The 44th Conference of the Association for Environmental Archaeology will be held in Oxford between 12th-14th December 2024, with the theme Past Environments for Emerging Worlds. It will be hosted by the School of Archaeology of the University of Oxford and Oxford Archaeology, one of the UK’s leading archaeological practices.
The field of environmental archaeology stands at a pivotal juncture within both academic and professional spheres. Amidst the unfolding ecological crisis, there is a pressing need to adopt long-term perspectives that extend far beyond the realms of Archaeology alone. Environmental archaeology plays a crucial role in tackling this challenge by generating fresh primary data concerning the distributions, communities, and ecologies of plant and animal species, along with their microbiomes. These species have shared an intertwined journey with humanity for millennia.
Through the interpretation of such data, environmental archaeology unveils alternative ways of coexisting with nature and enables the identification of novel ecological relationships, some of which are now extinct. These insights are particularly relevant to ongoing efforts in nature recovery practices. From shedding light on global biodiversity loss over thousands of years to informing emerging habitat creation strategies, environmental archaeologists wield significant influence in addressing global challenges, transcending the boundaries of archaeology.
In Oxfordshire and beyond, environmental archaeologists are poised to contribute to discussions and initiatives aimed at confronting pressing environmental issues on a global scale. Their interdisciplinary perspective and wealth of data provide valuable insights that can inform and shape strategies for sustainable habitat management and biodiversity conservation.
What does the world want from environmental archaeology? How should environmental archaeology approach global concerns? What role does it have to play in contemporary challenges at a range of scales? The 44th annual conference of the AEA, ‘Past Environments for Emerging Worlds’, aims to address these questions and facilitate a lively conversation around this vital challenge.
The conference events will be held at Keble College and the Department of Continuing Education in Oxford.
The organizers particularly welcome submissions in three formats – standard 15-minute presentation, 5-6 minute-long ‘lightning’ or ‘storytelling’ presentations, or poster presentations – on the following themes:
- Soils and microbiomes
- Wildlife
- Farming
- Open data
- Sustainable practices
- Perspectives beyond archaeology
General queries about the conference can be addressed to the organizers at aea.conference@arch.ox.ac.uk
Further information, including key deadlines, will shortly be available on the website.
