Second Call for Papers - UPDATE

Niaux (niaux@aol.com)
8 Oct 1996 23:42:38 -0400

SECOND CALL FOR PAPERS

The Archaeology of Work:
An Open Forum For Graduate Students

Boston University * November 9, 1996

[submission deadline extended to October 11]

The Graduate Student Association of the Department of Archaeology at
Boston University is pleased to announce its Second Annual Open Forum,
entitled "The Archaeology of Work." The goal of the conference is to
bring together graduate students in the fields of archaeology,
anthropology, history, art history and classics to discuss their current
research as well as issues of concern in the field. The question of
"work", broadly defined to include such issues as food gathering, and
artifact production as well as larger questions of labor and economic
organization, has long been of interest to the archaeological community.
Recent theoretical and technical developments have brought both new data
and new perspectives to these issues. The sessions are loosely defined
around three topics, the social aspects of the production and labor,
technical aspects of production, and modern approaches to the study of
these issues. Each session will conclude with a moderated discussion.
Attendees may also submit posters for display throughout the day.
The fourth session will bring together distinguished scholars in a
moderated panel discussion of the role of economic, labor and subsistence
issues in archaeology. The panelists are Dr. Norman Hammond from Boston
University, Dr. Heather Lechtman of the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Dr. Curtis Runnels of Boston University, and Dr. Sheila Bonde
of Brown University. The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Clemency C.
Coggins of Boston University, who will invite comments and questions from
the audience.
The conference is sponsored jointly by the Archaeology Graduate Student
Association and the Department of Archaeology at Boston University.
Funding for the conference has been provided by The Humanities Foundation
of Boston University. There is no registration fee for the conference.

Session I

The Social Aspects of Labor and Production
Dr. Mary C. Beaudry, Moderator

Scientific techniques have illuminated our understanding of past tool
production and usage, bringing forth new avenues of archaeological study.
At the same time, more critical theoretical approaches, such as
post-processualism and feminism, have called into question long held
assumptions regarding both the social divisions of labor and the cultural
implications of work. This session is intended to explore both scientific
and theoretical approaches and their use in interpreting the impact of
social, political, and ideological systems on work.

Session II

Technical Aspects of Production
Dr. Julie Hansen, Moderator

While social relations have a crucial impact upon work, the reverse is
also true, that work and its products can have a tremendous impact upon
the creation and transformation of cultures. While looking at the
material remains of production, larger social issues can be examined. New
tool technology enabled early humans to migrate into new environments.
Iron plows revolutionized agriculture. The development of factories and
interchangeable parts radically altered social relations during the
industrial revolution. This session is designed to present new research
in areas such as tool typologies, organization of production, and
technological methods, and to place this information in a larger social
context.

Session III

Techniques of Archaeology
Dr. Kenneth Kvamme

The nineteenth century is gone, and the excavation techniques of men like
Pitt-Rivers have matured into a scientifically rigorous discipline. New
applications of computer technology, chemistry, physics, and geology have
had massive repercussions on our understanding of the archaeology of work.
The purpose of this session is to explore the interface between
archaeology and its allied disciplines. Papers should focus on current
research using innovative techniques and explain how this
interdisciplinary approach affects their results.

Session IV

Rethinking the Role of Work: A Panel Discussion
Dr. Norman Hammond, Dr. Heather Lechtman,
Dr. Curtis Runnels, Dr. Sheila Bonde
Dr. Clemency C. Coggins, Moderator

The panelists for this session are professional archaeologists drawn from
a variety of academic backgrounds, each bringing to the discussion their
own views of the role of work in past societies. The moderator will pose
questions to the panel and invite the audience to comment.

Please return this form (or equivalent) with abstract on a separate
sheet. Abstracts may be submitted on any of the first three session
topics. Papers should not exceed 20 minutes in length. Slide and overhead
projectors will be available. Abstracts should be typed and no longer than
150 words. Submissions on diskette or via email are encouraged. Deadline
for submission of abstracts is October 11, 1996. Abstracts will be
reviewed and based on their suitability for the sessions as described
above. Students will be notified of their acceptance by October 15, 1996.

Title
Author Affiliation
Address `

Telephone email
Submission Session I Session II Session III

Mail abstracts to Lee Payne, Graduate Conference Committee, Department of
Archaeology, Boston University, 675 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
(email: eepayne@bu.edu). Limited housing willl be available on a first
come, first serve basis. Questions? Call (617) 353-3415. There is no
registration fee for this conference.