HAEMUS signed an agreement and became official partner of the 10th International Symposium on Knappable Materials
‘On the Rocks’
International Symposium on Knappable Materials
8–10 September 2015
University of Barcelona, SpainAs far as raw materials go, chert and other knappable stone stand out as some of the most common materials in the archaeological record, and at some sites the only preserved material. They were used in almost every corner of the world, from the Palaeolithic up until today. Use of these materials even predates the appearance of our own species. Being so widespread, both geographically as well as chronologically, this topic merits a global meeting of researchers to discuss and compare our findings.
This symposium will cover all aspects of knapped stone raw materials from geological origin, to mining, usage, and laboratory analyses on these materials. Although we expect that there will be more focus on chert and other microcrystalline quartz varieties, we also encourage presentations related to other knappable materials such as obsidian, quartzite, rhyolite. Papers will be accepted on any culture or time period. Whether you are a field archaeologist, laboratory researcher, ethnographer or a modern day knapper yourself, we are interested in your research.
Main Sessions
The symposium will focus on two major themes: (1) the chaîne opératoire of knapped stone artefacts, and (2) auxiliary sciences related to lithics.
Theme 1 – Chaîne opératoire
– Raw material exploitation strategies — mining and surface collecting
– Ancient lithic trade and economics
– Stone tool production and processing techniques — modern and ancient
– Use-wear analyses — signs of usage on stone tools (a.k.a. traceology)
Theme 2 – Auxiliary sciences
– Microcrystaline quartz as a geological material
– Characterising lithic sources
– Lithotheques — collections of comparative raw materials
– Gemology — Microcrystaline quartz as a gemstone today and in the past
– Silcrete as a lithic raw material in global context: geology, sourcing and techno-economics
– Stirring the wheel on human behavior
Several special topic sessions will be held regarding the following topics.
– Experimental flint knapping
– Obsidian
– Gunflint
Submitting abstracts
The organisers of the symposium are now accepting abstracts for presentations. Abstracts should be around 300-400 words and may also contain one image. Please include the following information: (1) title; (2) presenter(s) along with their affiliated institutions and email addresses; (3) preferred session (see the ‘Sessions’ page); and (4) presentation type — oral or poster.
To send a Abstracts please fill this form: http://goo.gl/oTX23v
All papers will be evaluated by the Scientific Committee. The deadline for submitting abstracts is 28 February 2015.
More information
For more information, please visit the symposium website, or contact the symposium secretariat (callforpapers@cherts-symp2015.net).
This symposium is organised by SERP, Faculty of Geography and History, University of Barcelona, Spain.
Official web site: http://cherts-symp2015.net
