The Annual Allchin Symposium on South Asian Archaeology was established to commemorate the work of Raymond and Bridget Allchin, and the outstanding contribution they made to the development of South Asian Studies in the United Kingdom.
The UK is currently home to the largest community of scholars working on South Asia outside of South Asia itself. Yet, until recently, there has been no regular forum to meet, exchange ideas and share research. The Annual Allchin Symposium provides an opportunity to bring together UK-based scholars working in South Asian Archaeology, and also those researching South Asian History and the History of Art and Architecture, including established lecturers as well as post-doctoral researchers and PhD students. It creates a much-needed forum for the presentation and discussion of current research as well as methodological and theoretical concerns that affect research in South Asia. Discussions will strengthen existing research, foster new ideas and promote synergies between different areas, periods and subjects of study. This will be of great benefit to staff and students alike, many of whom work as isolated researchers within larger departments and institutions where the needs and questions relevant to the study of ancient South Asia do not necessarily correspond with mainstream agendas, and, at times, are overlooked. This is especially critical now that the British Academy has withdrawn its funding for South Asian Studies, and scholars of South Asia are being asked to compete for funding on an increasingly uneven playing field.
Following a keynote lecture entitled ‘The White Heat of Technology: Pre-Industrial Iron and Steel-Makers of the Indian Subcontinent’ by Dr Gillian Juleff, University of Exeter, on the evening of Friday 30 November, the symposium will take place on Saturday 1 December 2018 at the Ancient India and Iran Trust.
Using the form attached, we invite you to submit a proposal for a presentation detailing your current research. Abstracts should be no longer than 200 words, and should include your name, the title of your presentation, institutional affiliation and contact information (including email address). These should be submitted to the organisers at archaeologysouthasia@gmail.com, no later than Friday 31 August 2018. It is anticipated that presentations will be no more than 20 minutes in length. There is only space for 16 presentations, and proposals will be reviewed and selected by the organising committee to ensure that a fair geographic and temporal spread of research is presented.
The cost of registration will be £15. Limited funds may be available for graduate students intending to speak at the symposium in order to help meet the costs of their travel and accommodation. Further details regarding registration and the venue, including details of travel and accommodation will become available on the Symposium’s website, http://southasianarchaeology.wordpress.com/ in due course.