Ireland will host the Sixth World Archaeological Congress (WAC-6), from 29th June – 4th July 2008. This is the first time that the Congress has been held in Ireland, and it promises to be a truly international and memorable event. The spacious campus of University College Dublin will be the main venue for WAC-6. The provisional online programme at www.ucd.ie/wac-6 now lists 30 exciting themes, whose organisers represent over 20 different nations around the world.
Themes will cover diverse issues: the archaeology of art, identity, the human body, diaspora communities, islands, landscapes, and wetlands, heritage tourism, museums, the politics of archaeology, the ethics of archaeological practice in varied contexts from regions with Indigenous communities, or dramatically changing ecosystems, to those impacted by war or infrastructure developments, and many more. Additional new themes may also arise from independent session and paper proposals. The deadline for session proposals has now been extended to November 14th 2007 – please see the website to complete the online proposal form.
The academic programme for WAC-6 will be enriched by exhibitions, multimedia installations and video art, experimental archaeology demonstrations, performances, and a major art exhibition, Ábhar agus Meon / Materials and Mentalities. Participants will have the opportunity to experience Ireland’s outstanding archaeological heritage on several major field excursions, including the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Bend of the Boyne, as well as regional tours further afield. Furthermore, the rich cultural and social life of Dublin will undoubtedly be a major highlight for many!
For further information on the WAC-6 Programme, guidelines for submitting session, paper and poster proposals online, as well as details on accommodation, registration, grants, sponsorship and trade exhibition see www.ucd.ie/wac-6. Together with our friends and colleagues across Ireland, the Local and National Working Committees look forward to welcoming the world to WAC-6!