Contemporary and Historical Archaeology in Theory (CHAT) Conference
- Date: 21st – 23rd October 2016
- Venue: Orkney Theatre, Kirkwall
- Theme: RURALITY
The University of the Highlands and Island Archaeology Institute is hosting an exciting international conference this autumn and encourages Orkney Residents to register for the event.
In a world that is becoming increasingly urban – over 50 per cent of the world’s population now live in an urban environment – archaeologies of the present and recent past have tended to overlook rural places.
Hosting the conference in Orkney away from the usual metropolitan centres will offer the CHAT conference a chance to experience rural areas by situating itself within one.
Orkney is both rural and island, and a microcosm for wider issues. In the past and present Orkney is a gateway, a crossroads and a hub, typified by recent renewable technology test sites.
The conference theme – Rurality – aims to explore the varied experiences of rural areas archaeologically, explore the social and political economies, landscapes and materialities of the recent past and present in rural areas and islands. How are different modes of movement and travel within urban areas expressed archaeologically?
Is it still useful to think of distinct urban and rural areas, or as some would suggest; are we all urban now? How are rural areas orientated towards the future with renewable technologies and other innovations?
These are the questions that a multi-disciplinary group of archaeologists, anthropologists, geographers, historians and artists will discuss during the conference. Talks range from archaeologies of rural landscapes in St Kilda, Nova Scotia, and Greece, to the archaeology of rural protest and management of rapid change.
The conference runs from 21st to 23rd October 2016 at the Orkney Theatre in Kirkwall, Orkney. Registration is necessary and booking can be made online (£45 waged, £25 un-waged). There is also a day rate for Orkney Residents. For more information see www.chat-arch.org , enquiries to archaeologyconference@uhi.ac.uk .
Notes: CHAT is an annual conference which is held in a different place each year, with a different theme, with the aim of exploring archaeologies of the historical period and present. There is an overall standing committee, and each conference is organised and run by the host institution. See http://chat-arch.org/about-chat for more information.
