2006 Conference
From Concepts of the Past to Practical Strategies: the teaching of archaeological field techniques
The INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR CHINESE HERITAGE AND ARCHAEOLOGY (ICCHA)
takes
great pleasure in announcing a 4 day International Conference, to be
held at Peking University from April 17 to April 20, 2006:
The
primary focus of this conference is the examination of the relationship
of archaeological theory to practice as articulated through excavation
and other archaeological field techniques. It will discuss the training
for archaeological fieldwork as offered through higher education
institutions in many different areas of the world. Within this global
context, it will compare the different archaeological curricula offered
by a range of universities and other training institutions, not least in
terms of the part played by 'scientific archaeology' in such training.
The
conference will also investigate what are - or should be - different
training strategies for prehistoric as compared with urban sites, as
well as variations in training dependent on different environmental site
conditions. Variations in the lengths of obligatory field training
courses for undergraduate university degrees in archaeology will also be
discussed. In this context there will be presentations on different
methods of assessing student fieldwork exercises.
Discussion
will also focus on the needs of archiving archaeological investigations,
and how such techniques should feature within student instruction.
Another
topic of the conference will be the way that the public is involved in
excavations in different areas of the world (whether by adults or
children). In some national traditions, archaeological fieldwork is
restricted to the professional, in others it is seen as a means of
incorporating the amateur into the archaeological domain, and in some it
is viewed as an educative device for children.
Most of the
overseas invited speakers are those responsible for field training in
their own universities or other institutions, either at undergraduate or
postgraduate levels. Others have extensive excavation experience in
their own countries or abroad, whether of prehistoric settlement or
cemetery, or of urban conglomeration and standing buildings. Overseas
participants are expected from many parts of the world including:
America, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Britain, Colombia, India, Italy,
Japan, Korea, Madagascar, Nigeria, Poland, Russia, southern Africa, Sri
Lanka, Tanzania, and Thailand.
(Conference languages are Chinese and English)
Preliminary Conference Timetable
17 April
Chair: Prof. Li Boqian
9:00-10:00 Welcome by ICCHA (Gao Chongwen, Peter Ucko)
Address by the Deputy Director of National Administration of Cultural Heritage, China
Address by the representative of Education Ministry of China
10:00-10:30 Group picture
10:30-11:00 Discussion Paper: “From Concept to Practice” (Stephen Shennan)
11:00-11:30 Discussion Paper: “The History and Development of Field Archaeology in Peking University” (Zhao Hui)
11:30-12:00 Discussion
12:30-13:30 Lunch
14:00-18:00 Co-Chairs: Peter Ucko, Gao Chongwen
Discussion
of pre-circulated summaries of curricula from different universities
within China which teach archaeological fieldwork methods.
Han
Guohe (Zhengzhou University), Jiao Nanfeng (Shaanxi Provincial
Institute), Lang Baoli (Shanxi University), Li Yongxian (Sichuan
University, Chengdu), Lu Liedan (HongKong Chinese University), Luan
Fengshi (Shandong University, Jinan), Pei Anping (Nanjing College), Shui
Tao (Nanjing University), Song Dachuan (Beijing Institute of
Archaeology), Sun Hua (Peking University, Beijing), Sun Xinming (Henan
Provincial Institute of Archaeology), Wang Jianxin (Northwest
University, Xi’an), Wang Ran (Wuhan University), Wang Wei (Institute of
Archaeology, CASS), Wu Chunming (Xiamen University, Xiamen), Zhang
Tinghao (National Institute for the Relics Studies), Zhou Daming
(Zhongshan University), Zhu Hong (Jilin University, Changchun), ?
(Shandong Provincial Institute).
Discussion of
pre-circulated summaries of curricula from different universities
outside China which teach archaeological fieldwork methods.
Javier
Aceituno (Colombia), Brigitte Cech (Austria), Sarah Colley (Australia),
Bayo Folorunso (Nigeria), Marta Luciani (Italy/Austria), Bertram
Mapunda (Tanzania), Arek Marciniak (Poland), (Tim Maxwell (America),
Sergei Minyaev (Russia), Rabi Mohanty (India), Surapoi Natapintu
(Thailand), Shizuo Onuki (Japan), Dominic Perring (UK), Gustavo Politis
(Argentina), Innocent Pikirayi (Zimbabwe), Jean Aime Rakotoarisoa
(Madagascar), Yi Seonbok (Korea), Raj Somadeva (Sri Lanka).
19:00- Welcoming Banquet
18 April
9:00-10:20 Co-Chairs: Peter Ucko, Gao Chongwen
“The challenges of conducting archaeology field courses at the University of Ibadan: a historical perspective” (Bayo Folorunso)
“Training and Practice in Bronze Age Archaeology in China” (Xu Tianjin )
Discussion
10:30-11:15 “The Place of ‘Archaeological Science’ within the Curricula” (Dorian Fuller)
11:15-12:00 Continuation of discussion and comparison of pre-circulated summaries of curricula
12:00-12:30 “The ‘New Technique System’ in Fieldwork Training at Baligang Site” (Zhang Chi)
Discussion
12:30-13:30 Lunch
14:00-18:00 Co-Chairs: Lukas Nickel, Wang Wei
“Evaluating Student Fieldwork Exercises” (Dominic Perring)
“Assessment of Archaeological Fieldwork” (Sarah Colley)
Discussion
“The Chinese Student’s View Point” (Liu Jing)
“The English Training: a student’s view point” (Roya Arab)
“My Experience of both Chinese and British Systems: a comparison” (Chai Rui)
Discussion
19 April
9:00-12:00 Co-Chairs: Wang Tao, Zhu Hong
“University Strategies in Teaching Fieldwork Techniques: a view from an independent practitioner” (Brigitte Cech)
Discussion
“Archive Awareness in Fieldwork Training” (Gus Milne)
Discussion
“Digging a Site, Nation beside Nation: the case of Chatal Huyuk, Anatolia, Turkey” (Arek Marciniak)
Discussion
12:30-13:30 Lunch
14:00-18:00 Co-Chairs: Jeremy Tanner,
“Several Samples of Collaborative Excavations between America and China” (Li Shuicheng)
Discussion
“The Problem of Assessing Gender Bias in Teaching Fieldwork Methods: a recent controversy”(Gustavo Politis)
Discussion
“Public and Local Influences on Excavations in Madagascar” (Jean Aimé Rakotoarisoa)
Discussion
20 April
8:30- Visit to a local site under excavation, or visit a site museum instead.
14:00-18:00: Co-Chairs: Peter Ucko, Gao Chongwen
“Excavations for Whom?: the amateur and/or children within archaeological practice” (Tim Schadla-Hall)
Discussion
“Recent Experience from Central Thailand: the involvement of elderly people and children in excavation” (Surapoi Natapintu)
Discussion
“Excavation
Training for a Variety of Different Types of Sites: from the Near
Eastern tell to the prehistoric settlement camp” (Marta Luciani)
“Excavation Training in a Variety of Different Socio-Cultural Situations” (Mike Parker-Pearson)
Discussion
19:00- Closing Reception
