5th internacional colloquium "Archaology & Geology of mills and milling" (Almería, 5-8

Call for papers
Tilting at mills. The 5th international colloquium on the Archaeology & Geology of mills and milling
Museo arqueológico de Almería (Spain) 5-8 march 2014

This is to invite you to the above colloquium. It follows the highly successful colloquia held at La-Ferté-sous-Jouarre (2002), Grenoble (2005), Rome (2009) and Bergen (2011). The proceedings will open on the evening of 5th March with a keynote lecture (lecturer to be advised) and will be followed by two days of papers and posters. The final day (8th March) will be devoted to an excursion after which the colloquium will close. The conference will take place in the Museo Arqueológico of Almería with the kind permission of the Consejería de Cultura, Junta de Andalucía.
There are numerous hotels in Almería, but the Vita Gran Hotel, Avenida Reina Regente, 8, is nearby and has been designated as the conference hotel. Special rates: €55 single, €60 double (using keyword: colloquium millstones). There are many alternatives and a list can be sent on request.
Almería is popular with budget airlines such as EasyJet, Vueling, Air Berlin, etc., but is served by frequent Iberia flights from the Madrid hub, which connects with all major cities in Europe. Alternatively it is possible to fly to Malaga, Murcia or Granada and take the comfortable and very reasonable express bus to Almería (details www.alsa.es).
A registration fee of € 55 or £50 is required and papers or posters cannot be accepted until this is received.
Please complete the form below and return it either via email (millcolloquium2014@gmail.com) or to a postal address below with your cheque or proof of bank transfer no later than 15th December 2013.
The colloquium will follow the pattern established at La-Ferté, Grenoble, Rome and Bergen, with the following broad themes:

1. Ancient, medieval and recent millstone quarries
2. Quality, production and trade in querns and millstones. Economic quantification. To include archaeometrical studies.
3. Millstones in action: agriculture, ore processing, glass making. To include ethnographic studies.
4. Protection and evaluation of millstone quarries
5. Poster sessions

These themes are intended to be indicative, but there will be no restrictions on other topics being included and there will be no chronological constraints.
20 minutes maximum is allocated for individual lectures. If the quantity of contributions exceeds the time available, a selection may be made. The remaining papers can be presented as posters. The colloquium languages will be Spanish, English, Italian, French and German.
The French Groupe Meule is organising another conference in Reims in May 2014 and it may seem that mill conferences are like London busses – after a long wait two come together. However, there are logistical reasons why both must take place in 2014. We have discussed this with the Reims committee and agree that, in this rapidly developing subject, there is scope for two conferences and hope that both will be well attended.
Reims will be focused on the important and innovative work of the Groupe Meule and will consider the period from the Neolithic to AD 1000, principally in France. Almería will be without period restriction and papers ranging from the Palaeolithic to the present day, from any part of the world, will be welcomed.

Timothy Anderson, David Peacock and David Williams
Email: millcolloquium2014@gmail.com