Medievalism, Public History, and Academia: the Re-creation of Early Medieval Europe, c. 400-1000
A conference at Malmö University, Sweden, 26-28 September 2018.
For many, history can be described as a living thing: current events are said to “make history”; new discoveries of documents or artefacts are said to re-write history, while many people are engaged in re-creating and reconstructing events and objects from the past. In all of these activities, the occasional tensions between the different actors often reflect the ambivalence of authenticity and authority within a grand historical narrative. Issues of who is in control of determining historical authenticity have long been debated. In the interpretation of historical processes, events, and individuals, the development of the academic right of expertise has long been seen as central. However, recent efforts in the interpretation and re-creation of history have proven that this view is too narrow. For the general public, even the ownership of certain memories or being admitted to communities of remembrance is tangled up in the authority of history and a sense of belonging. Recently, these issues have begun to be addressed in critical heritage studies, medievalism, and experience history.
This conference aims to bring together those scholars and reenactors who engage or wish to engage with the juxtaposition of academic history, public history, and re-enacted or reconstructed history. The overarching thematic focus of this conference will engage with the question of historical authenticity and authority using a critical heritage approach. Papers should focus on thematic topics related to one or more of the following: re-creating history, imagining the past, interpretation, ambivalence of authenticity, authority of History, remembrance and memory, medievalism, and/or public history.
Contributions from those working on any area of early medieval Europe are welcome.
Overarching themes to be addressed are welcome from the following:
· critical digital heritage
· re-creating race and ethnicity
· re-creating gender
· academic and public history
The deadline for paper proposals is 15 December 2017. Please send your proposals to sara.ellis.nilsson@mah.se.
In conjunction with this conference, Uppåkra Archaeology Centre will be organizing an event, Vendel Days in Uppåkra, 29-30 September 2018.
