The call for papers is now open for the new edition of the Intersections series, dedicated to the cross-disciplinary nature of urban history and the dialogue between disciplines, methods and perspectives of study. The 2026 seminar will focus on the city as seen by archaeologists: not only the ancient or medieval city, but all forms and temporalities of the urban dimension — from abandonment to processes of transformation, from continuities to industrial and contemporary landscapes. 

The Archeologists’ City (Bologna, 25-26 May 2026) - University of Bologna – Dipartimento di Storia Culture Civiltà

Argument

The meeting aims to bring together different perspectives on urban history, starting from an archaeological point of view in the broadest sense. Presentations may address the topic of urban evolution and the material structure of individual cities – whether focusing on specific phases – or may adopt a regional or zonal perspective. Both abandoned cities (and, more generally, the phenomenon of abandonment and its material traces) and continuously inhabited ones investigated through urban archaeology will be considered. Through a multidisciplinary approach – taking into account different types  of written sources (documentary, epigraphic, and others), as well as art-historical and other forms of evidence – it will be possible to reconstruct the physical appearance of urban centers as well as their transformations over time; and to shed light on phenomena such as euergetism, the maintenance of infrastructure, domestic architecture, monumental spaces, social structures, and possible tensions between different categories of sources. The goal is to recompose a comprehensive picture that, from antiquity to the contemporary age, illustrates – through the lens of archaeology – the evolution of urbanism, its interruptions, and the diverse material dimensions of urban settlements.

The call for papers is now open to proposals on any topic in line with the above guidelines, in any Italian, European or global context. However, in selecting the proposals, the scientific committee will give priority to studies that are presented in a comparative perspective and that raise cross-cutting interests. Topics could include, but are not limited to:

• the phenomenon of urbanism at the national, regional, or zonal level, analyzed from a diachronic perspective or with reference to specific phases
• forms of monumentality and their transformations over time
• agents and modalities of euergetism in the urban context
• the maintenance of infrastructure (walls, roads, sewage systems, and more)
• transformations in residential architecture over time
• the phenomenon of abandonment and its archaeological evidence
• the articulation of social structures in light of archaeological findings
• case studies and experiences of urban archaeology in specific centres
• production and craftsmanship within the urban environment
• the archaeology of architecture
• industrial archaeology
• contemporary archaeology
• landscape archaeology
• archaeological sites in urban contexts

Proposals must be sent to the Scientific Committee by e-mail (segretario@aisuinternational.net), accompanied by a title, a short abstract (max 1000 characters) and the author’s CV (max 1000 characters),

by the deadline of 7 December 2025,

Acceptance will be notified by 21 December 2024.

Participation fees

Participation in the seminars is reserved for PhD students, new PhD graduates or young researchers members of AISU.

• For members: free of charge
• For non-members: 2025 membership fee (https://aisuinternational.org/register/)

Deadlines

• Opening of the call for papers 9 November 2025
• Closure of the call for papers 7 December 2025
• Notification of the acceptance of proposals 21 December 2025

Useful information

For more information: https://aisuinternational.org/en/bologna-maggio-2026/.

Email: segretario@aisuinternational.net.

Organization

• Andrea Augenti, Università di Bologna
• Marco Folin, Università di Genova

Scientific committee

• Andrea Augenti, Università di Bologna
• Alfredo Buccaro, Univ. di Napoli Federico II
• Giovanni Cristina, Università Roma Tre
• Cristina Cuneo, Politecnico di Torino
• Marco Folin, Università di Genova
• Andrea Longhi, Politecnico di Torino
• Andrea Maglio, Univ. di Napoli Federico II
• Elena Manzo, Università della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli
• Luca Mocarelli, Università di Milano Bicocca
• Heleni Porfyriou, CNR-ISPC
• Marco Pretelli, Università di Bologna
• Massimiliano Savorra, Università di Pavia
• Donatella Strangio, Sapienza Univ. di Roma
• Elena Svalduz, Università di Padova
• Ines Tolic, Università di Bologna
• Stefano Zaggia, Università di Padova