Ceramics, People and Places. The Significance of Ceramics for the Study of Social Relations in the Middle Ages
06/06/2024 — 06/07/2024
Call for participation in the 9th International Scientific Conference on Mediaeval Archaeology of the Institute of Archaeology
Ceramics, People and Places
The Significance of Ceramics for the Study of Social Relations in the Middle Ages
Dear colleagues!
We kindly invite you to take part in the scientific conference entitled Ceramics, People and Places: the Significance of Ceramics for the Study of Social Relations in the Middle Ages, organized by the Institute of Archaeology, which will be held in Zagreb 6—7 June 2024.
During the last two decades, Croatian medieval archaeology has faced a large influx of information about sites from the Early, High and Late Middle Ages, which were obtained by protective archaeological excavations on highways and roads throughout the country. However, due to inadequate infrastructure and organizational challenges, the abundance of ceramic finds remained unpublished. As a result, we are deprived of access to valuable basic data, without which further comprehensive and specialist research into various aspects of medieval society is not possible.
Since pottery is one of the most common types of archaeological finds, and often the only material evidence, its study is of exceptional importance for understanding the everyday life of people from the past. Therefore, by organizing this meeting, the Institute of Archaeology wants to offer a platform for exchanging knowledge and presenting the results of research into pottery, as well as technical and construction ceramics and various other ceramic objects.
Participants are invited to present individual case studies of well-dated assemblages from a clear archaeological context from the area of Croatia and neighbouring countries. The proposed time frame is from 500 to 1500, but it is also possible to present topics that deal with the period of the Modern Age.
The aim is to address specific research questions that are approached from different theoretical and interdisciplinary methodological perspectives (archaeometry, ethnoarchaeology, etc.). We want to encourage submission of topics which seek to present and interpret wider social relations through the analysis of material culture within the thematic period. Presentations of the results of fundamental research are also welcome in order to establish a discussion, exchange information and acquire new knowledge.
We suggest presenting topics that address the following research questions:
- pottery as an indicator of dietary habits, social circumstances and changes
- technological innovation and/or tradition vs. social changes
- workshop production and distribution – local vs. (trans)regional
- kitchenware in the context of medieval households
- tableware as an indicator of social status
Participation in the conference is free of charge. The official languages are English and Croatian. Posters in English are also accepted (vertical length/horizontal width 100 x 70 cm). Croatian presentation holders are kindly requested to add visible information in English to their slides.
We kindly ask you to send the title and summary of oral presentation / poster (max. 1800 characters, including spaces) to e-mail [javascript protected email address] no later than 15 February, 2024.
Summaries will be published in the Book of Abstracts. Please include complete information (title, affiliation, address, e-mail) along with your name so that we can correctly list them in the Book of Abstracts (Application form attached).
The papers from the conference are going to be published in edited volume in the series Zbornik Instituta za arheologiju / Serta Instituti Archaeologici (publication planned for 2026). Please plan to hand in the manuscripts by December 31, 2024. All texts are subject to a peer-review procedure. Papers in English and Croatian are accepted. Papers in Croatian should be provided by a longer summary in English. The citation style and the guides for authors are identical to the academic journal Prilozi Instituta za arheologiju u Zagrebu and are available at:
https://hrcak.srce.hr/upute/upute_autorima_Prilozi_Instituta_za_arheologiju_u_Zagrebu.pdf
More details on the submission of manuscripts will be provided later.
Feel free to contacts us if you have any additional questions.
We are looking forward to your participation in the scientific conference!
With kind regards,
Tatjana Tkalčec, scientific advisor
Organizational Committee: Tatjana Tkalčec, Tajana Sekelj Ivančan, Juraj Belaj, Siniša Krznar