.uk
The L.A.S.A (Workshop of Environmental Archaeology and History by the University of Genoa / Laboratorio di Archeologia e Storia Ambientale dell’Università di Genova) and the Direzione Regionale per i Beni Culturali e Paesaggistici della Liguria, in collaboration with “Ente Parco dell’Aveto” and “Ente Parco Naturale dell’Antola”, organize an excavation of environmental archaeology for a project of assessment for the knowledge, the conservation and the management of Ligurian wetlands. Location: Moglie di Ertola (Val d’Aveto, Genova, Italy), 1115 mt. on the sea level. Site: Highland glade, wetland, peatland. Chronology: The complex stratigraphy of the peatland suggests the same compound sequence of the site processes, which denote an interaction between natural processes and human activities. The 6 mt. deep deposit preserves lot of trees, some of which are wholly preserved (mostly Abies alba and Fagus sp.), seeds and fruits of different periods. A sample of Abies alba was dated to 4220 ± 60 BP (cal. 2 s 2920 – 2620 BC); some well preserved hazel-nuts were dated to 4006 ± 50 BP. Excavation Purposes: An area of 100 mt.2 will be exposed, deep to the “fossil trunks layer”. The primary aim is to achieve information about the processes which involved the deposit: for ex. how trees died , human actions (felling, peat extraction, fire, high level of hidrology due to the natural erosion for the intensified pasture exploitation), in order to reconstruct the environmental history of as the site as the territory, focussing attention on human activities, connected with exploitation of natural resources. Activities: GIS, drawn records, photographic records, written records, environmental and archaeological sampling (plants remains, diatoms, pollen, phitoliths, charcoal, seeds, fruits, wood, soil), classifing cataloguing artifacts, survey. The team will be of 15 people at least, made of archaeologists, botanists, searchers, graduated and undergraduated students, volunteers. Age: being of age. Information: The site is located near Rezzoaglio, in Val d’Aveto, not very far from Chiavari (Riviera di Levante), and 50 km from Genoa. The site can be reached by:
To get the excavation you need to catch the car for a very short distance, then on foot on an irregular road through a wood for a about 30 minutes. People who will use their own car for excavation activities will be refunded for the wastage of gas. Restaurant “Paretin” will provide with breakfast and dinner and will be in the restaurant; the lunch will be on site and will be supplied by “Paretin” or by another one. You will take lodging in a CAI refuge, located in Cabanne (twin beds, WC, hot water, shower..). Excavation will occur from 11 July 2005 to 19 August 2005. You have to attend excavation at least for 2 weeks. On Saturday and Sunday you will rest. Time table:
Suggestions: Use trekking-boots; the CAI refuge is situated at 800 mt. on the sea level, so during the night it might happen that temparature fall at 8°-10°. Therefore take with you as summer clothes as pullovers, long sleeves T- shirts, raincoat, wind-cheater; moreover a sun protector crem and a sun hat. Please send the application form by e-mail to Dott. Andrea De Pascale (excavation director) at info@progettozoneumide.org, enclosing your curriculum vitae and curriculum studiorum. For further information see: www.progettozoneumide.org .
7th Palaeopathology Short Course, 7-19 August 2005 Organised by the Biological Anthropology Research Centre (BARC), Department of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford (U.K.) and the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Professor Donald Ortner of the Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian Institution, and Dr. Christopher Knüsel of the Biological Anthropology Research Centre (BARC), Department of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, announce the 7th European Palaeopathology Short Course that will take place from Sunday 7 August (arrival), with registration on Monday morning, through Friday 19 August 2005, at the University of Bradford. The Course will cover topics in the study of health and demographic characteristics of past human populations, including age estimation and sex determination, estimates of body proportion and stature from human remains, specific and non-specific infectious disease, degenerative joint disease, metabolic disease, congenital abnormality, dental disease, activity-related skeletal change, and the use of histological techniques in the differential diagnosis of ancient disease. This year’s Course will also include special lectures on ancient DNA, the analysis of ancient and modern human hair, and isotopic analyses that complement and extend the macro and microscopic analysis of palaeopathological conditions. Course lecturers/tutors will include, in addition to Professor Ortner and Dr. Knüsel, Dr. Megan Brickley (Birmingham), Dr. Simon Mays (English Heritage), Professor Charlotte Roberts (Durham), Professor Michael Schultz (Göttingen), Dr. Mike Taylor (Imperial College, London) and Dr. Darlene Weston (Max Planck Institute, Leipzig), as well as Mrs. Anthea Boylston and Drs. Janet Montgomery, Alan Ogden, Holger Schutkowski, and Andrew Wilson from Bradford. For the first time this year, Dr. Morrie Kricun, Department of Radiography, University of Pennsylvania Medical Centre, will also contribute on the use of radiography to aid differential diagnosis of palaeopathological lesions. For further information, please contact: Dr. Christopher Knüsel, Biological Anthropology Research Centre (BARC), Department of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, United Kingdom, Tel: +44 (0)1274 233545, Fax: +44 (0)21274 235190, E-Mail: c.knusel@bradford.ac.uk Download a provisional schedule (Word document) Download a booking form (Word document). Applicants are strongly advised to contact Dr. Christopher Knüsel prior to submitting completed application forms to him.
IVth International Congress of Ethnobotany, 21-26 August 2005 The Istanbul Congress will be the fourth of a series of meetings aimed to share the recent developments and challenges in the discipline of ethnobotany. The First Congress of Ethnobotany was held at Cordoba in 1992, the second in Mexico in 1997 and the third at Naples in 2001. During this time, while the scope, focus and methods of ethnobotany are diversifying, the biological and cultural heritage is in the process of rapid erosion. Archaeological, historical, ecological, cultural and political aspects of human-plant interactions and ways to record, to protect, and use this knowledge has to be discussed to shape future developments in this field of study. Since the fourth Congress is being held in Istanbul, at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, organizers would like to include as many scholars as possible from the Asian and African countries, as well as scholars in various disciplines throughout the world. The Organizers invite you to meet in Istanbul at Yeditepe University from August 21-26, 2005 with papers, posters and with your knowledge and experiences to share.
AEA Meeting 2005: Visualising Past Environments: new directions in palaeo-landscape studies, 19th - 20th November 2005 Wetland Archaeology and Environments Research Centre, Department of Geography, University of Hull *** New information *** Due to unforeseen circumstances the AEA meeting has been rescheduled for the 19th - 20th November 2005 with the pollen modelling workshop preceding this on the 18th November 2005. Abstracts which have been submitted will be included automatically therefore there is no need to resubmit. Payments already received shall cover the rescheduled conference in full. Anyone who unfortunately cannot attend the conference can expect a full refund in due course. Due to the rescheduling of the AEA conference and pollen workshop we have revised the prices, these will now be: Pollen modelling workshop: £40 (AEA member), £50 (non-member) - including lunch, software etc. There is also the opportunity to join the group for an evening meal on the 19th November at a cost of £20. All of those that have paid, and can attend the new dates, can expect a refund of the difference in due course. In the meantime if there are any queries please contact m.j.bunting@hull.ac.uk ************************************ The artist’s reconstruction of an archaeological site, its inhabitants, and its landscape, has long been an important ‘product’ of studies of the past, summarising the work of a wide range of different specialist researchers, and acts as a powerful communication tool for non-specialists. The recent surge in availability of powerful computers, fancy graphics packages, GPS surveying equipment, and Geographical Information Systems have all led to the production of increasingly sophisticated reconstructions of past landscapes, whether as ‘artists impressions’, interactive visualisations or maps, which are now widely found on TV, the internet, in popular literature and posters for schools, and in museums. Do these tools allow for a more ‘objective’ and reliable reconstruction of the past, or are they no more than artists impressions using novel tools? Reconstructing the pattern of past landscapes, the natural and cultural mosaic of vegetation, habitat, land-use and resources, and the ways in which people interacted with and moved through them, has always been an implicit part of our work as Environmental Archaeologists. In this meeting, we hope to explore the many ways in which we get from field data or sample to reconstructed landscape, and whether the new technology is helping, distracting from, or largely irrelevant to the interpretation and communication of our findings. We welcome papers relating to any stage in the process, from the collection, analysis and interpretation of single-proxy samples to production of final summarising reconstructions, as well as case studies or examples of the environmental archaeology of palaeo-landscapes. The meeting will be preceded by a one-day workshop on the POLLSCAPE approach to reconstructing past vegetation patterns from the pollen record. (see e.g. Sugita et al. 1999, Bunting et al. 2004), drawing on the work of the PolLandCal Network. The workshop will consist of a mixture of lectures to introduce the theories underlying the approach and practical sessions with the user-friendly software suite developed in Hull. Workshop costs will be on the order of £50 (to be confirmed), to include lunch, notes and software. Places are limited, and will be allocated on a first come first served basis, so please email m.j.bunting@hull.ac.uk to register your interest. Abstracts offering talks or papers for the annual meeting need to arrive by the 30th of June - please get writing! These should be a maximum of 300 words long, include a clear informative title, and indicate whether the contribution is offered as a poster or oral presentation. . Please send electronic abstracts to: m.j.bunting@hull.ac.uk or paper versions to: AEA Conference 2005
Quaternary Research Association 4th International Postgraduate Symposium We have the pleasure in informing you that the 'QRA 4th International Postgraduate Symposium' will be held from the 31st August to the 2nd of September 2005, organised by the School of Geography, University of Plymouth. The symposium will provide an opportunity for all postgraduates working within the Quaternary sciences to discuss their research in a relaxed an informal atmosphere. Following two days of oral and poster presentations a field trip to visit a number of locations in SW England is planned, led by Professor Dan Charman. We also aim to have a full and active social events programme to enable you to make the most of your time in Plymouth. Please note after the 30th May 2005 delegate will have to arrange their own accommodation. For further details and an opportunity to register please go to: You can contact us via email at: QRA2005@plymouth.ac.uk Registration fees and deadlines: Registration WITH accommodation: 30th May 2005 - £110 Registration ONLY: 30th June 2005 - £35 Abstract deadline 30th June 2005.
WARP (Wetland Archaeology Research Project) International wetland conference, September 21-23 2005, Edinburgh The 2005 WARP (Wetland Archaeology Research Project) conference, organised by SWAP (the Scottish Wetland Archaeology Programme) and supported by Historic Scotland and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, will be hosted by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland on 21-23 September 2005. It is worldwide in scope, and will focus in particular on peatland, lacustrine and alluvial/estuarine archaeology. Papers/posters on these themes are welcomed. The conference will consist of 2 days of lectures followed by a day-long field trip. There will be evening receptions at the Royal Commission and the National Museum of Scotland, and a conference dinner & ceilidh on the last night. For more information, contact Alison Sheridan a.sheridan@nms.ac.uk and see our website www.scottish-wetlands.org/
Developing International Geoarchaeology conference (DIG 2005) DIG 2005 is aimed at promoting and encouraging the application of the geological sciences to archaeological problems. Our goal is to bring together a wide variety of international researchers, practitioners and students in this interdisciplinary field. Oral and poster presentations (in English or French) will be accepted on any aspect of geoarchaeology and will be grouped into themed sessions. The conference will aim to contribute to research and scholarship internationally. We hope that further conferences will follow on a regular basis, as the geoarchaeological community develops into a self-sustaining group. This will create a nucleus for disseminating information about geoarchaeological activities, and a source of contact information for researchers, students, and anyone in the general public interested in pursuing questions relating to archaeology and geology. We will also publish a volume of conference proceedings, which will be of interest to researchers, university libraries and other institutions. Contact Information Telephone (New Brunswick is currently -3 hrs GMT) 001 (506) 453-4804 FAX 001 (506) 453-5055 Postal address Electronic mail
Sense from samples: to be held in John Henry Newman Building (Arts), University College Dublin on Saturday November 5th 2005. The audience will likely consist of archaeologists of all grades within the profession (commercial, state and academic), students of archaeology and specialists from the discipline and cognate subjects. The seminar aims to inform and debate a practical approach to the understanding of sample collection and their potential. Speakers will include
Confirmed chairs include
Booking: Admission 10 euro (payable at the door, or by cheque in advance). Registration 9am - 9.45am. Early booking is advisable (contact Bairbre Mullee at conference@crds.ie or tel 01-2968190 or fax 01-2968195.
Food: Culture and Identity Saturday 12 November 2005 Stillorgan Park Hotel, Co. Dublin Food is a hugely significant part of our culture and identity. Archaeology, anthropology, history, sociology and folklore can all be used to explore its many cultural, social and symbolic meanings, teasing out peoples different ideas about what food we should eat, how it should be prepared and consumed. It is strange, then, that the social role of food remains a neglected subject in archaeology. Traditionally, scholars have concentrated more on the economics and technology of food production, and less on where, how and why people ate different foods. In recent years, people have started to recognise how aspects of identity, status, gender and sociality were negotiated and performed through the choice of foods, their preparation, display, consumption, and ultimately even the disposal of human waste. This Archaeology Ireland conference will explore food in all its flavours, subtleties and uses, debating what food means to us as people, what it says about our ideas about plants and animals, and how we use it to build and nurture social relationships with each other.
Archaeology Ireland gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and The Heritage Council Early booking advisable Cost is Eu50 contact: Food: Culture and Identity booking form (food-conference.pdf 0.9Mb) To download right click on link and select Save Target As...(IE) or Save Link As...(Netscape)
Visualising Past Environments: new directions in palaeo-landscape studies AEA Annual Meeting 19 th - 20 th November 2005 Final call for papers! There are still a few spaces for those wishing to present at the annual AEA meeting. The deadline for submission is 14 th October 2005 so time is running out. We welcome offers relating to any aspect of visualising the past via environmental archaeology. This annual meeting is an opportunity for all environmental archaeologist, whether student, academic, or practitioner, to explore the many ways in which we get from field data/sample to reconstructed landscaped. Is new technology and computer software helpful, distracting, or irrelevant to the reconstruction process? For further details and to register for the conference see www.hull.ac.uk/geog , e-mail hullaea2005@hull.ac.uk or write to us at: Wetlands Archaeology and Environments Research Centre, Department of Geography, University of Hull , Cottingham Road , Hull , HU6 7RX Workshop on pollen-landscape calibration using POLLSCAPE and HUMPOL 18 th November 2005 The AEA meeting will be preceded by a one-day workshop on the POLLSCAPE approach to reconstructing past vegetation patterns from the pollen record. (see e.g. Sugita et al . 1999, Bunting et al . 2004), drawing on the work of the PolLandCal Network . The workshop will consist of a mixture of lectures to introduce the theories underlying the approach and practical sessions with the user-friendly software suite developed in Hull . Workshop costs will be £50, with discounts for student/unwaged/AEA members, including lunch, notes and software. Places are limited, and will be allocated on a first come first served basis, so please email HullAEA2005@hull.ac.uk or m.j.bunting@hull.ac.uk to register your interest.
‘Peatlands: the Archaeology and Environment of Bord na Móna Bogs’ Archaeological Development Services and Bord na Móna are holding a one-day seminar titled ‘Peatlands: the Archaeology and Environment of Bord na Móna Bogs’ on Friday the 2nd of December 2005 at the Helen Roe Theatre, 63 Merrion Square, Dublin. Further details can be found on the ADS website www.adsireland.ie or email peatlands@adsireland.ie or call 00353 (1)853 1009. |
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