{"word_count": 842, "character_count": 6430}
12th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, Bologna 14-18 April 2020FIRST CIRCULARThe Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna is proud to organize the 12th ICAANE from 14th to 18th April 2020. We look forward to hosting you in a multidisciplinary environment pursuing interconnections (geographical and chronological as well) and inclusivity at all levels: the congress themes have been selected in an attempt at representing the current breadth and urgency of global challenges and research perspectives. At the same time, we encourage you to thoroughly explore the monuments and culinary culture of Bologna. The participation of students and of colleagues from the Near East will be especially encouraged. A Second Circular will be sent next Autumn with all registration and practical details. Our e-mail contact address is 12icaane@unibo.it.&#160;12th ICAANE THEMES1. Field Reports. Recent excavations, surveys and researchThis theme examines excavations of sites - or even of areas within sites which present a specially coherent meaning -, territorial surface surveys or field systematic sampling programs (not falling into themes 2 and 3), all preferably from the last four years or otherwise little known. Reports should also systematically address chronological issues, both absolute and relative, as well as intercultural connections in order to foster discussions among scholars working in different areas.&#160;2. Environmental Archaeology. Changing climate and exploitation strategies: impact on ecology, anthropized landscapes and material cultureThe relationship between humans and environment may be viewed from a plurality of angles and a multitude of approaches, through a variety of techniques, in a process which also affects our own perception of landscapes and resources in their spatial and chronological sustainability.&#160;3. Hammering the material world. Characterization of material culture, processes and technologiesFrom pottery typologies, to artifacts biographies and archaeometrical analyses, the material sphere reveals ultimately the underlying processes with which ancient societies interacted and changed through time.&#160;4. Cognitive archaeology. Reading symbolic and visual communication networks and structuresThe world view of ancient societies is often embodied in their material culture, specifically in visual materials with their internal as well external set of interconnected relations, but also in how space was built, chaînes opératoires and transmission of knowledge were organized.&#160;5. Modeling the past. Contemporary theoretical approaches to the archaeology of economies and societiesData need explanatory models to be properly framed and appreciated: the functioning of societies and the ways in which their economies worked are informed by theoretical models, which thus need a discussion of their own to evaluate different approaches, from settlement patterns to cross-cultural comparisons, from subsistence strategies to the commodification process.&#160;6. Networked archaeology. Global challenges and collaborative research in the new millenniumThe Open Data approach requires a coordinated effort if we strive for changing radically the way archaeology works on the field and how data are produced, managed and shared, either online or through timely and accessible publications. New criteria for allocating credit for production and re-use of digital data (e.g. metadata with embedded authorship, and extensive use of DOIs linking publications and primary data) should be evaluated in order to make the open release of primary digital data as the customary output of archaeological projects, which should ideally be conceived according to collaborative and open patterns.7. Endangered cultural heritage. Coordinated multilateral research, conservation and development strategiesThe last three decades witnessed a steady growth of grave threats to heritage in the Near East: the challenges of its documentation, conservation, reconstruction, protection and enhancement should be set within a truly multilateral approach, respectful in the first place of national needs and policies coupled with best practices, new legislations, such as preventive archaeology, and an inclusive vision.8. Islamic archaeology. Continuities and discontinuities between a deep past and modernityIslamic archaeology, i.e. the archaeology of the Middle Ages and early modern times in the Near East, is the fundamental link for letting contemporary societies bridge the gap with the high antiquity of ANE studies, a long stretch of eventful developments which ultimately shaped the current natural, social, rural and urban landscapes of the region. Papers sharing this chronological focus will be grouped here.12th ICAANE Organizing CommitteePierfrancesco CallieriMaurizio CattaniAntonio CurciAnna Chiara FariselliElisabetta GoviMattia GuidettiGianni MarchesiNicolò Marchetti (Chair)Marco Zecchi&#160;12th ICAANE Unibo Executive TeamMichael CampeggiVittoria CardiniMarzia CavrianiSilvia Di CristinaClaudia D'OrazioValentina GalleraniGabriele GiacosaElena MainiSimone MantelliniEleonora MarianiJacopo MonasteroChiara MattioliGiulia RobertoMarco ValeriFederico Zaina&#160;12th ICAANE Scientific Advisory BoardPascal Butterlin – University of Paris 1 Panthéon-SorbonnePeter Fischer – University of GothenburgTim Harrison – University of TorontoNicolò Marchetti – Alma Mater Studiorum - University of BolognaWendy Matthews – University of ReadingAdelheid Otto – Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MunichGlenn Schwartz – Johns Hopkins UniversityIngolf Thuesen – University of Copenhagen&#160;ICAANE International CommitteePascal Butterlin – University of Paris 1 Panthéon-SorbonneBleda Düring – University of LeidenMarian Feldman – Johns Hopkins UniversityKarin Kopetzky – OREA, Austrian Academy of SciencesWendy Matthews – University of ReadingAdelheid Otto – Ludwig-Maximilians-UniversitätFrances Pinnock – Sapienza University of Rome (Secretary General)Ingolf Thuesen – University of Copenhagen (Chair)Cristina Tonghini – Ca' Foscari University of VeniceHonorary Members:Manfred Bietak – Austrian Academy of SciencesHartmut Kühne – Free University of BerlinJean-Claude Margueron – École Pratique des Hautes ÉtudesPaolo Matthiae – Sapienza University of RomeDiederik Meijer – University of LeidenIrene Winter – Harvard Universityhttps://eventi.unibo.it/12icaane