Call for submissions

Tales of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow:  Post-bellum through 21st Century
Archaeologies.

Mid-Atlantic Archaeological Congress Annual Meetings
March 11-13, 2005
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, USA


Session Organizer and Chair:  Matthew S. Tomaso, Montclair State University
Discussants:  Lu Ann DeCunzo, University of Delaware
and TBA

Abstract:  Why wait for the vintage of material culture to reach some
arbitrary standard of antiquity?  Archaeologies of the recent past and
present are the beaujolais nouveau of historical archaeology, offering
complex textures, bold new flavors, and a ready challenge to our active
memories which may be incomparable in the scope of its theoretical
power.  The late 19th, 20th and even the 21st centuries include times of
sweeping and dramatic political, technological, social and economic
changes, characterized by the development of post-industrial, post-colonial
and post-modern society.  Further, the on-going proliferation and
diversification of material culture since the civil war has made its
interpretation within post-bellum contexts absolutely crucial. Arguably,
the role of cultural materials is as fundamental in contemporary western
societies as ever.  However there are many more of them, and their
fundamental relations to all aspects of society are, perhaps, even less
obvious and more complex than in earlier times.  Historical archaeologists
have found this frontier in time to be saturated with new questions,
problems, and possible answers, as well as new possibilities for
illuminating older issues.  Case studies and discussions to be presented in
this 2005 Mid-Atlantic Archaeological Congress session will provide
archaeological examples and perspectives on this pivotal time in American
history.



I am looking for 7-8 good papers which incorporate material data,
historical context, and (whether explicit or strongly implied) theory.  Due
to the nature of the particular conference, subject matter should be
limited to the Mid-Atlantic region, sites within the Mid-Atlantic or
surrounding areas.  Exceptions to this may be made for exceptionally good
submissions.  The only major limitation of the subject matter is the
topical time frame (see above).  Two discussants will also be involved in
this session, and completed drafts should be submitted at least 45 days
before the conference.  Please submit an abstract and title by e-mail
(<mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]) at your
earliest convenience, along with a statement of how close to completion the
work involved is.  The deadline for submissions for this session is
September 1, 2004.  This deadline will be extended if the requisite number
of satisfactory submissions are not received by this date.  The session is
to be scheduled for Sunday, March 13, 2005.


Matt Tomaso
Director, Feltville Archaeology Project
Principal Investigator and Associate Director, MSU Center for
Archaeological Studies
(973)655-7990

http://picard.montclair.edu/archaeology/