glasgow.ac.uk
Logistics
Date: 2-4 December 2022
Title: The environmental archaeology of landscapes and land-use
Host institutions: University of Glasgow and University of Pennsylvania, USA (remotely)
Organisers: Nicki Whitehouse, Matt Jacobson, Gareth Beale (University of Glasgow); Xiaolin Ren (University of Glasgow and Chinese Academy of Sciences); Kathy Morrison (University of Pennsylvania)
Call for papers
The 42nd conference of the Association for Environmental Archaeology will be hosted at the University of Glasgow over the 2nd — 4th December 2022; colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania will co-host aspects of the programme remotely.
Humans do not live in isolation from nature. In this conference, we would like to explore our changing relationships to landscapes and land use and consider how humans and non-humans have developed entangled and complex relationships with other beings. We are interested in the ways archaeology can enable us to examine these relationships in the past, especially when it comes to more creative ways to think about landscapes and human activities within them.
An important area where we have impacted landscapes is around changing land use, often instigated by agricultural practices. What have the effects of these activities been on our landscapes and how have these shaped by cultural activities and human agency? Major historical transitions, such as the start of the Neolithic, and technological advances, such as intensification of agriculture or urbanization processes, have driven major changes in land use. Thus, human land use activities are known drivers of vegetation change and can also produce potentially significant levels of greenhouse gases.
How can we improve our understanding of these effects from analysis of the archaeological and palaeoecological record?
Finally, an additional interest is around what we can learn from approaches developed within the digital humanities, for example, in thinking about and interpreting human relationships to landscapes and places?
The conference will showcase research that explores our relationships to landscapes and land use to consider how we have shaped our modern world and its current ecological and climate crisis. We are interested in hearing about research that investigates the environmental archaeology of landscapes and landuse studies that utilise archaeological and historical evidence, including texts, maps, images, settlement datasets, artifacts, plant and animal remains, biomolecular evidence, taking a variety of perspectives; we are also keen to welcome contributions from the digital humanities that engage with these lines of evidence as well as the broader themes of the conference.
We are looking for papers that consider:
- Human-induced changes to landscapes, land use and environments at all scales
- Considerations of how human activities have shaped our cultural landscapes
- Engagement with more-than-human and multi species approaches that offer new ways of thinking about our past landscapes and place in the world
- Consideration of how past land-use change is a major driver of our current
- ecological and climate crisis
- Consideration of the creative ways offered for exploring and understanding past landscapes and land use through digital media
- What lessons can be learnt by bringing together different focal approaches towards a more sustainable, culturally informed future?
Deadline for Oral abstracts
The deadline for oral abstracts is 29 July 2022, using a template (to be provided) of no more than 300 words and submitted to xlren@ihns.ac.cn
Poster abstracts are also welcomed.
Conference programme
The Conference will start early evening on Friday 2nd December 2022, opening with a keynote lecture, and followed by a wine reception at the University of Glasgow. The main conference programme will follow over the 3rd—4th December, finishing by 4pm. There will be a Conference Dinner on the evening of the 3rd December (up to 60 participants).
On Monday 5th December, there will be an optional fieldtrip to Kilmartin Glen and nearby monuments; this will be led by Dr Kenny Brophy and Dr Nicki Whitehouse, with a stop en route, at Inveraray.
Costs
Registration costs: £80 for AEA members; £100 for non-AEA members; £50 for AEA student/retired members; £60 for non-AEA student/retired members.
Costs include conference venue, lunch and refreshments on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th December; evening reception on Friday 2nd December.
- Optional Conference Dinner: £35 for 2 course meal (final cost to be confirmed).
- Restricted to 60 people.
- Optional Fieldtrip to Kilmartin Glen: £30 to cover vehicle hire. Lunch to be provided by participants.
A booking form will be available shortly.
A bursary for Conference attendance by AEA members is also available; details of how to apply for this will be available in due course.
General queries on the conference and programme can be addressed to nicki.whitehouse@glasgow.ac.uk.
Further information
Website: https://envarch.net/
General queries on the conference and programme can be addressed to nicki.whitehouse@glasgow.ac.uk.