Theme:
1. Archaeologists and Archaeology Here and Now
Session format:
Regular session
Title:
‘Hidden Hillforts’. The Importance of Archival Sources for the Future Study of Fortifications [COMFORT]
Content:
Since the inception of European archaeology hillforts, strongholds, enclosures, and other types of fortifications have been a persistent leitmotif of research. This enduring presence in archaeological research has left a paradoxical patchwork of limited research. This is in part due to a diversity of approaches to excavation inside and outside these monuments, as well as their size and their complex systems of ramparts, ditches, and walls. For this reason, a large portion of the original excavation reports and find materials remain unpublished in institutional archives. Rarely have the results of excavations been published in full and then only within frameworks of the contemporary prevailing theories. This gap in the catalogue of available literature has discouraged critical reassessment of foundational research.
The main obstacle to critical analysis is the inaccessibility of preliminary reports and grey literature spread across a broad number of archives and institutions. This is made more apparent by instances of renewed examination of archival sources challenging previous interpretations. Still, the bulk of archival resources need recuperation. Current research on fortification requires clear strategies to refine primary sources of old excavations for inclusion into modern archaeological science.
This session invites presenters to unshroud hillfort research that has been hidden or forgotten in various archives. Presentations will demonstrate not only practical aspects of incorporating archival sources and grey literature, but also how archival work and new investigations of previously studied sites can alter previously accepted interpretations and their broader implications on modern research. These two perspectives should demonstrate how early research impacts modern studies and whether archival sources, finds, and samples provide fresh contributions to current discussions on fortification. Papers focusing on national heritage institutes and archival repositories are particularly welcome in order to develop strategies to encourage the study of old excavations and to reassess old results.
Keywords:
archaeology of fortifications, hillfort research, primary sources, archives, grey literature, interpretation
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Session associated with CAA:
no
Session associated with DGUF:
no
Session associated with other:
COMFORT (community of fortification research)
Main organiser:
Timo Ibsen (Germany) 1
Co-organisers:
Vytenis Podėnas (Lithuania) 2
Jens Schneeweiß (Germany) 1,3
Affiliations:
1. Centre for Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeology Schleswig
2. Lithuanian Institute of History, Vilnius
3. ROOTS Cluster of Excellence, University of Kiel
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