- Saturday 8 June 2024
In conjunction with the conference, a Public Day will be organized by partner Histories vzw on Saturday 8 June in Leuven. Here, hobby detectorists from Flanders can meet and exchange ideas on how they conduct research and build knowledge about the past. Participants to the conference are cordially invited to join this event, details of which will be communicated soon. Every participant will receive an invitation. - Sunday 9 June 2024
Business meeting of the European Public Finds Recording Network (invite only) - Monday 10 june 2024 (10:00 until 16:30 CET)
First day of the conference - Tuesday 11 june 2024 (10:00 until 16:30 CET)
Second day of the conference
Keynotes
Heritage practice communities and digital platforms - comparing family historians and metal detectorists
Assoc Prof Henriette Roued, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Abstract
This keynote is based on research into the existing practices of family historians. As a community they are central figures in the ecosystem of digital heritage, both as contributors to and users of digitized heritage resources. This research revealed a rich tapestry of digital engagement practices amongst family historians, which was both connected to and separate from heritage institutions. For family historians, digital platforms are not just repositories of information, but important spaces for social interaction, as well as seeking, managing and sharing information within the community, as a part of a lifelong leisure pursuit. This keynote aims to present this research and to explore how it relates to other Heritage Practice Communities (HPCs), notably metal detectorists.
Bio
Henriette Roued is an associate professor in digital humanities from the Section for GLAM - Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums, Department of Communication, University of Copenhagen. With a background in digital archaeology her research focuses on the use of open heritage data in cultural institutions and amongst heritage practice communities.
Broadening understanding of United States artifact collector behavior through observations of Facebook groups to help guide mitigation and collaboration
Assoc Prof Matthew Rowe, University of Arizona, USA
Abstract
Archaeologists working with archaeological resource stewards/citizen scientists have focused on highlighting the beneficial, collaborative relationships between these collectors and the professional community. Special issues of the SAA Advances in Archaeological Practice published many examples of how these resource stewards contribute to the expansion of archaeological knowledge and the preservation and protection of archaeological resources. Unfortunately, informal surveys of Facebook groups and Ebay reveal the activities of collectors that professional archaeologists have been and continue to be wary. We might call these groups “the avid collectors” and “the profiteers.” This presentation draws on a survey of three United States based collector groups that are active on Facebook to better define these groups, consider the impacts of their activities, discuss how these three groups fit within the legal landscape of archaeological resource laws, and consider and explore practical approaches for collaboration and/or mitigation of their actions.
Bio
Dr. Matthew J. Rowe is an Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Arizona School of Anthropology. Dr. Rowe is the Co-Chair of the Society for American Archaeology Collector Collaboration Interest Group and Co-Editor of two thematic issues of Advances in Archaeological Practice examining professional engagement with resources stewards. Dr. Rowe has worked with collectors in Northern Arizona to broaden our understanding of Paleoindians in the region.
Discussant
Prof Bonnie Pitblado, University of Oklahoma, USA
Bio
Bonnie Pitblado, PhD, is the Robert E. and Virginia Bell Professor of Anthropological Archaeology at the University of Oklahoma, USA. She also founded and directs the Oklahoma Public Archaeology Network, which fosters understanding of heritage among the many Oklahoma communities who care about it. She conducts engaged research with responsible and responsive finder-collectors and will share her experiences as part of her EPFRN discussion.