CHAT 2008 - Call for Papers

 'HERITAGE CHAT'

November 14-16, 2008

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

 
Hosted by Atkins Heritage, English Heritage and UCL 

Centre for Museums, Heritage and Material Culture


Concern for heritage of the recent past has long been confined to the
particular interests of a sub-set of architectural historians for whom
listing post-war buildings (notably of the reconstruction years) was a
clear focus. Archaeologists are also now taking an active and
enthusiastic interest in the modern period; the only surprise is that it
has taken so long. After a steady start, and an almost inevitable
concentration on industrial and military sites and landscapes, it has
quickly become more than the fringe interest it perhaps once was, a
side-show to the main attraction. In local planning authorities,
archaeological units and trusts, as well as national agencies and
universities, the heritage interest in contemporary and historical
archaeology has now emerged with strength and alacrity. English
Heritage's Change and Creation programme, in partnership with Atkins
Heritage, and the universities of London and Bristol is evidence of
this, as is the Images of Change book (Sefryn Penrose 2007), the recent
Modern Times issue of Conservation Bulletin (2007), numerous published
articles and several entries in the Heritage Reader (Fairclough et al.
2008). A head of steam is quickly building.

CHAT (Contemporary and Historical Archaeology in Theory) is a dynamic
forum for innovative critical discussion that seeks to challenge and
push the limits of archaeological thinking. To date this has been
achieved through five annual conferences, publications and an active
email discussion group. This year's conference takes CHAT in a new
direction, exploring connections between these theoretical perspectives
and ideals and the more traditional concerns of heritage management
practice. What can CHAT offer heritage practitioners, and vice versa?
How much of heritage management practice holds relevance to CHAT? Should
the heritage sector retain its focus on that which is 'old' and
'special', or should we feel comfortable with a broader remit, accepting
that what we have today (inherited from the past, and what we create and
manufacture ourselves) is part of the longer-term process of change with
which we, as archaeologists, are closely familiar? CHAT presents
particular challenges for heritage practitioners and agencies: Value
judgements for that which is new and unfamiliar, amongst culturally
diverse communities, and the attendant issues of migrant heritage;
traditional conceptions and practices for recording buildings versus the
aesthetic and the evocative; the archaeology of the ephemeral, the
intangible and the un-built, all things that are harder to trace in
earlier periods; and how inter- or cross-disciplinary should we be? In a
world of accountability, research frameworks and national research
agenda, where should our priorities actually lie? What should a research
strategy for contemporary and historical archaeology contain? And who is
best qualified to do this work: archaeologists, or anthropologists,
cultural geographers ... artists and writers even?

Heritage CHAT provides an opportunity to examine some of these issues at
close range, through plenary sessions that will contain theoretical and
methodological perspectives on contemporary and historical archaeology,
and examples of work in progress that address relevant themes. Papers
are encouraged that challenge the very notion of heritage, and the
commercial and corporate strategies that go with it, as are papers
describing work on contemporary and historical archaeology which operate
within more conventional heritage frameworks. Short (450 word) abstracts
should be submitted to any of the organising committee (below) by email,
by the end of May 2008. 

 
Charlotte Frearson ([log in to unmask])

Sarah May ([log in to unmask])

Hilary Orange ([log in to unmask])

Sefryn Penrose ([log in to unmask])

John Schofield ([log in to unmask]) 

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in contemporary and historical archaeology, and
for announcements relating to the CHAT conference group.
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