Please consider submitting a paper or
poster for a session at ICAZ 2010 on Empires, which genuinely seeks to compare
experiences from as many countries and time periods as possible.
I am also happy to consider refining the
scope of this session, which was originally conceived as ‘empires and armies’
Session proposal for ICAZ 2010 in Paris:
Empires
Co-ordinator: Dr Sue Stallibrass,
English Heritage and University of Liverpool, U.K. [log in to unmask]
Empires have risen and fallen in many parts
of the world, from prehistoric times to the modern world.
Are empires simply particularly large or
complex trading networks, or is there something special about how their faunal
resources were utilised and produced? For instance, do systems of production
and supply have to change significantly in order to accommodate developments in
scale and complexity? Relevant factors include the employment of armies and
slaves: the former can be a drain on resources that peaceful trading does not
incur, but the latter can be exploited to increase production. Are empires
inevitably unsustainable in the long term?
The spread of an empire can also impact on
people’s cultural and religious practices. Are they homogenised or do
regional/local differences survive? Does access to resources become more
hierarchical?
This session will investigate whether or
not there are common aspects to empires and invites contributions from all
parts of the world and a range of archaeological periods.
Two major themes are:
(1) What makes an empire special in
terms of production, supply and use of faunal resources?
(2) How does an empire impact upon
indigenous patterns of animal exploitation?
We particularly encourage papers and
posters that integrate different lines of evidence, especially with regard to
economic, cultural and political perspectives. Here is an initial list of
suggestions for consideration: others are welcome.
Intensification of production: increased quantities, new products (eg fleece, dairy), changed
emphases
Development of preservation, storage and
transport facilities: cheese, salted meat, barrels
and ships
Spread/suppression of religious
practices: patterns of deposition of species, body
parts, ages, locations
Importation of live animals (intentional or non-intentional): new species, new phenotypes
The use of slave labour: production, processing and manufacturing sites
Supplies to the military: local, regional and long-distance supply systems
The impact of empires: comparisons of local resource use before, during and after empire
rule
Sustainability of empires: economic modelling of the viability of resource production and
distribution
Best wishes
Sue
Dr Sue
Stallibrass direct phone:
0151 794 5046
English Heritage Archaeological Science Adviser for North
West England
Department of Archaeology, SACE,
Hartley Building, Brownlow street,
University of Liverpool
LIVERPOOL
L69 3GS
-----Original Message-----
From: Analysis of animal remains from archaeological sites
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Megan Caldwell
Sent: 05 April 2009 05:27
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [ZOOARCH] ICAZ 2010 - Mass Harvesting Session
Hello All,
I am soliciting interest in conducting a session at ICAZ
2010 on mass
harvesting technologies through zooarchaeological,
technological and
theoretical lines of evidence. It is my hope to bring
together researchers
working on a variety of topics, including considerations
of the use of these
technologies beyond traditional faunal analyses, and to
publish papers from
this session. If you are interested in this session,
please contact me
directly. Please also pass this on to any non-zooarch
colleagues who might
be interested.
Megan Caldwell
PhD Student
Department of Anthropology
University of Alberta
Mass harvesting of fauna was practiced in prehistory by a
wide array of
cultures. Archaeologists have often sought to understand
the roles of mass
harvesting in past societies, and now commonly do so through
zooarchaeological analyses. However, reconstructing the
social, economic,
and technological intricacies of mass harvesting from
archaeological
evidence can be less than straightforward. Some such
technologies were
significant material investments and required
considerable labour and
organization to be used effectively. Other mass
harvesting technologies were
more humble affairs but nonetheless were quite
productive. The papers in
this session will explore the archaeology of mass
harvesting technologies
from zooarchaeological, technological, and theoretical
lines of evidence.
Papers are solicited on the topics below, and any others
related to the use
of mass harvesting technologies.
• zooarchaeological signatures of mass harvesting
technologies
• analyses of the technologies themselves
• comparative studies of use of mass harvesting
technologies
• theoretical considerations of the role of mass
harvesting technologies
• comparisons of intensive and non-intensive
harvesting practices
• impacts of the use of mass harvesting technologies
on fauna