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])