Session: #441

Theme & Session Format

Theme:
1. Widening horizons through human-environment interconnections
Session format:
Regular session

Title & Content

Title:
The Archaeology of Coastal Communities
Content:
Coastal zones, including riverine estuaries, have always constituted contact zones where people connected and interacted, thereby exchanging thoughts and goods. This connectivity as well as the dynamic coastal environment made these communities highly responsive to change and innovations. People continuously adapted to new situations and influences (trade, migration, climate, sea-level rise…), which stimulated the social resilience and the adaptation of changes in lifestyles. Both are embodied in the material features of the coastal landscape and its landing and meeting places, which acted as hubs for trade and ideas. Different authors, including Gordon-Childe, have in the past addressed the evolution of these centres and the related issue of urbanisation. We approach this question of connectivity from different angles: the study of the exchange of artefacts, the changing environment and use of space, all the way to the environmental archaeology of the coastal communities. This session wants to further explore the responses to this dynamic connectivity by focusing on the archaeology of the landing and meeting places from a variety of regions and periods, not limited to urban settlements. We invite contributions spanning different sub-specialisms of archaeology, including studies presenting new findings, theoretical or scientific advances or applications.
Keywords:
coastal communities, adaptation and resilience, landing places and maritime centres, connectivity, changing environments
Session associated with MERC:
yes
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Session associated with CAA:
no
Session associated with DGUF:
no
Session associated with other:

Organisers

Main organiser:
Barbora Wouters (Belgium) 1
Co-organisers:
Gitte Hansen (Norway) 2
Sarah Lo Russo (Switzerland) 1,3
Affiliations:
1. Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
2. University Museum of Bergen, Norway
3. University of Basel, Switzerland