30th EAA Annual Meeting in Rome Session #870
CALL FOR PAPERS
Session #870
30th EAA Annual Meeting in Rome, 28 – 31 August 2024
Deadline for Submission: 8 February 2024
Prestige and Luxury Goods:
A Material Approach to Gift Giving as a Tool for De-Escalation
In the field of conflict archaeology, research has mainly focused on material
traces of violent encounters, leaving the quieter, but equally crucial, narratives of
peaceful conflict resolutions on the sidelines. As mechanisms for alliance-building
and peace negotiations, various de-escalation strategies have been used to
stabilize relations by past societies. One of the strategic tools was the mutual
exchange of valuable luxury goods, which has already been traceable in the early
Middle Ages and is still observable today as the diplomatic gift exchange.
These gifts can be defined by certain characteristics, like uniquely styled artefacts,
a high intrinsic value of materials, and high-quality craftsmanship. In this context,
some groups of objects such as arm and neck rings, exotic animals, as well as
precious textiles, among others, were particularly suitable as gifts. Gift-giving in
intercultural contexts, often intertwined with the art of negotiation, holds the
power to soothe tensions, foster goodwill, and engender peaceful coexistence
between diverse entities, be they kingdoms, nations, or individuals.
This session explores the material perspective of social processes of negotiation,
such as the practice of mutual gift exchange in past societies, by examining
objects and/or places suitable for those collective actions of de-escalation. As
organisers, we warmly invite speakers with contributions from various epochs,
backgrounds, and geographical spaces, offering insights into peaceful conflict
resolutions and their material traces.
Keywords:
conflict resolution, peace making, peaceful coexistence, diplomatic negotiations, value of materials, gift
exchange
Organising Team for Session #870:
Anna-Theres Andersen 1,2
Jens Schneeweiß 1,3
Matthias Hardt 2
Valentina Zovko Šoštaric 4
Julie Lund 5
1 ROOTS Cluster of Excellence, Kiel University
2 Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe (GWZO)
3 Centre for Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeology
(ZBSA)
4 Department of History, University of Zadar
5 Department of Archaeology, Conservation and
History, University of Oslo
Contact:
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Prestige and Luxury Goods:
A Material Approach to Gift Giving as a Tool for De-Escalation
Please submit your
contributions via the EAA website (www.e-a-a.org/eaa2024)!
For more information see
www.e-a-a.org; www.e-a-a.org/eaa2024
We are looking forward to your contributions
Session #870
30th EAA Annual Meeting in Rome, 28 – 31 August 2024
Deadline for Submission: 8 February 2024
Prestige and Luxury Goods:
A Material Approach to Gift Giving as a Tool for De-Escalation
In the field of conflict archaeology, research has mainly focused on material
traces of violent encounters, leaving the quieter, but equally crucial, narratives of
peaceful conflict resolutions on the sidelines. As mechanisms for alliance-building
and peace negotiations, various de-escalation strategies have been used to
stabilize relations by past societies. One of the strategic tools was the mutual
exchange of valuable luxury goods, which has already been traceable in the early
Middle Ages and is still observable today as the diplomatic gift exchange.
These gifts can be defined by certain characteristics, like uniquely styled artefacts,
a high intrinsic value of materials, and high-quality craftsmanship. In this context,
some groups of objects such as arm and neck rings, exotic animals, as well as
precious textiles, among others, were particularly suitable as gifts. Gift-giving in
intercultural contexts, often intertwined with the art of negotiation, holds the
power to soothe tensions, foster goodwill, and engender peaceful coexistence
between diverse entities, be they kingdoms, nations, or individuals.
This session explores the material perspective of social processes of negotiation,
such as the practice of mutual gift exchange in past societies, by examining
objects and/or places suitable for those collective actions of de-escalation. As
organisers, we warmly invite speakers with contributions from various epochs,
backgrounds, and geographical spaces, offering insights into peaceful conflict
resolutions and their material traces.
Keywords:
conflict resolution, peace making, peaceful coexistence, diplomatic negotiations, value of materials, gift
exchange
Organising Team for Session #870:
Anna-Theres Andersen 1,2
Jens Schneeweiß 1,3
Matthias Hardt 2
Valentina Zovko Šoštaric 4
Julie Lund 5
1 ROOTS Cluster of Excellence, Kiel University
2 Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe (GWZO)
3 Centre for Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeology
(ZBSA)
4 Department of History, University of Zadar
5 Department of Archaeology, Conservation and
History, University of Oslo
Contact:
Prestige and Luxury Goods:
A Material Approach to Gift Giving as a Tool for De-Escalation
Please submit your
contributions via the EAA website (www.e-a-a.org/eaa2024)!
For more information see
www.e-a-a.org; www.e-a-a.org/eaa2024
We are looking forward to your contributions