Krysta

Your theme this year seems very relevant. In Western Australia I work in cultural heritage management of, what to Britain's, seems the very recent past, being under 200 years old. Yet we do have a heritage industry based mainly around buildings and history which has a significant, if not always recognized, archaeological side to it. NSW, Victoria and Tasmania are much better at integrating archaeology into heritage management and protection. 

In Australia we have always worked on the "broader remit, accepting that what we have today (inherited from the past, and what we create and manufacture ourselves) is part of the longer-term process of change with which we, as archaeologists, are closely familiar" so Australian's could add value to your conference if you can get any of the more senior people to travel to London.

I would be interested in the outcomes of this conference as I am heavily involved in trying to steer our WA Heritage Council into accepting a more integrated role for archaeology. If they are published I would like to buy the publication.

Regards

Gaye Nayton

-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Krysta Ryzewski
Sent: Thursday, 15 May 2008 1:30 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: CHAT 2008, London, Call for Papers and Presentations

Contemporary and Historical Archaeology in Theory (CHAT)

CHAT 2008 - Call for Papers and Location-based presentations 

 'HERITAGE CHAT'

November 14-16, 2008

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

 
Hosted by Atkins Heritage, English Heritage and UCL 

Centre for Museums, Heritage and Material Culture

CHAT (Contemporary and Historical Archaeology in Theory) is a dynamic forum for innovative critical discussion that seeks to challenge and push the limits of archaeological thinking. To date this has been achieved through five annual conferences, publications and an active email discussion group. 

This year's conference takes CHAT in a new direction, exploring connections between these theoretical perspectives and ideals and the more traditional concerns of heritage management practice. 
What can CHAT offer heritage practitioners, and vice versa?
How much of heritage management practice holds relevance to CHAT? 
Should the heritage sector retain its focus on that which is 'old' and 'special', or should we feel comfortable with a broader remit, accepting that what we have today (inherited from the past, and what we create and manufacture ourselves) is part of the longer-term process of change with which we, as archaeologists, are closely familiar? 

CHAT presents particular challenges for heritage practitioners and agencies: 
Value judgements for that which is new and unfamiliar, amongst culturally diverse communities, and the attendant issues of migrant heritage; traditional conceptions and practices for recording buildings versus the aesthetic and the evocative; the archaeology of the ephemeral, the intangible and the un-built, all things that are harder to trace in earlier periods; and how inter- or cross-disciplinary should we be? In a world of accountability, research frameworks and national research agenda, where should our priorities actually lie? What should a research strategy for contemporary and historical archaeology contain? And who is best qualified to do this work: archaeologists, or anthropologists, cultural geographers ... artists and writers even?

"Heritage CHAT" provides an opportunity to examine some of these issues at close range, through plenary sessions that will contain theoretical and methodological perspectives on contemporary and historical archaeology, and examples of work in progress that address relevant themes. 

Presentations may take the form of 20 minute papers or 2-hour, location- based workshops / presentations in and around London. Presentations are encouraged that challenge the very notion of heritage, and the commercial and corporate strategies that go with it, as are those describing work on contemporary and historical archaeology which operate within more conventional heritage frameworks. 

Short (450 word) abstracts should be submitted to any of the organising committee (below) by email, by 31 May 2008. 

The CHAT 2008 organizers:
 
Charlotte Frearson ([log in to unmask])

Sarah May ([log in to unmask])

Hilary Orange ([log in to unmask])

Sefryn Penrose ([log in to unmask])

John Schofield ([log in to unmask])