Session: #697

Theme & Session Format

Theme:
6. Contested Pasts & Presents
Session format:
Regular session

Title & Content

Title:
So Different, Yet So Similar: Biocultural Identity and Plurality in the Medieval and Post-medieval World
Content:
The concept of ‘identity’ in areas of highly concentrated cultural, religious, genetic and linguistic admixture, in addition to research pathways towards a better understanding of the processes leading to biocultural diversity, are the main focus of this interdisciplinary session.

We would like to discuss and present case studies that assess the fascinating phenomenon of identity formation in the medieval and post-medieval period through the observation of both conflicting and balancing forces and their interpretation in the archaeological context. We also wish to analyse and discuss how cultural affinity and the sense of ‘belonging’ are expressed by groups or individual members of past and present populations. We seek to bring together scholars and professionals who have explored and identified trends and new perspectives in this field of study through traditional and ground-breaking approaches.

The Carpathian Basin and the Balkans are a prime example of large geographical areas that have been deeply shaped by the coexistence of diverse religious, ethnic, and cultural groups throughout their history. The legacy of these populations reverberates in the architecture, material cultures, rituality, food practices as well as customs and traditions observable today.

We welcome contributions exploring (but not limited to):
- Processes of identity formation as a result of migration, colonisation and other forms of population mobility;
- The identification and reconstruction of biocultural diversity through a multi- and cross- disciplinary approach;
- Non-linear power dynamics and dependencies between cultural groups.
Keywords:
Identity, Bioarchaeology, Medieval and post-medieval period, Material Culture, Plurality, Interdisciplinarity
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:

Organisers

Main organiser:
Annamaria Diana (Ireland) 1
Co-organisers:
Daniela Marcu Istrate (Romania) 2
Alice Toso (Germany) 3
Affiliations:
1. Terra Ultra Silvam Archaeology
2. Institutul de Arheologie Vasile Parvan, Bucuresti, Romania
3. Bonn Center for ArchaeoSciences (BoCAS), Institut für Archäologie und Kulturanthropologie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität