Dear Zooarch'ers

Please find below a Call for Papers for a session in the forthcoming 10th
European Association of Archaeologists Conference to be held in France.
Please feel free to forward this on to your institutions/colleagues who
might not be on the Zooarch list but may be interested in participating.

Many thanks.


CALL FOR PAPERS

European Archaeologists Association 2004 – Lyon: 6th to 12th of September

Session Title:

Advancing Zooarchaeology – Beyond Socio-Economics in Faunal Research

Abstract:

 Advances in zooarchaeological methodologies have contributed
considerably to increasing the level of interpretation possible from
archaeological settlements, thus the value of faunal investigations is
becoming increasingly recognised. Animal bone analysis has led to
information relating to animal exploitation, patterns of use,
transportation, acculturation, diet and trade to name a few factors.
 However, as the examples given above demonstrate, the majority of
research is concerned with aspects of economy and subsistence. While this
is highly valuable in developing a socio-economic model of the environment
in question, aspects such as those mentioned above need not be the limit
of what zooarchaeological investigation can achieve.
 Consequently, this session will explore some novel avenues of
faunal research that have led to a diversification of interpretation.
Information on culture, socio-politics, cognition and perception of
animals and changes in attitudes towards animals are just a few of the
potential areas that zooarchaeology can impact upon. The socio-economic
contributions made by zooarchaeological investigation have been of
considerable value in understanding the decision-making processes involved
in past societies and this should not go unrecognised. However, the value
of animal bones as a means of eliciting cultural information and
developing theoretical models also requires recognition and this session
aims to highlight this issue. Development of new techniques and wider
implementation of current method, to areas where certain techniques are
not seen as viable, should set the precedence for improved levels of
interpretation.

Call for Papers:

 Papers in this session will highlight the benefits of
zooarchaeological investigation to furthering our understanding of
complexity, socio-politics, faunal perceptions and cultural attributes
across a range of spatial and chronological settlement types. This will
open to debate issues such as problems with current methodologies and how
these might be answered with improvements/innovations in the methods
currently used.

Full Conference Details: http: //www.eaa-lyon-2004.org/

For further details or to send abstracts please contact me at the
following address / e-mail:

Session Organiser:
Krish Seetah
Grahame Clark Laboratory
Dept. of Archaeology
University of Cambridge
Downing Street CB2 3DZ
Tel: 01223 339 349
E-mail: [log in to unmask]