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----- Original Message -----
From: "Kristin Armstrong Oma" <[log in to unmask]>
Dear friends and colleagues!
We would like to invite you to the seminar:
Ubiquitous animals and tangible relationships: living, thinking,
eating and representing.
A seminar on animals in archaeology at the University of Oslo, 6-7 May 2008
Organisers: Lotte Hedeager, Anja Mansrud, Kristin Armstrong Oma
The changing forms of human-animal relations in different societies
have been subject to a great deal of research within a broad field of
disciplines. A large body of material, in which theoretical issues are
paramount, are steadily appearing in disciplines such as sociology,
anthropology, ethology and "new geography". Prevalent agendas include
the influence of animals on human illness, the use of pets in therapy,
material culture and hybrids created to cater for animals – for
example in experiments, animal's place in urban spaces, and so on.
So, where does research on animals in archaeology stand today? During
the processual period of the 60ies and 70ies, zooarchaeology developed
as a sub-discipline that have contributed with a large body of
empirical data. However, in this period human-animal interactions were
almost exclusively perceived in ecological, economical and functional
terms. The study of animals in archaeology is currently in the process
of conquering new ground, and new theoretical approaches are emerging.
Notable areas are, for example, animals and identity construction,
cosmological perspectives on animals and the environment, ontological
perceptions of animals, integration of social life and economy –
practice and belief, and a formation of the relationship between
humans and animals as part of wider human-environment interactions.
In this seminar, we have invited some voices both outside and within
archaeology to give their point of view on animals in human societies.
The aim is to bring together the variety of perspectives that now
exists, to embrace animals as a source of knowledge of people's
everyday lives, including economic strategies, food consumption and
feasting and ritual practices, and also animals as symbols, in
religion and cosmology. Studies of faunal remains and other household
materials are important in this regard, as are representations of
animals, e.g. on rock art, ornaments on jewellery and figurines.
We invite speakers to address the issues outlined above in 40-45 min
papers, followed by a 20-15 min discussion.
The papers will be considered for publication in the forthcoming World
Archaeology volume 42:2 on human-animal relationships. Submission to
this volume is September 2008, and publication will be June 2010.
Deadline for submission of abstracts is March 1st, and registration
deadline is April 1st. More information will follow regarding details
of registration.
Best wishes,
Kristin Armstrong Oma, Lotte Hedeager and Anja Mansrud
--
Dr Kristin Armstrong Oma
Store Oma
4340 Bryne
Norway
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