Objects with a Story to Tell
Alice Samson (University of Leicester) and Angus Mol (Stanford University) are issuing a call to all who wish to talk at the next meeting for the Society of American Archaeology in Vancouver (March 29-April 2, 2017) about an object from the Caribbean islands which crosses past and present. Papers will be presented at a special forum that will be recorded and broadcast as a series of episodes in A History of the Caribbean in 100 Objects.
A History of the Caribbean in 100 Objects stories the rich history of the cultures and societies of the Caribbean as told through objects from the earliest period to modern times. It is hosted by Alice Samson (University of Leicester ) and Angus Mol (Stanford University).
Format:
- Forum-style (see Forum under Organization Session Formats in the SAA Call for Papers)
- 2 hours, number of participants will be limited to 6.
- NB The SAA has strict regulations for how many times one can present at the venue. However, if you present at a Forum, this does not impact your maximum of one paper as main author, meaning you can be part of the Forum and an other session.
- 15 minutes to discuss a single object, its appearance, meaning, production, contexts, overarching historical connections and relevance for contemporary society.
- This does not need to be an archaeological artefact or an aesthetically pleasing or extraordinary one. It can be any kind of object that is tied to an interesting story about a place, community, practice, or moment in time. See and listen to our list of current episodes for inspiration!
- You do not need to be an archaeologist to participate. We are looking for anyone, professional or avocational, with a passion for the Caribbean and its material culture.
- The 15 minutes of discussion will be interview-style
- You will not need to prepare a written paper.
- In the months and weeks before the SAA, we will work with you on a loose script to provide some structure to the discussion.
- There will be audience interaction (questions, comments, et cetera).
- You should have one image (preferably more) of the object available to show during the Forum. Additional supporting illustrations of other relevant aspects are also encouraged.
- This Forum will be recorded and later launched/broadcast as one or more episodes of A History of the Caribbean in 100 Objects
- we will publish further background information and the images on www.shoresoftime.com
- You agree to having recordings, information and images be shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license
- We are currently looking at the possibility of publishing this Forum as a special issue of a journal.
- The Call closes at August 31, after which we will let you know if we will have space to include your submission.
Get in touch!
If you are interested e-mail us a synopsis of the story behind the object (150 words) and an image at aaamol@stanford.edu and avms1@leicester.ac.uk. We hope to hear from you! If you have any remaining questions, please get in touch with us!
P.S. If Vancouver is too far away or you cannot make it, but would like to participate: get in touch with us too. We are planning a similar session at the bi-annual meeting for the International Association of Caribbean Archaeologists in St. Croix (from 24-31 July 2017) and are always looking for guest speakers that we interview over Skype.