A note to confirm that CHAT 09 discussants are now confirmed as Prof Mary Beaudry 
(Boston University), Dr James Symonds (Sheffield University), Prof Chris Gosden (Oxford 
University) and Prof Laurie Wilkie (University of California, Berkeley).

Along with Dr Nick Shepherd (University of Cape Town) as keynote, and Hedley Swain 
(Museums, Libraries and Archives Council) giving concluding comments, this makes for a 
terrific lineup for the 7th annual meeting of the CHAT group.

We hope to be able to hold the Friday evening reception in the Pitt Rivers Museum - 
confirmation to follow.

Some excellent paper submissions are flowing in thick and fast, so do email your paper 
titles and abstracts by the end of the month to [log in to unmask]

Call for papers copied below,

DH

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CHAT 2009
KEBLE COLLEGE, OXFORD UNIVERSITY

Modern Materials:
the archaeology of things from the early modern, modern and contemporary world

Friday 16-Sunday 18 October 2009

How does the study of material things contribute to our understanding of the early 
modern, modern and contemporary world? What is the distinctive contribution of 
archaeology in these studies?

CHAT 2009 focuses on the archaeological study of ‘Modern Materials’ – from ‘small things 
forgotten’ to large and complex technological artefacts; and from discrete, single objects 
to large, disparate assemblages.

The study of material things is a central element of all archaeology. But some have 
argued that a concentration on materials fetishizes things, focusing too much attention on 
the empirical detail of materials or manufacture. Equally, others have suggested that 
material culture studies are too often strangely dematerialised – focused only on social 
relationships and not on the physicality of objects. Responding to both these arguments, 
CHAT 2009 considers and celebrates the diversity of archaeological studies of ‘modern 
materials’, and their interdisciplinary contribution.

Papers are invited that focus on the study of particular ‘modern materials’, broadly 
interpreted: the many material dimensions of the early modern and modern periods and 
the contemporary world (c. AD 1600 to present).

Questions addressed by the conference will include, but are not limited to:

Is it helpful to define the archaeology of the modern world according to its focus upon 
material things?
How can contemporary and historical archaeology relate to anthropological material 
culture studies?
How can we rethink archaeology’s distinctive approaches to studying things as important 
tools and resources, rather than simply methods for dry empiricism?
Registration: £40 (including tea and coffee, wine reception, excluding accommodation)

Abstracts of no more than 300 words should be sent to the conference committee at 
[log in to unmask] by 31 May 2009 at the latest. Any queries should be sent to the 
same email address.

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contemp-hist-arch is a list for news and events
in contemporary and historical archaeology, and
for announcements relating to the CHAT conference group.
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http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/archives/contemp-hist-arch.html
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Visit the CHAT website for more information and for future meeting dates:
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