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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/