Call for papers: Heirlooms and curated material in past societies

Day Conference for Postgraduates and Early Career Researchers

CALL FOR PAPERS

The Past in the Past – Heirlooms and curated material in past societies

Saturday, 21st of May 2016

Department of Archaeology,replique de montre rolex Durham University, UK

Key note speakers:

Dr. Joanna Brück, University of Bristol (title tbc)

Dr. James Gerrard, University of Newcastle (title tbc)

Dr. Ellen Swift, University of Kent (title tbc)


Past societies in different periods have retrieved, curated and reused objects from past times, either as integral parts within the built environment or as curated items within household and funerary contexts. Several explanations have been put forward for the reuse of antique objects, which are primarily based on the theoretical frameworks of the specific time period in question. Recycling is however, rarely a main focus of discussion and in some instances the presence of reused or curated objects is merely mentioned in passing.

This day conference will examine curating and recycling practices of past societies. Spoils, including scrap and made objects, were collected, curated and reused, often in form of personal items and ornaments left with the deceased at burial. There is a fine line, however, between objects being reused in their original form and those which were recycled and given new shapes and functions. Transformed objects gained new values and purposes, while those used in their original form, may have been valued as antiques.

Postgraduates and Early Career Researchers are encouraged to present on the following themes:

The recycling and circulation of material culture and its impact
Heirlooms, reuse, curation and keepsakes
Antiquity and Authenticity
Ancestral Pasts
Abstracts should be no more than 200 words and should be submitted to Indra Werthmann i.j.e.werthmann@durham.ac.uk by the 26th of February 2016.