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The Archaeology of Post-Medieval Religion 12th-14th September 2008, Norwich The Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology and the Society for Church Archaeology are pleased to announce a forthcoming joint conference on the archaeology of religion in Britain from 1580 to 1900. The joint SPMA/SMA (2001) conference 'The Archaeology of Reformation, 1480-1580' demonstrated the huge potential for the study of landscapes, buildings and material culture for understanding complex religious change. The 2008 joint conference, which will be held from the 12th-14th September in Norwich, seeks to extend these insights to explore the development of religious ideologies and practices in the post-medieval world. The seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were a period of profound religious and cultural change; of sustained theological debate and violent religious conflict. Beyond the upheavals of the Reformation, traditional religious spaces, objects and symbols were transformed and incorporated in the service of a distinctive and vibrant Protestant culture. At the same time this period saw the fragmentation of the Christian community, as new denominations, sects and religious groups emerged to challenge the hegemony of the established Church. Proposals are sought for 20-minute papers dealing with any aspect of the archaeology of religious institutions, communities and identities in Britain in the period 1580-1900. 'Archaeology' in this context is held to include any aspect of the spatial and material context of religious belief and identity, and may incorporate the study of rural and urban landscapes, buildings, monuments, objects, rituals, practices and representations. Themes and issues of particular interest are: * The practice of Anglican religion in the period 1580-1900, in urban and rural communities, in different countries and regions, in various types of religious institution * The impact of theological and political debates on the physical context of religious life, such as between Arminianism and Puritanism in the seventeenth century * The emergence, spread, and distinctive identities of Nonconformist communities, in landscapes, buildings, monuments and burial practices * The activities and identities of independent and non-Protestant religious groups, and the development of religious pluralism * Post-medieval burial practices and strategies of commemoration * The legacy of folk beliefs, ritual practices and witchcraft in this period Proposals for papers on these or other related topics are welcomed from established academics, PhD students, professional archaeologists, those involved in heritage management and independent researchers. The aim of the conference is to highlight the rich diversity of religious life in post-medieval Britain, to explore the potential of physical evidence for the study of religious belief and practice in this period, and to work towards a research agenda for understanding the growth and development of religious communities and identities in the post-medieval world. The conference venue will be The Maid's Head Hotel, Tombland, in the centre of Norwich opposite the Cathedral. The conference programme will include the opportunity to visit many of the churches, nonconformist chapels and other religious buildings for which the city is famous. Please send abstracts of c.300 words to Dr Chris King at [log in to unmask] by the end of September 2007. Papers may be considered for publication in the journal of one or other of the two societies, subject to refereeing. For further information, please contact Dr Chris King, School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH. Tel: 0116 252 2175; e-mail: [log in to unmask] -------------------------- contemp-hist-arch is a list for news and events in contemporary and historical archaeology, and for announcements relating to the CHAT conference group. ------- For email subscription options see: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/archives/contemp-hist-arch.html ------- For CHAT meetings see: http://www.bris.ac.uk/archanth/events/chat.html --------------------------