Harbours as objects of interdisciplinary research –
Archaeology + History + Geosciences

The DFG Priority Programme 1630 “Harbours from the Roman Period to the Middle Ages” started in July 2012. Its aim is the interdisciplinary study of primarily civil harbours as highly complex systems in which ecological, logistical, economic, social, legal, military and religious subsystems overlap and influence each other. In order to evaluate the full extent and depth of the phenomenon 'harbour', these subsystems and their implications for the development of the settlements must be identified. The 15 interdisciplinary projects of the Programme are working on a comparative analysis allowing harbours to be understood as system-relevant components.

We are now at the half-time of the six-year grant period and therefore will hold an international conference at which we will bring forth first results as well as new perspectives. The conference is in close cooperation with the Johanna Mestorf Academy, the Institute of Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology and the Institute of Geosciences of the Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Germany. It is titled “Harbours as objects of interdisciplinary research – Archaeology + History + Geosciences” and will be held from the 30^th of September to the 3^rd of October at the Auditorium Maximum (main lecture hall) of the University in Kiel. The conference language will be English.

On the evening of the 30^thof September there will be an opening keynote-lecture and a welcome reception at the Institute of Geosciences at the CAU Kiel. For our interdisciplinary research on harbours the conference will continue with plenum lectures and different parallel session for the next two days.The final day (3^rd of October) will be devoted to a field trip, in which we will divide the group into two. One group will visit Haithabu and Schloss Gottorf in Schleswig, the other group will join in a guided bus tour to the modern port of Hamburg.

The interdisciplinary sessions are the following:

•             Geophysics and Field Research: Developing methods
•             Geoarchaeology: Changing Harbour Environments
•             Archaeological Features: Harbour Facilities and Infrastructure
•             Written and Iconographic Sources: Complementing the Material Evidence

Deadline for submission is the 15^th of June 2015. Please send your abstract of about 200-400 words as well as as well as the registration form to:

Ilka Rau, M.A.
Stiftung Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesmuseen
Zentrum für Baltische und Skandinavische Archäologie
Schloß Gottorf
24837 Schleswig 

Tel.: +49 4621-813 662
ilka.raunoSpam@schloss-gottorf.de

For further Information on sessions, registration and accomodation in Kiel please klick here.