FestivalCHAT and a New CHAT Book Series

Over the last few months, I’ve become a member of a new community by serving on the  Contemporary and Historical Archaeology in Theory standing committee. 

I was a pretty late addition to their number, so I am still trying to figure out what it’s all about, but I do know that they (or we?) are running our regular conference (virtually!) starting this weekend. It’s called FestivalCHAT and you can get the diverse and intriguing line up of events, presentation, Twitter sessions, and the like here.

The festival is largely being hosted in the UK and Europe, but most sessions start late enough in the day to be reasonable for folks in CDT and EDT. It’s free!

We’re also excited to announce the inauguration of a new book series in partnership with BAR Publishing. The series is called the BAR series in Contemporary and Historical Archaeology and it’ll be edited by me and Rachael Kiddey. We’ve assembled a brilliant and diverse editorial board and are beginning to think about themes that we’d like to see featured in submissions while at the same time being open to anything that comes our way.  

You can visit with me and Rachael at FestivalCHAT next Tuesday from 11-12 am CDT. Come and hang out, pitch us a book idea, and contribute to the conversation!  

Here’s the general description of the series scope:

This series embraces all forms of theory in contemporary and historical archaeologies, and particularly those which increase our understanding of how the past can be a mode through which values of equality, human rights, and social justice may be redefined to shape the present. Since the 1960s, archaeologists have periodically sought to bring their particular expertise to landscapes and material culture of the historical and very recent past. Such Contemporary and Historical Archaeologies have, since 2003, have had a home in the form of the annual Contemporary and Historical Archaeological Theory (CHAT) conference. While contributions to CHAT have been wide-ranging in terms of fieldwork locations and methodological approaches, they have consistently, and probably necessarily, sought to address the political climate in which they are practised.

The series will publish theoretically oriented excavation reports and object studies, conference proceedings and revised doctoral theses. To ensure academic relevance, we encourage conference proceedings to be published within two years of the conference session taking place. Manuscripts from those originating from and working outside the regions of North/West Europe and North America are particularly welcomed. We will publish in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

You can download a copy of the series brief here.