eNewsletters
Volume 41 November 2012
Editors: Marcus Brittain (mb654@cam.ac.uk) and Marisol Rodriguez Miranda (marirodz@gmail.com)
In This Issue
1. Executive News, by Claire Smith
2. News Items
3. News from WAC Members
4. Research Articles
5. New publications
6. Opportunities
(a) Calls for Papers
(b) Forthcoming conferences and sessions
(c) Jobs
7. Obituaries
8. Excerpts from other archaeological associations’ newsletters (used with permission)
(a) SALON
(b) Prehistoric Society of Zimbabwe Newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all WAC-7 deadlines with Facebook and Twitter, learn more about each session, find roommates for housing during the conference, and get excited about Jordan through photos of the region.
WAC-7 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WAC7Jordan
WAC-7 Twitter: https://twitter.com/WAC7Jordan
Do your colleagues know about WAC-7? Help spread the news by e-mailing and/or printing and posting WAC-7 fliers and posters. Documents are available at: http://wac7.worldarchaeologicalcongress.org/ Click on the tab “Stay Connected”
1. EXECUTIVE NEWS
WAC Student Writing Competition
The WAC Executive congratulates Mr Goce Naumov of the University of Skopje in the Republic of Macedonia, who was the winner of the 2012 WAC Student Writing Competition for his paper “Together we Stand – Divided we Fall: Representation and Fragmentation among Govrlevo and Zelenikovo Figurines”. The WAC Student Writing Competition annual prize was created to showcase original student research as an integral part of WAC and the future of archaeology as a discipline.
Membership Renewal
We remind WAC members that it is time to pay our membership fees. These funds cover the cost of the journal, and contribute towards a range of activities, such as the Archaeologists without Borders Program. If you have any doubts about your membership status, please check this with the WAC Membership Secretary, Akira Matsuda, akira-m@gd5.so-net.ne.jp.
WAC Booth at EAA
WAC had a booth at the September meeting of the European Archaeological Association, in Helsinki, Finland. The Executive would like to thank the organisations that sponsored material for the booth, especially Springer, which donated several books in the WAC series. We also thank the people who spent time at the WAC booth, especially Jan Turek and Magdalena Turkova, who took responsibility for setting up the booth at the beginning of the conference and dismantling it at the end.
Distribution of 10,000 WAC-7 Posters
In August we distributed 10,000 poster invitations to the Seventh World Archaeology Congress. Flinders University students mailed the majority of these out. This task was undertaken over several weeks as it involved compiling a global list of three thousand archaeology departments, museums and cultural institutions. The WAC-7 posters were designed by Sarah Hawley, a graduate student at the University of Liverpool, Colleen Morgan, a graduate student at the University of California at Berkeley, and Dru McGill from Indiana University, who is the student representative on the WAC Executive. Australian Cultural Heritage Management sponsored the mail out by providing ten $500 scholarships to allow student volunteers to attend WAC-7. The Executive would like to thank everybody involved in this enormous task. Executive would like to thank everybody involved in this enormous task.
Call for Expressions of Interest to Stand as WAC Executive Officers
WAC’s Secretary, Ines Domingo Sanz, has issued a call for expressions of interest from members who wish to stand as WAC Executive Officers. Expressions of interest are now open for the following positions:
–‐ WAC President
–‐ WAC Vice-President
–‐ WAC Secretary
–‐ WAC Treasurer
WAC members interested in standing for these positions are invited to send a statement of intentions (200-400 words), a photograph and a short C-V, which will be displayed on a section of the WAC-7 webpage. The required documents should be sent to the WAC Secretary Ines Domingo at ines.domingo@ub.edu.
People wishing to stand for these positions will need to be nominated and seconded by current members of WAC. The elections will be held in January, 2013, during the WAC-7 Congress in Jordan.
WAC Council Elections
WAC’s Secretary, Ines Domingo Sanz, has issued a call for the nomination of representatives to the WAC Council. We did not receive nominations for all regions and we have done a second call for the regions concerned. Any region for which nominations have not been submitted will be filled by appointment. The announcement of new Council members will be made in the near future.
WAC-7 in Jordan
WAC-7 in Jordan has moved into full swing. Brief information is outlined below, but people who wish to access more detailed information should go to the WAC-7 website at:
http://wac7.worldarchaeologicalcongress.org/
To assist participants, we have sourced cheap airfares from major centres to Amman. This document is available on the WAC-7 website.
Visas
WAC-7 participants do not need to go through an external visa application process. They should send Mohammad Debajah their Congress registration number, a scan of the first four pages of their passport and a letter from their institution confirming that they work or study there. Any queries about this process should be directed to the Academic Secretary of WAC-7, Talal Akasheh.
The countries of citizens who can get their visa when they arrive at the Queen Alia International Airport are on the WAC-7 website. Participants should be aware that some airlines will not let passengers on the plane unless they have visa. They check with their airline.
Airport Transfers
On 11th, 12th and 13th January WAC-7 will be providing transport from the airport to the Dead Sea, Madaba and Amman. There will be a small charge for this service. Return transport to the airport will be available on 19th, 20th and 21st January, again at a small charge.
Daily Transportation
Daily buses will run from Congress hotels at Madaba to the congress venue at the Dead Sea. There will be a daily bus from Amman. A full schedule of times and pick up/drop off locations will be available on the website closer to the congress date.
Renting a car is an option for those who prefer to travel freely. Car parking is available at the Dead Sea. Car rental companies include Hertz, Europcar & Avis.
Academic Program
The closing date for the submission of presentations is 15th November. The academic program for WAC-7 will be finalised in early December. At the time of writing WAC-7 had over 100 individual sessions and workshops. The Executive would like to express its gratitude to the Scientific Committee, which undertook the mammoth task of reviewing all submissions. We are also extremely grateful to three people who co-ordinated these efforts: Professor Anne Pyburn, Chair of the Scientific Committee, Dr Dru McGill, WAC-7 Program Coodinator and Ms Eli Konwest, WAC-7 Assistant Program Coordinator.
Travel Grants
In mid-October offers of WAC-7 travel grants were distributed to participants from 60 countries, in traditionally under represented categories: students and members of Indigenous communities and scholars from economically disadvantaged countries. More than 240 individuals applied for assistance before the deadline of 14th September, 2012. An additional 40 people applied for assistance from the Peter Ucko Archaeological Trust. The Executive is grateful to the two committees that assessed these applications. Finally, the Executive would like to thank all members who worked on WAC projects during the year. WAC is an organisation of volunteers and without your help, we would not be able to achieve any of our programs or activities.
We wish all of you all the best for the holiday season. We look forward to seeing many of you at WAC-7 in Jordan.
Regards,
Claire Smith, for the Executive
2. NEWS ITEMS
Places, People, Stories
Just over a year ago, Linnaeus University held the international and interdisciplinary conference “Places, People, Stories” at Kalmar, Sweden. The conference homepage with the full programme and other information is still available at
http://lnu.se/about-lnu/conferences/places-people-stories-2011?l=en.
Now two free conference documentations have been published.
Places, People, Stories – The Comic, by Mats Brate and Petter Hanberger – http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-21778 (press ”fulltext” for a pdf file, 55 MB) –
(read online) Places, People, Stories – The Film, by Staffan Lindqvist och Johanna Karlin – http://youtu.be/Y2xkwwPEUQ8
Both the comic and the film are not only documenting the conference but, as you will notice, they also make their own original contribution to the topic of the conference by using artistic means to explore the relations between places, people and stories.
Cornelius Holtorf, Linnaeus University
Voyager 2
Dr Alice Gorman (Flinders University and Australian Cultural Heritage Management Pty Ltd) recently conducted an interview with the Voyager 2 spacecraft (in collaboration with Dr Paul Filmer of the National Science Foundation). Voyager 2 was launched in 1977 by the USA, and is currently approaching the edge of the Solar System. The interview was an exercise in exploring the cultural values of a spacecraft. As Voyager 2 said, “… no other spacecraft have tasted and bathed in the outer reaches of our solar system as Voyager 1 and I have. Without us, scientists could only speculate what it is like out here. I like to think of our greatest achievement as simply laying down a path that others could follow; after all, we are the very first functioning human-made objects to venture this far out from the Sun, and into inter-stellar space!”
A short version can be found here: https://theconversation.edu.au/an-interview-with-voyager-2-at-the-edge-of-the-solar-system-9638, and the full version on Alice’s blog Space Age Archaeology: http://zoharesque.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/the-ghost-in-machine-interview-with_10.html
The Underwater Cultural Heritage in Vietnam project
To date the preservation and protection of underwater cultural heritage in Vietnam has had a low priority. There has been little or no formal teaching of maritime archaeology at universities in Vietnam and only a few government archaeologists have received any training in this subject area primarily by going overseas. Professor Tong Trung Tin, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology, recently expressed his concern about capabilities to conduct serious research on shipwrecks due to a lack of funding, human resources and equipment at an annual workshop of the archaeological sector held in Hanoi. The full story can be seen here:
http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20120929-374467.html
One example of the problems faced by underwater cultural heritage in Vietnam is exemplified by a 14th century shipwreck that was found in the waters of Binh Chau Commune (Binh Son District) in Quang Ngai province in September 2012. Vietnam News has reported that ” The latest ship was … discovered … by local fishermen, who … stole various objects from the wreck to sell”. See: http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/Life-Style/230375/quang-ngai-to-protect-antiques-from-shipwreck.html
Researcher Pham Quoc Quan, former director of the National History Museum of Vietnam, stated that experts had confirmed the recent shipwreck found in Quang Ngai dated back to the 14th century, but experts had been unable to explore the ship due to a lack of proper human resources and equipment. Experts also said that the ship contained various ceramic wares made in China during the 14th and 15th centuries, and coins from the 12th and 13th centuries had also been found. See:
The Underwater Cultural Heritage in Vietnam project will offer internationally recognized Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS) training in Vietnam starting in November 2012. This project is designed to increase awareness at local, provincial and national levels about the extent and nature of Vietnam’s underwater and maritime cultural heritage. It will help Vietnam to preserve and protect its underwater cultural heritage and makes use of the innovative crowd-funding website CommonSites to help fund the training see: http://www.commonsites.net/
NAS training will be provided free of charge to Vietnamese students, government agency personnel, archaeologists and others in order to raise awareness about underwater cultural heritage and maritime archaeology in Vietnam. The NAS Introduction Course is a single day of training introducing participants to the subject of underwater cultural heritage and maritime archaeology. As well as an introduction to the basic principles of archaeology, the Course will also introduce the range of sites which can be covered under the title ‘nautical’ or ‘maritime’ archaeology – it is not just shipwrecks and it is certainly not all underwater. The NAS Part I Certificate is held over 2 days and builds on the knowledge and skills learnt during the NAS Introduction Course. The Certificate course will look at issues such as project planning 2D and 3D survey techniques, logistics, search and survey methods, and dealing with maritime archaeological finds through the use of case studies and examples see: http://www.nauticalarchaeologysociety.org/training/index.php
NAS training will be conducted at the Institute of Archaeology building in Hanoi mainly by members of the Bach Dang Battlefield Research group that has been working in Vietnam, in collaboration with the Vietnamese Institute of Archaeology (IA), for the last four years. The Bach Dang Battlefield Research group brings together a team from Vietnam, Australia, USA, Canada and Japan. This training project will capitalize on the presence in Vietnam of qualified and experienced maritime archaeologists on an annual basis for the Bach Dang Battlefield Research project. The training team includes Dr. Jun Kimura from the Asia Research Centre at Murdoch University, Dr Le Thi Lien from the Institute of Archaeology in Hanoi, Duong Bich Hanh from the UNESCO office in Hanoi and the Professor Mark Staniforth from Monash University, amongst others.
There is growing interest in the project and over 200 people have already joined the Underwater Cultural Heritage in Vietnam cause page on Facebook see: http://www.causes.com/causes/794053-underwater-cultural-heritage-in-vietnam
On 1 October 2012 Radio Australia’s Liam Cochrane conducted a six-minute interview with cause founder Mark Staniforth on Radio Australia’s current affairs program, Connect Asia that can be heard at: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/program/connect-asia/project-to-preserve-vietnams-underwater-heritage/1023208
To support or donate to the Underwater Cultural Heritage in Vietnam project see: http://commonsites.akvoapp.org/en/project/613/
Mark Staniforth, PhD, FSA. M.ICOMOS
Invitation to join the Australia/New Zealand Chapter of the Association of Critical Heritage Studies
This is an open invitation for scholars and researchers interested in the field of heritage studies to join the Australia/New Zealand Chapter of the Association of Critical Heritage Studies. The Association welcomes many different fields and disciplines, with the recent conference in Gothenburg (Sweden) including papers in the areas of archaeology, history, museum studies, anthropology, architecture and ethnology, to name but a few. For more information on the Association, including its Manifesto, please visit the Association website: http://archanth.anu.edu.au/heritage-museum-studies/association-critical-heritage-studies
The Australia/New Zealand Chapter is in the early stages of development. The primary intention of the Chapter will be to encourage networking, discussion and collaboration. As such the Chapter will aim to hold regular events in locations around Australia and New Zealand, as well as providing a forum for interaction online.
We encourage scholars and researchers who might have an interest in Australian or New Zealand heritage, or who are working within the heritage field in Australia or New Zealand, to join the Australia/New Zealand Chapter. We welcome suggestions and feedback regarding the structure and aims of the Chapter at this early stage of development, and are keen to foster an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach. Membership in the Chapter, and the Association, is free.
If you would like to join the Australia/New Zealand chapter, please email Amy Clarke (amy.clarke@uq.edu.au) and/or Anna Karlström (a.karlstrom@uq.edu.au)
3. RESEARCH REPORTS
Archaeology and History of Buddhist Shrines turned Hindu Temple in India
This project was initiated in the Saurashtra region of the Gujurat State in western India as the first steps to trace the presence and distribution of Buddhist culture during from the 2nd to 6th Centuries AD, as well as unraveling the mystery of complete eradication of this prime culture by the 7th century AD. We plan to examine all the major sites concerned with the spread of Buddhism in this region and its disappearance, along with nature of the eventual conversion of Buddhist shrines into Hindu temples and the consequent preservation of these sites from 7th century to the present. The first of these sites to be investigated is discussed in the following article.
History of Buddhist Religion in Saurashtra
The commencement of Buddhism in the Saurashtra region is thought to be around 268-232 BC, initially composed of Hinayan Buddhism, having also established centers in Junagadh, Sana, Ranpur and Talaja. This was most likely followed by Mahayan Buddhism, of which a golden period in this region is documented for the 2nd to 7th Centuries AD. However, during the 8th Century AD we see a sudden disappearance of the Buddhist sect with the downfall of Vallabhi.
To date, Buddhist idols have been found at the following locations:
- Khambhalida caves near Jetpur; the idol is of the 4th Century AD.
- Ishalya hills near Vala; a full, person-sized idol.
- Gohilvad near Amreli; excavations have recovered various idols of the 1st Century A.D.
- Vala; an idol dated to the 5th Century AD.
- Jain temple in Ghogha; an idol of Bhumi Sparsa Mudra dates to the 7th Century AD.
- Dhank; a 7th Century AD pralampada Buddha.
- Bhimkund, Osam Hills; a pralampada idol discovered by Shri Hasmukh Vyas.
Ranpur Dhingeshwar Temple: An Ancient Sangharam & Stupa
Ranpur is situated 18 KM North East of Porbandar City in the Gujarat State. The location plan shows the Dhingeshwar Temple with nearby landmarks. Ancient Buddhist sangharam and stupa have recently been documented from within the region. A sangharam is a monastic community meeting place, and a stupa is a large mounded structure containing Buddhist relics.
Carved out of limestone, the caves of Ranpur are the remains of the Buddha Chaitya-Vihara (Buddhist temple prayer hall enclosing a stupa). The present temple of Dhingeshwar Mahadev was originally a worship place of the Hinyan Buddha cult. In the local language ‘Dhing’ maybe translated into ‘big’ and the stupa was interpreted as the Shiv Ling sacred mountain by the local inhabitants. This stupa would have been worshipped during the period covering the 2nd Century BC to the 2nd Century AD.
Original Buddhist stupa, now in worship as Hindu Shiva Linga
Before the temple on the right side is a cave that may be the remains of a buddha vihar – a Buddhist centre or dwelling for religious work. This place would also have been a thriving sangharam, but has long since given way to its use by Brahmin sect, with a transformation in the worshipping practices from that of a Buddhist stupa to Hindu Shiva Linga.
The caves in the Barada Hills area are also carved from limestone, and were likely to have been a part of the Buddha Chaitya Vihara. These cave ‘architectures’ have also been found in the Sana, Talaja and Junagadh areas of the Saurashtra region. However, the sangharam caves of Ranpur are considerably smaller in their dimensions than those in the Barada Hills, measuring only approximately 55’ by 11’.
An example of a sangharam cave at Ranpur
Few of the caves have survived, with some having been converted into small quarries or mines and others having suffered collapse. However, a cluster of three caves has been surveyed at Ranpur during the project, each carved to equal dimensions (entrance: 9’6” by 8’, with a ceiling height of 6’; inner hall: 20’ by 20’). Two of the caves share a corridor, with a second corridor providing access to the third cave, although all three caves are eventually connected by an inner junction. Situated at the right is a water drainage system; a small platform (10’ by 4’) provides a seating arrangement for the monks, and the middle hall (18’ by 11’) would have been a gathering point for devotees. A small low door and side window provides entry to the hall, and is a feature noted for other Hinayan Viharas elsewhere, notably the Sana and Jamka sites. Today, however, a Hindu bull image (Nandi) is positioned in the hall, and a small passage to the right contains an idol of Vishnu.
Plan of one of a sangharam cave system at Ranpur
Together these are providing evidence for the early spread of Dharma to the far western side of India with accompanying settlement for Buddhist monks. The sangharam and vihars would have been filled with monks and followers, and the stupa chaitya would have witnessed flair of worship with the surrounding area filled with sacred stotras and prayers. However by the eighth century AD all this vanished. However, between the damaged architecture and buried caves there are glimpses of a royal past and continued reverence.
By Ketan Bhansali
Director, Shrimadrajchandra Prakrit Nidhi, Rajkot-India
(Thanks to Manibhai Vora and Narottam Palan for information, sources and courtesy)
4. NEW PUBLICATIONS BY WAC MEMBERS
Late Prehistoric Florida: Archaeology at the Edge of the Mississippian World. Edited by Keith Ashley and Nancy Marie White, University Press of Florida
This new book describes the native cultures in Florida right before the sixteenth-century invasion from Europe, Late Prehistoric Florida. It features contributions from prominent researchers who synthesize the latest data from excavations. As the “Viva Florida” celebration in 2013 marks the 500th anniversary of the Spanish entrada, this book reveals a diverse and vibrant collection of cleared-field maize farmers, part-time gardeners, hunter-gatherers, and coastal and riverine fisher-shellfish collectors who formed a distinctive part of the Mississippi-Period Southeast before they were forever changed or became extinct.
Language: English
Publication date: July 2012
Hardback
Extent: 398 pp
ISBN 10: 0813040140
ISBN 13: 978-0813040141
Price: $74.95
La Arqueología Social Latinoamericana. De la teoría a la práctica. Edited by Henry Tantalean y Miguel Aguilar Díaz. Universidad de los Andes, Censtro de Estudios Socioculturales, Bogotá.
This book is a compilation of papers from different authors which debates about the “social archaeology”, an archaeological theory which has its Latin American expression from the seventies. Starting from a balance, a critical perspective and different kind of theoretical and practical proposals of doing archaeology within a social and political activist context, this work constitute one of the most important perspectives about the academic, scientific and political practice of archeology from countries considered as the “periphery” in the production of knowledge. Also, this book is a complete synthesis of the Latin America Marxist archaeology and its very useful for didactical purposes, as well as it can be interesting for people who practice this was of doing archaeology in the (third) world or the global south.
El libro es una compilación de textos de autores en torno a la denominada “arqueología social”, una teoría arqueológica de trascendencia mundial que tuvo su expresión latinoamericana desde la década del 70. Partiendo de un balance, una crítica y diferentes propuestas teóricas y prácticas de hacer arqueología en un contexto social y político activo, constituye una de las más importantes perspectivas en torno a la práctica científica, académica y política de la arqueología desde países considerados como la periferia en la producción del conocimiento. El libro también es una completa síntesis de la arqueología marxista latinoamericana y puede servir propósitos didácticos e interesar a quienes practican esa forma de hacer arqueología en el (tercer) mundo o el sur global.
Language: Spanish
Publication date: October 2012
Paperback
Extent: 411 pp
ISBN: 978-958-695-742-7
Price: $70.00
‘An insider’s view of an alternative archaeology’ by Michael A Cremo, in From Archaeology to Archaeologies: The ‘Other’ Past. Edited by Anna Simandiraki-Grimshaw and Eleni Stefanou. British Archaeological Reports S2409 (Oxford).
From the publisher: “The idea for this volume emerged from critical self-reflection about diverse archaeological practices in a session presented at the 13th European Association of Archaeologists Annual Meeting (Zadar, Croatia, 2007), in particular the conflicting relationship between the ‘mainstream’ and the ‘alternative’.” Michael’s paper explores the nature of, and responses to, his Vedic alternative perspective on archaeological evidence for human origins and antiquity.
Language: English
Publication date: 2012
Paperback
Extent: 105 pp with 9 illustrations
ISBN: 9781407310077
Price: £24.00
5. OPPORTUNITIES
5a. Calls for Publication Contributions
AlterNative: International Journal of Indigenous Peoples
This is a multidisciplinary, internationally peer reviewed journal that aims to present indigenous worldviews from native indigenous perspectives. It is dedicated to the analysis and dissemination of native indigenous knowledge that uniquely belongs to cultural, traditional, tribal and aboriginal peoples as well as first nations, from around the world.
AlterNative publishes papers that substantively address and critically engage with indigenous issues from a scholarly indigenous viewpoint. All papers must address and engage with current international and national literature and academic and/or indigenous theory and make a significant contribution to the field of indigenous studies. Submissions responding to this general call for papers should relate to one or more of themes of the journal: origins, place, peoples, community, culture, history, heritage, colonialism, power, intervention, development and self determination.
AlterNative primarily accepts substantive articles (up to 7000 words) that address a particular indigenous topic or theme. We also publish short, timely commentaries which address a particular indigenous topic, theme, or contemporary issue affecting indigenous peoples (up to 3000 words long) as well as reviews of recently published books. Please visit our website for a list of books currently available for review. A sample article and author guidelines, including format and referencing styles, can be found on the AlterNative website. We welcome submissions all year round and early submission is recommended. For further details, please visit our website www.alternative.ac.nz, or contact us at
editors@alternative.ac.nz
5b. Forthcoming conferences and sessions
25th-29th November 2012
INTERCOM 2012 – museumchallenges
Sydney, Australia
Museums have always operated in times of change, yet the challenges and pace of change over the last five years has been unprecedented. Globalisation, environmental issues and climate change, relationships with Indigenous and creator communities, diversity of audiences, different employee mindsets, new skill sets, new media and technologies and the global financial crisis, have placed increasing pressure on the ways museums are managed and led. The conference will address these issues using a mix of conference/meeting formats designed to encourage conversation, learning, intellectual stimulation and exchange of ideas. INTERCOM 2012 is proudly supported by the Australian Museum and Sydney University Museum Studies.
Please follow the link to see further details and the conference program:
http://www.intercom.museum/Sydney2012.html
1st December 2012
World Heritage for Tomorrow
University College London (UCL)
Since the adoption of the World Heritage Convention in 1972, the perception of what constitutes ‘heritage’ has undergone dramatic change, including a widening of the definition to include both the ‘great’ and the ‘ordinary’, tangible and intangible forms of heritage, and even cultural diversity itself. The Convention has been central to debates which have transformed our understanding of what heritage is and does in contemporary global societies.
This one day conference is jointly organised by ICOMOS-UK, The Open University, UCL Centre for Museums, Heritage and Material Culture and the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. It marks the 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention by looking to the future of World Heritage in the UK and beyond. The conference brings together government representatives, policy makers, academics, heritage site managers and interested members of the public to discuss the role of World Heritage in the UK in the coming decades.
The full event programme including list of speakers and discussion topics is available to download from the toolbar on the right. http://www.icomos-uk.org/about-us/events/whtc/
28th March 2013
Shared Heritage
Strasbourg, France
Organised by the City of Strasbourg and the Association of the French World Heritage Sites, this conference will focus on exchange and dialogue on the theme of shared heritage and the situations in which it is possible to combine multiple heritage memberships. In particular, what are the current and potential roles of institutions and organisations such as UNESCO, Council of Europe, European Union, or NGOs in situations through which they join and participate in the protection of the heritage?
Core themes: (1) The construction and management of heritage across borders; (2) Heritage as built from multicultural references; (3) How to share a plural inheritance? (4) How do we appropriate a heritage built by the other one? (4) Sharing heritage and stakes of appropriation; (5) How is Outstanding Universal Value shared by all?
For further information, see the flyer: http://universidadypatrimonio.net/doc/Appel_fuup.doc or contact: forumdupatrimoine@strasbourg.eu
5th- 6th April 2013
Global Africa, Triple Heritage and Pax Africana: Looking Back and Looking Forward
(The New York African Studies Association (NYASA) 38th Annual Meeting)
Binghamton, New York
The New York African Studies Association (NYASA) will hold its 38th Annual Meeting, 5th-6th April 2013, at Binghamton University. The Local Organizing Committee takes special pride in announcing that this annual meeting also takes place on the occasion of the eightieth birthday of Professor Ali A. Mazrui and the fiftieth anniversary of his publishing career. The Institute of Global Cultural Studies at Binghamton University, host of the 2013 annual meeting of NYASA, invites abstracts of papers, proposals for presentations, panels and round-tables.
Contact information: Dr Seifudein Adem, The Institute of Global Cultural Studies, email: nyasa13@binghamton.edu Visit the website for more details: http://www.binghamton.edu/igcs/
21st-25th April 2013
Borders – Margins – Fringes: Archaeologies On/From the Edge (XIII Nordic TAG)
University of Iceland, Reykjavik
The Nordic TAG has through the years become an important event in reinforcing the reunion of Nordic colleagues strengthening the special characteristics of the inner Nordic discourse and partnership. It has proven to be an effective platform for young promising Nordic scholars in its aim of opening up Nordic scholarship, both in its variety and unity, to a broad international audience. The West-Nordic area is marginally located in multifarious aspects. A reorientation of perspective makes Iceland, however, an interestingly central node for an academic meeting of scholars from Scandinavia, continental Europe, Britain and North-America, where they can join in and/or contribute to the Nordic debate engaging in cutting edge discussions about the controversies and the ambiguities of Borders, Margins and Fringes.
The conference is now open for the submission of sessions. The deadline has been prolonged until 10 January 2013.
For all further information and inspiration, or in order to submit a session or register for the conference, please visit our homepage and Facebook site:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/XIII-Nordic-TAG-2013/296532330435360
4th May 2013
Religious Materialities: exploring the role of material culture in religious mediation
McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge
Abstract submissions are welcomed for ‘Religious Materialities’, a one-day workshop to be held in the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, on Saturday, May 4th 2013. ‘Religious Materialities’ provides an interdisciplinary forum to discuss the role of material culture in religious mediation. It will explore how material culture both informs and structures religious discourse across different social, cultural and historical contexts. Submissions to the following topics are welcomed: (1) the relationship between religious material culture, emotion and cognition, (2) the materiality and role of religious art, iconography and aesthetics, (3) the role of material culture in ritual practice, (4) religious material culture and the body, and (5) object biographies and temporalities
The deadline for abstract submissions is Friday, January 25th 2013. Abstracts (max. 300 words, English) should be sent to religiousmaterialities@gmail.com
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the workshop organiser, Sebastian Becker (snb27@cam.ac.uk). More information on the workshop can be found on the website
http://religiousmaterialities.wordpress.com/
24th-26th July 2013
Sharing Cultures 2013 (3rd International Conference on Intangible Heritage)
Aveiro, Portugal
Organised by: Green Lines Institute for Sustainable Development
Sharing Cultures 2013 – 3rd International Conference on Intangible Heritage is a peer reviewed conference that follows the path established by the previous Conference on Intangible Heritage (Sharing Cultures 2009 and 2011) and aims at pushing further the discussion on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), under the main topics proposed by the UNESCO Convention adding some new field of discussion, namely on what concerns management and promotion of ICH, educational matters and musealization (please refer to the list of Topics).
As in its previous edition, Sharing Cultures 2013 will include a number of workshops promoting some hands-on experience to all Delegates who will have the opportunity to learn traditional know-how from its owners and practitioners.
Submit an abstract via the conference website:
http://www.sc2013.greenlines-institute.org or contact the Conference Secretariat at sc2013@greenlines-institute.org
20th-24th August 2013
Stories Written In Stone: International Symposium on Chert and Other Knappable Materials (5th Arheoinvest Symposium)
Iasi, Romania
As far as raw materials go, chert and other knappable stone stand out as some of the most common materials in the archaeological record, and in fact in early prehistory, often the only preserved material. They were used in almost every corner of the world, from the Palaeolithic up until today. Use of these materials even predates the appearance of our own species. This conference will cover all aspects of knapped stone raw materials from geological origin, to mining, usage, and laboratory analyses on these materials. Papers will be accepted on any culture or time period. Whether you are a field archaeologist, laboratory researcher, ethnographer or a modern day knapper yourself, we are interested in your research.
For more information, please visit the event’s webpage at:
http://arheoinvestsymposium.uaic.ro/stone
20th-26th September 2013
Art as a Source of History (XXV° International Symposium of Valcamonica)
Valcamonica, Italy
The 25th International Symposium of Valcamonica (Italian Alps) is planned to take place on 20th-26th of September 2013. The title is ‘Art as a Source of History’ and the active participation is open to all the disciplines of the Human sciences and of the Social sciences. Tentatively four sessions have been proposed so far: (1) Art and Life-style; (2) Art as World Heritage; (3) Making History of Prehistory; (4) Decoding Rock Art. Please note other sessions may be considered. The size of the Symposium is restricted to 100 participants and you are warmly invited to participate. Kindly propose the title of your paper or that of the session you wish to organize and chair. We look forward to hearing from you.
Contact details: Prof. Emmanuel Anati, President of the Vancamonica Symposia
(emmanuel.anati@gmail.com)
21st-31st October 2013
The Indigenous Peoples of Latin America, 19th-21st Centuries. Advances, Perspectives, and Challenges
Instituto Cultural Oaxaca in Oaxaca City, Mexico.
The themes around which symposia will be organized are as follows: Social Movements and resistance, Education, Postcolonial Studies, Agrarian Studies, Territorialities, Identities, Indigenismo, Multiculturalism, Interculturalism, Meanings of citizenship, Natural resources, Migration, and Gender.
In this first stage, we invite symposium proposals involving a maximum of five participants, including the coordinator. Subsequently, we will seek individual paper proposals for consideration and inclusion in the symposia approved by the Organizing Committee. The coordinators of each symposium will be responsible for organizing and submitting their proposal and, once the call for individual papers has been made, for selecting the five members of the symposium.
Proposals for symposia must be registered on the Congress website following its publication on 22nd October 2012 and before 1st February 2013:
www.congresopueblosindigenas.org
5c. Jobs
Lecturer in Anthropology
University of Adelaide, School of Social Sciences
Deadline: 23rd November 2012, 17.00
Reference Number: 1140
Salary: Level B AUD$83,620 – $99,300 per annum
The University of Adelaide is a member of the Group of Eight – Australia’s leading universities in research, teaching and scholarship. The School of Social Sciences is located in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and includes the following four disciplines — Anthropology and Development Studies; Asian Studies (including Chinese, Japanese and Indonesian); Geography, Environment and Population; and Gender, Work and Social Inquiry.
With a full-time staff of nine, the Discipline of Anthropology and Development Studies aims to integrate basic and applied research with a focus on the Asia Pacific region. It delivers an undergraduate curriculum leading to a major at the Bachelor level and Honours degree in both Anthropology and Development Studies as well as a large and active postgraduate research program. Staff research themes include medical anthropology, Pacific and Asian religions and rituals, anthropology of space and place, gender and sexuality, media and development, governance and development, community and participatory development, and applied research funded by government and business.
Anthropology is rated as performing above world standard (4 out of a possible ranking of 5) in the 2010 Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) rankings. The ERA initiative assesses research quality within Australia’s higher education institutions using a combination of indicators and expert review by committees comprising experienced, internationally recognised experts.
Further information regarding this position, including the selection criteria and contact details can be followed at this link: http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/AFL325/lecturer-in-anthropology/
Auschwitz Jewish Center Fellows Program
Deadline: 21st January 2013
Auschwitz Jewish Center, Museum of Jewish Heritage, New York
The AJC Fellows Program is a three week study trip for students who are matriculated in graduate programs or are completing undergraduate degrees in 2013 in Holocaust studies and related fields. Students of all faiths and ethnicities with an interest in Holocaust studies, Jewish Studies, Polish-Jewish history, memory, or human rights are strongly encouraged to apply. All program costs, including international travel, lodging, room and board, and materials, are covered.
Since 2000, the AJC Fellows Program has provided a unique educational opportunity to learn about the Holocaust in situ in the context of Poland’s history and Jewish heritage. It is the goal of the Auschwitz Jewish Center Fellows Program that Fellows gain not only knowledge of the Holocaust sites they visit, but also an understanding of the legacy of the Holocaust in Poland, its effects on collective memory, and complexities surrounding such categories as victim, bystander, and perpetrator. After a brief orientation in New York City, the Fellows travel in Poland for three weeks, during which time they visit Krakow, Warsaw, Lódź, Treblinka, and Oświęcim (Auschwitz). The Fellows travel to small towns in the regions surrounding Warsaw and Krakow, as well as through south-eastern Poland and north-eastern Slovakia, to explore the area’s rich Jewish heritage and meet with local leaders to learn about pre-war Jewish life, life under the Nazi occupation and Communism, and the state of Jewish communities and memory in Poland today.
In Oświęcim, the Fellows attend an intensive program at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum where they tour the camps, study the history of Jewish, Roma, and Polish inmates, and take part in workshops with Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum staff on the collections and education departments. While in Oswiecim, the Fellows may have the opportunity to meet European students and observe educational workshops at the Auschwitz Jewish Center.
Upon returning home, each Fellow will complete an article for the Auschwitz Jewish Center ENewsletter and an essay reflecting on his or her experience.
For more details contact Shiri B. Sandler (ajc@mjhnyc.org)
The application is available here: .
5d. Other Positions
Co-Editor of Archaeologies
Notice is hereby given of the call for expressions of interest to serve as a co-editor of Archaeologies, WAC’s journal, for a four-year term, beginning February, 2013. WAC members interested in standing for this position are now invited to send a short CV and a statement of intention (mx 400 words), describing editorial background as well as editorial skills that would strengthen the journal according to WAC’s principles. These documents shall be sent to the WAC Executive (wacexecutive@flinders.edu.au) no later than December, 15th 2012. Selected applicants attending WAC-7 will be interviewed in Jordan; those not attending will be interviewed via Skype.
Position Description- Journal Editor(s)
Purpose
The Journal Editor(s) are responsible for the timely and high quality production of Archaeologies. Journal of the World Archaeological Congress, which is the banner journal for the organization.
Accountabilities
This is an appointed position. The Editor(s) are accountable to the elected office bearers of the WAC Executive.
Responsibilities
- Where possible, attend meetings of the WAC Executive, Council, and Assembly.
- Plan the content of the journal.
- Develop the journal so that it obtains and maintains Rate A ISI accreditation.
- Solicit articles from an international pool of authors.
- Solicit guest editors from an international pool.
- Design and arrange for a Forum section.
- Check the acceptability of rewritten submissions with authors before sending out for review.
- Arrange peer review (a minimum of two reviews per article) from an international pool.
- Negotiate with the editorial staff at Springer.
- Assist authors, reviewers, and guest editors in using the automated Springer system.
- Organize and present the results of the reviews to authors.
- Make article selection decisions based on the reviews. (The Editor-in-Chief has the final decision, though, and is not required to follow the recommendation of the reviewers).
- Final proofing of table of contents, front matter and back matter.
- Set and enforce deadlines.
- Act as official representative of Archaeologies as needed.
- Respond to all Archaeologies correspondence, forwarding correspondence as needed.
- Maintain the Editorial Board mailing list.
- Maintain contact with authors about the status of their submission.
- Select, appoint and dismiss Editorial Board members and other volunteers who participate in the production of the journal (e.g. abstract translators).
- Contribute information on the journal to WAC’s annual report.
- Identify potential professional opportunities for the organisation and its members.
Skills and Experience
Demonstrated commitment to WAC’s aims and activities.
Experience within WAC organisational structure.
Experience as an editor.
Excellent organisational and forward planning skills.
Excellent written communication skills.
An understanding of contemporary socio political issues in archaeology.
Understanding of the issues faced by Indigenous groups and people in economically disadvantaged countries, and of the challenges of cross-cultural communication.
Issue 42 will be distributed in January. Contributions recounting stories, memories and thoughts relating to any aspect of WAC7 are strongly encouraged. Also, please also send in short accounts of your research to update the WAC community on your new or on-going projects.
Email contributions to Marcus Brittain at mb654@cam.ac.uk