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Reading the soil in archaeology: field practice and interdisciplinary perspectives

Lire le sol en archéologie : pratiques de terrain et regards croisés

Lesen des Bodens in der Archäologie: Feldpraxis und interdisziplinäre Perspektiven

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Published on Wednesday, September 07, 2022

Abstract

Soil features have been at the heart of archaeological questioning for several years, stimulated in particular by the work carried out in preventive archaeology. Their identification, particularly in the field, remains a source of new data and new approaches. Their interpretation is becoming an indispensable step in the archaeological research and can, for certain periods, play a central role. The symposium aims to promote the interdisciplinary reading of the soil component in field archaeology, relying in particular on the contribution of earth sciences in general.

Announcement

Call for papers - 1st circular

Presentation

French national Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap), in partnership with the laboratory Archaeology and Territories of UMR 7324 CITERES (CNRS, University of Tours), and in collaboration with archaeology section of the Office of Heritage and Archaeology of Neuchâtel (Switzerland), invites you to participate in a three-day international symposium entitled Reading the soil in archaeology: field practice and interdisciplinary perspectives. It will take place at the University of Tours, in the heart of the city, on the Tanneurs university site. We intend to publish the proposed contributions.

Argument

Soil features have been at the heart of archaeological questioning for several years, stimulated in particular by the work carried out in preventive archaeology. Their identification, particularly in the field, remains a source of new data and new approaches. Their interpretation is becoming an indispensable step in the archaeological research and can, for certain periods, play a central role. The symposium aims to promote the interdisciplinary reading of the soil component in field archaeology, relying in particular on the contribution of earth sciences in general.

The theme of the symposium was inspired by the common reflections of a group of archaeologists and specialists in earth sciences, with the aim of highlighting interdisciplinary approaches to the understanding of archaeological deposits and sites. Topics in soil science, stratigraphy, sedimentology, geophysics and other disciplines will be mobilised to discuss the soil in archaeological contexts. It includes the potential of these approaches, for both fieldwork planning and the development of archaeological policies.

Objectives and orientations

The symposium aims to promote the interdisciplinary reading of the soil component in field archaeology, relying in particular on the contribution of earth sciences in general. This should result in a better organisation of the various research topics such as field recording, sampling, analysis, data correlation and interpretation. The construction of reference systems, good practice guides and awareness of the recognition of pedo-sedimentary features during archaeological fieldwork appear to be essential today. This call is open for any approach on archaeological contexts as long as it concerns the dialogue between archaeology and environmental sciences in the frame of human occupations and activities as revealed by natural or man-influenced soil horizons and layers. The symposium is organised thematically and does not impose any chronological or geographical limitations to the papers.

What can be gained for analysis and interpretation of archaeological structures and layers when the first field observations take into account the soil characteristics? How can such approaches, that needs the collaboration of different actors, be facilitated and enhanced?

In order to optimise the study and understanding of site formation, there is a need for adapted protocols and decision support tools that range from intra-site to macro-regional scale. All field actors in this range are concerned by the proposed discussions.

This symposium will encourage communications on the dialogue between archaeology and earth sciences, on common field experiences and assessments, on first syntheses and reference systems. It also addresses the question of protocols and optimisation of fieldwork, as well as the decision processes concerning the selection of analyses, including, sometimes, within the restrictions of a developer-funded project.

The preference will go to multi-author presentations on the proposed themes. Poster sessions will be available for specific case studies.

Possible topics include:

  • The implementation of cross-knowledge: complementarity of archaeological and pedo-sedimentary reading and approaches in the field; clarification and definition of the main and indispensable terminologies specific to each of the field actors; the question of practical training, whether as a student or during the professional career;
  • Results of pedo-sedimentary field studies and soil characteristics (1): specific contexts (prehistoric, urban, rural...) and structures (dug, elevated and combustion structures, surfaces such as buildings, courtyards, enclosures...);
  • Results of pedo-sedimentary field studies and soil characteristics (2): particular deposits (colluvium, dark earths, peat...) and soil horizons (occupation, cultivation, reference horizons...);
  • Methods: advantages and limitations of the systematisation of field surveys of common and easily identifiable soil characteristics; creation and access modes of reference documents and choice of classification tools.

The symposium will be organised in sessions that will be defined according to the proposals of communications.

How to apply

Proposals and abstracts must be submitted on the conference website (registration needed)

until 6 January 2023

Proposals should include: name, position and contact details of the author(s); abstract in French and English (400 words maximum); concise list of keywords.

Schedule

  • until 6 January 2023= Submission of proposals (papers and posters);
  • end February/beginning March 2023= Acceptance of proposals;
  • March 2023= Final programme available online.

Organising committee

  • Olivier Blin (archaeologist, in charge of coordinating research and scientific partnerships in the CIF-HDF-GE interregions), Inrap, UMR 7041 CNRS ArScAn - GAMA team, olivier.blin@inrap.fr
  • Carine Carpentier (in charge of the scientific web), Inrap, carine.carpentier@inrap.fr
  • Judit Deák (archaeopedologist, researcher in Earth Sciences), Office of Heritage and Archaeology of Neuchâtel (Switzerland) - archaeology section, director of the 4terres research office, judit.deak@ne.ch
  • Kai Fechner (archaeopedologist, trainer for Inrap, Paris I and KU Leuven), Inrap, UMR 7041 CNRS ArScAn - Environmental Archaeology team, UMR 7362 CNRS LIVE), kai.fechner@inrap.fr
  • Philippe Husi (Head of LAT, Deputy Director of UMR 7324 CNRS CITERES), CNRS, philippe.husi@univ-tours.fr
  • Morgane Liard (geoarchaeologist, internal trainer), Inrap, UMR 6042 CNRS GEOLAB - University of Clermont Auvergne, morgane.liard@inrap.fr
  • Jean-Baptiste Rigot (geoarchaeologist, archaeomatician, lecturer) UMR 7324 CNRS CITERES, University of Tours, jb.rigot@univ-tours.fr

International scientific committee

  • Diego Angelucci (geoarchaeologist, micromorphologist, professor), Dip. di Lettere e Filosofia, Università di Trento, diego.angelucci@unitn.it
  • Frédéric Broes (archaeopedologist, geoarchaeologist, internal trainer), Inrap, Universiteit Gent, frederic.broes@inrap.fr
  • Judit Deák (archaeopedologist, researcher in Earth Sciences), Office of Heritage and Archaeology of Neuchâtel (Switzerland) - archaeology section, director of the 4terres research office, judit.deak@ne.ch
  • Bruno Desachy (archaeologist, associate lecturer of university Paris 1), ministry of Culture - UMR 7041 CNRS ArScAn - Environmental Archaeology team, bruno.desachy@univ-paris1.fr
  • Stefaan Dondeyne (soil scientist, professor), Soil science department - Universiteit Gent, stefaan.dondeyne@ugent.be
  • Kai Fechner (archaeopedologist, trainer for Inrap, university of Paris I and KU Leuven), Inrap, UMR 7041 CNRS ArScAn - Environmental Archaeology team, UMR 7362 CNRS LIVE), kai.fechner@inrap.fr
  • Mélanie Fondrillon (archaeologist), Bourges Plus preventive archaeology service, UMR 7324 CNRS CITERES, melanie.fondrillon@agglo-bourgesplus.fr
  • Anne Gebhardt (archaeopedologist, micromorphologist, research engineer, internal trainer), Inrap, UMR 7360 CNRS LIEC, anne.gebhardt-even@inrap.fr
  • Alain Giosa (archaeopedologist, soil chemist), Archaeology Department of the Eure-et-Loir General Council, UMR 7041 CNRS ArScAn - Environmental Archaeology team, alaingiosa@gmail.com
  • Roger Langohr (pedologist, professor emeritus), Universiteit Gent, roger.langohr@skynet.be
  • Amélie Laurent (archaeologist, geotechnical application), Preventive archaeology service of the Loiret department, UMR 7324 CNRS CITERES, amelie.laurent@loiret.fr
  • Jari Hinsch Mikkelsen (archaeopedologist, geomorphologist, soil chemist, director of Raakvlak), Jari.mikkelsen@brugge.be
  • Morgane Liard (geoarchaeologist, internal trainer), Inrap, UMR 6042 CNRS GEOLAB - university of Clermont Auvergne, morgane.liard@inrap.fr
  • Cristiano Nicosia (micromorphologist, geomorphologist), Dipartimento di Geoscienze - Università di Padova, cristiano.nicosia@unipd.it
  • Marina Pagli (archaeologist, heritage curator), Drac Hauts-de-France - regional archaeological service, UMR 7041 ArScAn - équipe AnTET, marina.pagli@culture.gouv.fr
  • Jean-Baptiste Rigot (geoarchaeologist, archaeomatician, lecturer,) UMR 7324 CNRS CITERES, university of Tours, jb.rigot@univ-tours.fr
  • Dominique Sordoillet (micromorphologist, geomorphologist, research engineer, internal trainer), Inrap, UMR 6249 CNRS Chrono-environnement, dominique.sordoillet@inrap.fr
  • Marc Talon (archaeologist, regional archaeology curator), Ministry of Culture - Drac Bourgogne-Franche-Comté - regional archaeological service, UMR 8164 CNRS HALMA, marc.talon@culture.gouv.fr
  • Bart Vanmontfort (archaeologist, prehistorian, professor), Centre for Archaeological Research of Landscapes - Archaeology department - KU Leuven, bart.vanmontfort@kuleuven.be

Places

  • Salle Thélème - Université de Tours, 3 Rue des Tanneurs
    Tours, France (37)

Event attendance modalities

Full on-site event


Date(s)

  • Friday, January 06, 2023

Keywords

  • trait du sol, pédologie, archéologie

Contact(s)

  • Carine Carpentier
    courriel : carine [dot] carpentier [at] inrap [dot] fr

Reference Urls

Information source

  • Carine Carpentier
    courriel : carine [dot] carpentier [at] inrap [dot] fr

License

CC0-1.0 This announcement is licensed under the terms of Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal.

To cite this announcement

« Reading the soil in archaeology: field practice and interdisciplinary perspectives », Call for papers, Calenda, Published on Wednesday, September 07, 2022, https://calenda.org/1014829

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