I am new to the list but I would like to point out in response
to Mary B that there are American archaeologists studying
contemporary culture. Chief among them would be William Rathje
at U of Arizona. His research on landfills and our
understanding of how 'biodegradable' biodegradable materials
really has been invaluable to modern societies and solid waste
planning.
The SHAs might not be the place that you encounter this
research, however, given the general interests of the
organization. But, they are out there...
---- Original message ----
>Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2007 18:16:19 -0400
>From: "Mary C. Beaudry" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: CFP: The Archaeology of Ten Minutes Ago -- SHA
2008
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
> 6:13
> Mary to Cornelius, show pm (1
> Beaudry CONTEMP-HIST-A. details minute
> ago
>
> Cornelius, it is our loss that you will not be
> attending the SHAs in Albuquerque, New Mexico. You
> would no doubt love it! I for one (not really for
> one, I know many share my opinion), am not all about
> the material and the past. One could never have
> been a student of Jim Deetz and feel that way. Jim
> sensitized us all to the archaeology of the here and
> now, of the materiality of the immaterial. (I
> realize this may be politically incorrect to say in
> the new era of denying materiality, which followed
> so closely if not rather rudely upon the recognition
> of same.)
>
> Sad to say, Cornelius, I think you misjudge the
> likely interests of the vast majority of American
> historical archaeologists. There is still a rather
> absurd clinging to "first," "earliest" and so forth,
> with a strangely un-anthropological interest in
> archaeological (if not material) analysis of
> contemporary culture. Sad, sad, to think that all
> that is Jamestown is somehow more important than the
> archaeology of so many other lives and times,
> especially those of the most recent past. Your
> contributions to our comprehension of same are much
> appreciated!
>
> all best,
> mary b.
> - Show quoted text -
>
> On 6/4/07, Cornelius Holtorf
> <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Hi!
>
> Jodi and Dave's SHA session outline below is
> beautifully phrased and the session will no doubt
> become a big event, attracting many great papers.
>
> But as the 'cut-off' date for something becoming
> archaeological now seems to have reached ten
> minutes ago, I wonder how long it will take until
> archaeologists are finally ready to study the
> present of the here&now! Do archaeologists really
> always have to study the past (how ever long ago)?
>
> And do archaeologists really always have to study
> the 'material world'? As far as I am concerned,
> archaeology can be defined at least as much by a
> set of particular research questions and
> methodological approaches as by a set of data
> (material culture) and subject matter (the past).
> Many of these questions and approaches may not be
> unique to archaeology, but archaeologists do have
> a significant contribution to make.
>
> 'Material histories' will always be a part of
> archaeology but I am not so sure that this focus
> can still serve to define the essence of a
> discipline that - as this session shows - is
> increasingly struggling with old boundaries.
>
> Just a thought.
>
> (And no, I will not be attending that SHA
> conference.)
>
> Cornelius
>
> -----
> Cornelius Holtorf
> * from January 2008: Högskolan i Kalmar *
> Institutionen för arkeologi och antikens
> historia, Lunds universitet
> http://web.comhem.se/cornelius
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Jodi Barnes <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Monday, June 4, 2007 9:12 pm
> Subject: CFP: The Archaeology of Ten Minutes Ago
> -- SHA 2008
>
> > Dave Gadsby and I are interested in organizing a
> session on
> > archaeologies of
> > the contemporary past for the 2008 SHA meetings.
> We are seeking
> > papers that
> > consider the challenges and benefits of
> archaeologies of the
> > recent past.
> >
> > *The Archaeology of Ten Minutes Ago: Material
> Histories of the
> > BurgeoningPast and the Vanishing Present*
> >
> > The contemporary material world changes at a
> breathtaking rate.
> > Landscapesrise and are transformed in a matter
> of a few years, and
> > whole cities can be
> > nearly destroyed in a matter of days. Rural and
> urban spaces are
> > continuallyoccupied, abandoned, and
> re-configured. Developers and
> > consumers destroy and
> > transform "historic" buildings, landscapes and
> archaeological
> > sites even as
> > the contemporary demand for spaces fluctuates. *
> *It is becoming
> > increasingly important to understand how changes
> in the recent
> > past are
> > connected to contemporary conditions. As
> archaeologists consider the
> > significance of the material culture of the 20th
> century, we work
> > at the
> > perilous and unstable border between past and
> present.
> >
> > Through a series of case studies we hope to ask:
> Why should
> > archaeologistsconcern themselves with the very
> recent past? What
> > do we have to contribute
> > to the topic that other disciplines thus far
> have not? Should
> > archaeologiesof recent history attempt to bound
> or define the
> > domain that we call the
> > past? If so, where do the boundaries lie, and
> how do we
> > conceptualize them
> > in a way that is useful for the discipline? And
> how does
> > engagement with the
> > recent past affect the archaeologist's
> relationship with contemporary
> > communities, rights-holders and stakeholders?
> >
> > Please submit 100 word abstracts to Jodi (*
> [log in to unmask]*
> > ) or Dave
> > ([log in to unmask]).
> >
> >
> > --
> > Jodi Barnes
> > Doctoral candidate, Anthropology
> > American University
> > Washington, DC 20016
> > [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
> > --------------------------
> >
> >
>
> --------------------------
> 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
> --------------------------
>
> --
> Mary C. Beaudry, PhD, RPA, FSA
> Professor of Archaeology & Anthropology
> Department of Archaeology
> Boston University
> 675 Commonwealth Avenue
> Boston, MA 02215-1406
> tel. 617-358-1650 --------------------------
> 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
> --------------------------
**************************
Dr. Kara C. Hoover
Anthropology Department
Temple University
1115 W. Berks St
Gladfelter Hall, 2nd Floor
Philadelphia PA 19122
Office: 215-204-1517
Fax: 215-204-1410
--------------------------
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
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