Dear Colleagues,
I am hoping to organise a session at this years EAA conference, to be
held at Riva del Garda,in September. The provisional title is Italian
Prehistory - New Discoveries, New Methods and New Interpretations. The
underlying theme is to examine how archaeological science has
contributed to our understanding of the past. Italian prehistory has a
huge wealth of material evidence which could be analysed using the
wide repertoire of scientific applications now available. New data
from such methods as ancient DNA, stable isotopes and strontium,
oxygen and sulphur isotopes can shed light on social organisation,
diet and migration. Alternative dating methods to radiocarbon dating
can be used where organic material is scarce or non-existent. Aerial
photography and remote sensing can reveal new sites and details of
sites already located. Ground penetrating radar can be used to
discover underground anomalies. Computer modelling is becoming
increasingly used. Not forgetting, in the year marking the 200th
anniversary of Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the
publication of 'On The Origin of Species', the application of
evolution in archaeology. These are just a few examples out of a wide
range of methods used in today's archaeology. More philosophical
discussions are also welcomed - should archaeological science be
systematically organised and applied to all excavated material - is
this possible and desirable? Is there any hostility between
archaeological science and archaeological theory in Italian
prehistory, as some have claimed to exist in Britain? Has
archaeological science overturned long held archaeological
interpretations in Italian prehistory (and elsewhere)? Can
archaeological theory inform scientific practice in Italian
archaeology? Who should fund archaeological science and who should
carry it out? I would also welcome papers on new fieldwork
discoveries, which have potential for the application of
archaeological scientific methods.
This email is to gauge the amount of interest for this session. If you
are interested in contributing a paper, please let me know as soon as
possible, with a provisional title and short paragraph.
With best wishes e saluti cordiale
Keri A. Brown
Honorary Lecturer in Biomolecular Archaeology
Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre
University of Manchester
131 Princess Street,
Manchester
M1 7DN
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