AEA conference Aarhus, Denmark, 12-14 September 2008,
Visited by Kirsti Hänninen and Caroline Vermeeren, BIAX Consult.
While Ingelise visited the conference in Brussels, we were in Aarhus, Denmark, at the well-organized annual meeting of the Association of Environmental Archaeologists (AEA). Over three days the group of approximately 50 people exchanged papers on the impact of fire, in the broadest sense. The subject of the presentations was not only charcoal, but also charred bones, carbonized seeds, roots and tubers, insects and slag. There were also papers on experimental research, ethnography and forensic methods.
Many colleagues from Northern Europe were absent, because they were attending another conference. However, researchers from Denmark, England, Estonia and Poland were present as well as some colleagues from Southern Europe. Many of them found time between the sessions for discussions.
On the last day a visit was paid to the laboratory which organized the conference (Peter Mikkelsen and team). The laboratory is part of the Moesgaard Museum. The new exhibition in Moesgaard Museum, focusing on recent research of the bog body from Grauballe, completed the day.
We had an opportunity to present the same WODAN poster that Ingelise was presenting in Belgium. Many conference delegates took copies of the poster for themselves and their colleagues.
There was plenty of time for informal discussion during the excursions and at mealtimes. Many delegates took a great interest in WODAN – standardization of the data, and the addition of pop-ups (such as conversion codes and scientific names) was greeted with enthusiasm. Several people enquired about whether it would be possible to include pictures of species which could not yet be identified. We noted the email addresses of several colleagues who are interested in further information.
Extra:
Peter Mikkelsen and his team have put all their results on the internet:
http://www.arkaeologi.dk/naturvidenskab
A website with all the published pollen diagrams from the National Museum in Denmark can be found at the following address:
http://www.arkaeologi.dk/pollen
