CALL FOR PAPERS- AIA 2015 in NEW ORLEANS January 8th-11th

Exploring Mobility and Interconnectivity in the Roman World

Proposed Colloquium sponsored by the Roman Provincial Archaeology Interest Group
Organized by: Sarah Davies (Whitman College) and Samantha Lash (Brown University)
Committed Participants: Irad Malkin (Tel Aviv University), Nicholas Purcell (Oxford University)
On those stepping into rivers staying the same other and other waters flow…
The mobility and connectivity that characterized the “Roman world” – broadly defined – has spurred a great deal of scholarly interest over the years, particularly in terms of trade entrepôts and individual “nodes” of contact. However, broader landscapes and routes of exchange, as well as the complexity of the networks through which material, personnel, ideas and religious beliefs maneuvered, remain often underemphasized and unexplored. More recently, global models and various applications of network theory have proved productive in exploring the ways in which various settlements and peoples came to be connected to each other, to regional centers, and to the Roman imperial system at large. This panel aims to explore interdisciplinary approaches and new methodological frameworks to evaluate “Roman” interconnectedness and mobility. We seek papers linked to questions of mobility, connectivity and networks in the provinces, Italy, and beyond which emphasize the “in-between” oft overlooked in nodality-focused perspectives.
Potential topics may include, but are not limited to the following: infrastructures of commercial, socio-political, and militarized movements within trade; interconnections of supply and industrial landscapes to peoples, ideas and materials; relationships between long and short-distance networks, as well as “public” and/or “private” initiatives; and methodologies for tracking such mobilities in the archaeological record. Topics are by no means limited to the dispersal of objects from Rome or other major centers. Instead, we urge applicants to question ways of considering mobility in a multidirectional fashion, exploring networks as complex, multiple, and ever-changing. We also encourage papers that demonstrate comparative and collaborative approaches, exploring the use of numerous categories and sources of data. To this end, we welcome applicants whose research combines material culture with historical and literary evidence.
Abstracts for individual papers should clearly demonstrate the presentation’s relation to the colloquium theme and should not exceed 500 words. Submissions may be sent to Samantha Lash (Samantha_lash@brown.edu) by March 1, 2014. Papers will be 15 minutes. Please submit anonymous abstracts in PDF or MS Word format. NOTA BENE: All presenters will have to be AIA members in good standing at the time of the Annual Meeting (renewals due by November 2014).