Colonialism and the Sea: Maritime Frontiers, coastal encounters and the role of archaeology - Session at the TAG 2000 Conference
OXFORD UNIVERSITY, December 18th-20th 2000
This session aims to bring together a broad range of research which considers the role played by the sea in colonial encounters and the contribution archaeology can make to these studies. The importance of the sea in cross-cultural encounters and colonial ventures has yet to be adequately theorised and the convenors aim to produce an edited volume which explores these issues. An academic press has been approached and is keen to publish the proceedings.
Some of the topics that could be covered include:
- The sea — a bridge or barrier to cross-cultural interactions?
- How do encounters which take place on beaches differ from those which occur inland. What are the theoretical issues?
- Colonialism and coastal peoples. How does this differ from other forms of colonialism?
- The sea as a cultural landscape and how can archaeology contribute to understanding a phenomenology of the sea.
- Relationships between maritime based colonialism (eg. sealer/ whalers) and indigenous societies.
We would like to include papers which focus on the Pacific, Australia, South Africa and North America. Although papers will be given in English we would like to encourage scholars working with Dutch, French, Spanish and Portuguese materials to contribute.
The emphasis will be on theoretical concerns rather than empirical issues such as the impact of the sea on archaeological sites etc. Papers which involve coastal archaeology will be included ONLY if these involve cross-cultural or colonial encounters.
Please e-mail the convenors ASAP if you are interested in contributing to this session. Abstracts of no more than 200 words will be required by early June with an aim to have session organised by the end of June 2000.
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