**CALL FOR PAPERS and POSTER PRESENTATIONS**

Worked in Stone

Early medieval stone sculptures that survive across Europe at the wayside, in architectural settings, in churches and graveyards, are an exceptional source for understanding the aesthetics and beliefs of early medieval communities. Standing crosses, inscribed stones, rune stones and grave markers are some of the highly varied forms that exist, spanning Christian and non-Christian societies. These reveal artistic styles, external connections and influences, technological abilities, literacy and commemorative practices. They provide a catalyst for exploring the identity, tastes and ideas of early medieval populations in a time when political connections and religious affiliations were variable and far-reaching.

Celebrating the Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture, this conference will offer an in-depth comparative investigation of the development and deployment of sculptural work in stone as a European-wide phenomenon, situating these monuments and their production within their local, regional, national and international contexts. Speakers will bridge divides separating northern, southern and eastern European scholarship, and address the interdisciplinary interfaces between archaeology, history and art history, discussing traditions of stone sculpture production and context and providing comparative and contextual dialogue on prehistoric and Classical/late antique traditions. Our aim is to develop novel and significant understandings of the arrival of monumental work in stone in early medieval societies in terms of purpose, influences, connections and meaning.

 

Confirmed speakers include: Jane Hawkes; Martin Carver; John Blair; Sally Foster; Nancy Edwards; Jane Geddes; David Stocker; Paul Everson; David Petts; Catherine Karkov; Francesca Dell Aqua; Lilla Kopár and Meggen Gondek.

Proposals are invited for papers and poster presentations that take a comparative perspective and fit the five key conference themes:

* Imagery, iconography and symbolism * Memory, commemoration and inscription * Technologies of production * Visual narratives * Sculpture, place and space.

Paper and poster proposals are especially welcome from early career researchers as well as established scholars. Conference papers are 25 minutes max. Poster presentations will be a single A1 poster that summarises a current research project, to be displayed during the conference. Presenters will be available during the conference reception to discuss their project.

To submit a proposal for a paper OR a poster presentation, please submit a title and a 150 word abstract by 30th June 2020 to workedinstone.conference@durham.ac.uk

 

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