Programme
The preliminary programme for the GAO conference 2018. All timings are guidelines and are subject to change.
Day 1
Monday 12th March 2018
9 AM - 9.30 AM: Welcome and registration (Please place posters up)
9.30 AM - 11.00 AM: Session 1 - Art and Image in Order and Chaos
11.00 AM - 11.30 AM: BREAK
11.30 AM - 1.00 PM: Session 2 - Conflict in Order and Chaos
1.00 PM - 2.00 PM: Lunch, BAR book stall and poster session
2.00 PM - 3.30 PM: Session 3 - Interpretation of Order and Chaos
3.30 PM - 4.00 PM: BREAK
4.00 PM - 5.00 PM: Session 4 - Law in Order and Chaos
5.00 PM - 6.00 PM: Keynote talk by Professor Naomi Sykes - Exeter University
6.00 PM - 7.00 PM: Drinks reception
7.00 PM - 7.30 PM: Walk to conference dinner at Al-Shami
7.30 PM - Conference dinner at Al-Shami.
Stand from publisher BAR, who will be offering a prize draw to win £75.00 of BAR book vouchers and 40% off all copies of books on display!
Day 2
Tuesday 13th March 2018
9 AM - 10.30 AM: Session 5 - Methods and Theory in Order and Chaos (1)
10.30 - 11.00 AM: BREAK
11.00 AM - 12.00 PM: Optional tour of Near Eastern galleries in the Ashmolean museum, led by Paul Collins*; Optional tour of conservation gallery at the Ashmolean Museum**, led by Daniel Bone; Oxford City tour TBC.
12.00 PM - 1.00 PM: Lunch and poster session
1.00 PM - 2.00 PM: Keynote talk by Dr. Lisa Lodwick - All Souls College, University of Oxford - "After the PhD: planning for a career in Archaeology."
2.00 PM - 3.00 PM: Session 6 - Methods and Theory in Order and Chaos (2)
3.00 PM - 3.30 PM: BREAK
3.30 PM - 4.30 PM: Session 7 - Order and Chaos and Belief
4.30 PM - 5.00 PM: Prize Giving Ceremony and Conference end
*Near Eastern Gallery (#19). A discussion on the imagery of Assyrian reliefs in relation to ancient ideas of order and chaos and modern threats to the heritage of Iraq. Limited numbers. Forty-five minute tour begins at 11 AM promptly, max 15 people.
**Discussing the fine line between restoration and fakery; why items decay and how items are investigated and preserved through the collections; the history of repair, reuse and restoration in the collections. Thirty minute tour begins at 11.15 AM promptly, max 10 people.
Keynote Speakers
Professor Naomi Sykes
University of Exeter
Naomi is a zooarchaeologist with a background in medieval and Roman studies. Her research has recently focussed on human-animal-environment interactions during the Holocene. Her work integrates archaeological data with anthropology, cultural geography, (art) history, linguistics and scientific evidence (DNA; stable isotope analysis etc). This data allows the exploration of ideology, structure, impact and well-being of past and present societies.
Currently, Naomi is leading a project on the origins and spread of Easter and animals associated with that (rabbits, hares, chickens). She has additionally run a many large scale research projects of particular species - notably fallow deer and chickens.
Dr Lisa Lodwick
PDRA at All Souls College, University of Oxford
Lisa is investigating the relationship between urbanisation and agricultural practice in later prehistoric and Roman Europe. For her method, she will firstly be using stable isotope and weed ecology analysis and secondly establish a corpus of corn-drying ovens from north-western provinces to better understand the scale, intensity and organisation of the arable economy in the north-western Roman world.
Lisa has previously used archaeobotanical analysis of charred, mineralised and waterlogged macroscopic plant remains on different projects to discover more about the excavations of small towns in Roman Britain.
Additional Information
Information on accommodation, how to get to Oxford, and places to eat and drink.
Transport
How to get to Oxford.
Aeroplane
Birmingham airport is by far the closest to Oxford, followed by Heathrow and Gatwick. All of these have a bus service which runs to Oxford (National Express from Birmingham; The Airline from Heathrow and Gatwick). You can catch a train directly from Birmingham airport to Oxford train station. Be sure to use UK currency on The Airline bus services.
Train
Oxford has good rail connections with the rest of the UK. If it is possible, we recommend that you purchase your ticket in advance in order to save money - you can do this through websites such as thetrainline.com. The train station is centrally located and walking distance from the city centre.
Bus
The National Express runs services to Oxford (boarding and destination location dependant). The city centres central bus station is called Gloucester Green and is centrally located.
*If coming from London, or through London, please be aware that there is a very regular and cheap bus service offered by the Oxford Tube and X90 which collects at numerous points in London and drops you at numerous locations through Oxford city centre and the central bus station, Gloucester Green.
Accommodation
Recommended accommodation in the Oxford area.
Air BnB - increasingly popular in the UK and provides an opportunity to stay in a house, flat or local residence with one or more persons
YHA Oxford - an established youth hostel immediately next to the train station that is low budget
B&Bs - a search engine providing a number of B&B options in Oxford, both centrally and just outside of the centre, catering to a range of budgets
University rooms - a search engine providing a number of options to stay in Oxford University and Oxford Brookes college accommodation; you do not need to be a student or alumni of Oxford to stay here
Food and drink
Recommended eateries in the Oxford area.
FOOD
The Vaults - Tea, scones and lunchtime snacks (£)
Dosa Park - Indian dinner (£)
White Rabbit - Oxford's best pizza (££)
The Rickety Press - Pizza, chips, wine etc. (££)
Sojo - Chinese Resturaunt and Mongolean Grill (££)
Cote - French menu (gluten free heaven) (££)
Gees - Fancy Mediterranean dinner in a conservatory (£££)
The Breakfast Club - American diner (££)
Comptoir Libanais - Beautiful Lebanese food (££)
DRINKS
The Lighthouse - Tapas and cocktails (BOGOF time dependant)
Turf Tavern - Apparently Oxford's oldest pub serving food and drinks
The Kings Arms - Predominantly drinks
Raouls - Drinks
The Varsity Club - rooftop bar for evening drinks come nightclub
The Alchemist - cocktail haven with beautiful Oxford views
Sponsors
We thank our generous sponsors:
We thank those attending our conference:
Please see the website here, www.barpublishing.com
Please see the website here, www.barpublishing.com
