Organized session at the XXVIII Sunbelt Conference, June 26-July 1, 2018 at Utrecht University

Call for Presentations

“Challenges in archaeological and historical network analysis”

Over the last decades, network analysis has made its way from a fringe theory to an established methodology in archaeological and historical research that goes beyond a purely metaphorical use of the network term. A substantial number of studies on different topics and periods have shown that network theories and methods can be fruitfully applied to selected bodies of historical and archaeological sources. Yet in many of these initial studies, important methodological concerns regarding the underlying sources, missing data, data standardization and representation of networks in space and time have not been adequately acknowledged and sometimes even completely neglected.

The session invites contributions from researchers applying methods of formal network analysis in archaeological or historical research. A special emphasis of the session will be on the unique challenges that arise in the domain-specific application of these research methods. We welcome submissions on any period, geographical area or topic.

One or more sessions at the 2018 International Network for Social Network Analysis (INSNA) Sunbelt Conference will focus on archaeological and historical network analysis. The conference will take place June 26 – July 1 in Utrecht, Netherlands. Abstracts for 20-minute paper presentations can be submitted at https://sunbelt.sites.uu.nl/abstract-submission/.

Submissions are due 1 February 2018, and authors of accepted papers will be notified by March 2018.

Session organizers:

Aline Deicke (Academy of Sciences and Literature | Mainz)

Martin Stark (ILS Research Institute, Aachen)

Lieve Donnellan (VU University Amsterdam)

Matthias Bixler (University of Zurich)