The Heroic Age, Issue 2, Autumn/Winter 1999

Space is provided on this page free of charge to groups wishing to make announcements for conferences, calls for papers, membership drives,etc.

Papers will be accepted on any aspect of new research into Early Medieval History or Cultural History (Insular or Continental).

200 word abstracts should be sent to Alex Woolf by 30th November 1999  preferably by e-mail to Alex.Woolf@ed.ac.uk but otherwise by snail-mail at: Dept. of Celtic, University of Edinburgh, 19 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9LD, SCOTLAND.

The conference seeks multiple perspectives on Wales as well as on the Welsh in North America from those in any discipline including, but not limited to, history, literature, language, art, sociology, anthropology, economics, political science, philosophy, music and religion. Papers on all topics are welcome but special consideration will be given to those who address this year's theme, Welsh Culture and Language in the New Millenium.

The conference invites participation from both sides of the Atlantic, in Canada and the United States, across many different academic disciplines, and from among independent scholars, teachers and researchers in different types of educational organizations as well as those with an interest in and commitment to the study of Welsh history, culture and language.

Those wishing to present papers suitable for a 20-minute reading may submit either the completed paper or an abstract.

Proposals for sessions, panel presentations or other formats are also welcome. Please include a brief vitae with submission.

Abstract deadline is Friday, December 31, 1999. Notification by March 2000.

NAASWCH works to promote scholarship on all aspects of Welsh culture and history; to develop connections between teachers and scholars in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom who are committed to the study of Welsh culture, history, languages, and literature; to provide an intellectual forum in which scholars and teachers of Welsh culture may share their research and teaching experience, and to provide support for the study of Welsh-North American history and culture.

Please submit abstracts or session proposals by Friday, December 31, 1999, to Roderic Owen, Program Committee Chair, Philosophy and Religion Department, Mary Baldwin College, Staunton, Virginia 24401

Ph: 540-887-7309    rowen@cit.mbc.edu  Fax: 540-887-7137

NAASWCH home page: http://www2.bc.edu/~ellisjg/naaswch.html

Abstracts are invited from postgraduate students in any discipline for the above conference, to be held at University College Dublin from 24th-26th March 2000.

Papers must be limited to a presentation time of 20 minutes. Abstracts of 500 words, to arrive no later than 30th January 2000, should be sent to Carol O'Toole or Paige Vignola at: Room G001, John Henry Newman Building, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland or by e-mail to borderlines_iv@yahoo.co.uk

Please note: There is no conference fee. Borderlines is a supportive research forum for postgraduate research students in medieval studies.

A Conference at the Dept. of Archaeology, University of Glasgow 15-16 April, 2000.

In Conjunction with Dept. of Archaeology, University of Liverpool and Scottish Centre for War Studies, University of Glasgow.

Over recent years there has been a growing interest in the archaeological potential of battlefields. This is partly due to the recognition that these sites represent an important part of our cultural heritage, and one which for a variety of reasons may be under threat. Prior to the involvement of archaeologists, the study of battlefields had been the preserve of historians working with documentary records, although the wider appeal of the subject also gave rise to a plethora of re-enactment groups, the growth of battlefield tourism and the mass of pouplar literature devoted to militaria. Initially, archaeologists generally limited themselves to the curation and basic recording of artefacts and other material remains related to military engagements, many of which were recovered as by-products of the investigation of unrelated sites which just happened to be on battlefields. However, recent work at a number of (historic) battlefields, notably in North America, has demonstrated what can be achieved through the combination of documentary analysis and the wide range of landscape survey techniques now associated with field archaeology. These more recent developments include the use of archaeological data as a means of testing and questioning documentary accounts and histories. One of the most challenging aspects battlefield archaeology is its potential to shed light on events which took place over very short periods of time; providing insight into the actions and movements of small groups and even individuals during their experience of combat.

In an attempt to encourage the development of this multi-disciplinary and research-driven approach to the study of battlefields, we are organising a conference which will draw together those working on various aspects of historic (ostensibly, but not exclusively, medieval onwards) battlefield archaeology. The meeting will be international in scope and aim to provide a forum for the presentation of the results of recent archaeo-historical work on battlefield sites while also considering future developments in the field. Although not intended to be theme- or period-specific, issues which may be covered, in addition to project reports, include: fieldwork methodology and applications, preservation and presentation of battlefields, the archaeology of related sites (field fortifications, cemeteries etc.), the treatment of human remains and artefact studies.

Subject to sufficient interest, further details about costs, sessions and other administrative arrangements will be forwarded. We also plan to publish the conference proceedings.

Expressions of interest, paper proposals and other queries should be forwarded to:

Dr. Tony Pollard
Dept. of Archaeology
University of Glasgow
Glasgow G12 8QQ
SCOTLAND

tel: 0141 - 330 - 5541
fax: 0141 - 330 - 3863
t.pollard@archaeology.gla.ac.uk

or

Dr. Philip Freeman
Dept. of Archaeology
William Hartley Building
University of Liverpool
LIVERPOOL L69 3BX

tel: 0151 - 794 - 4390
fax: 0151 - 794 - 5057
pfreeman@liv.ac.uk

Arthurnet

Arthurnet is a moderated email list for those interested in Arthurian topics. It is supported by Memorial University of Newfoundland and sponsored by the journal Arthuriana.

Among our 700 or so subscribers are scholars professional and amateur and would-be, authors and fans of historical/fantasy novels with Arthurian characters, authors of works documenting the various prototypes of Arthur, Society for Creative Anachronism folks--and more, of course. We have had organized discussions, with a lot of scholarly input, on medieval literature; we also get alerts on the latest Star Trek-spinoff episode with an Arthurian theme, and of course heated discussions of movies like Excalibur and discoveries like the Artognou stone last year. To look at our discussions, try the archives at http://lists.mun.ca/archives/arthurnet.html.

To subscribe, send a message to listserv@morgan.ucs.mun.ca reading "subscribe arthurnet yourfirstname yourlastname."