Dear colleagues,
There is still time next week to submit an abstract to the session
“Burnt animal bones in occupation contexts – Where, when and why?” at
this year’s EAA conference in Helsinki 29th August-1st September
(http://www.eaa2012.fi/index).
The online submission of paper abstracts is open until 31st of March
at http://www.eaa2012.fi/programme/abstract_submission
The description of the session topic is given below. If you have any
questions, please contact any of us (see contact information below).
Please note:
- Paper abstracts should not exceed 200 words and should include the name(s),
affiliation(s) and contact information for the author(s).
- The paper abstracts may be submitted at:
http://www.eaa2012.fi/programme/abstract_submission
- Paper abstracts submission deadline 31 March, 2012
- More information about submitting the abstracts, see
http://www.eaa2012.fi/programme/abstract_submission
Best regards,
Kristiina Mannermaa, Jan Storå and Pirkko Ukkonen
“Burnt animal bones in occupation contexts - Where, when and why?”
In Finland, as well as in adjacent areas at the same latitude, animal
bones are found at Stone Age sites exclusively or nearly exclusively
as burnt. The acid soil of these areas is often given as the
explanation why unburnt bones are not found at the sites, but the
taphonomic histories of the burnt assemblages are complicated and
great challenges for osteoarchaeological studies. Despite the
similarity of other archaeological finds, burnt bones are abundant at
some sites while scarce at others. Thus, burning or boiling of refuse
seems to be connected with human cultural behaviour, at least in
northern latitudes. To verify or reject this concept, more information
is needed about burnt animal bones in northern regions as well as
elsewhere in Europe.
Our aim for the proposed session is to localize the phenomenon of
burnt animal bones in time and space:
- Where? In which geographical areas and environments and in what kind
of depositional contexts do animal bone materials comprise totally or
nearly totally of burnt, fragmented bones?
- When? During which archaeological periods is burnt bone dominating
bone samples?
- Why? How is this phenomenon to be explained? How can the taphonomy
of the burnt bones be studied? Were these, e.g., used as fuel or
thrown into the fire as waste, or were they burnt accidentally, during
cooking or some specific ritual?
We call for interpretative and contextual studies about prehistoric
burnt animal bones at settlements, hunting camps and other occupation
activity areas all over Europe. The research themes can vary from
geographic distribution of sites containing burnt animal bones,
methodological and taphonomic studies, to combustion experiments and
geochemical soil analyses.
Kristiina Mannermaa
PhD, Researcher
Department of Philosophy, History, Culture and Art Studies/ Archaeology
Box 59, FI-00014 University of Helsinki
[log in to unmask]
+358405457698
Jan Storå
PhD, Associate professor
Osteoarchaeological Research Laboratory
Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies
Stockholm University
SE- 106 91 Stockholm
[log in to unmask]
+46-8-16 1287
Pirkko Ukkonen
PhD, Curator
Finnish Museum of Natural History, Geological Museum, Arppeanum
Box 11 (Snellmaninkatu 3)
FI-00014 University of Helsinki
[log in to unmask]
+358-9-191 22572
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