Gatherings: Past and Present: Proceedings from the 2013 Archaeology of Gatherings International Conference at IT Sligo, Ireland

Description

The Archaeology of Gatherings was a thematic international conference to bring together a range of speakers from different disciplines. It took place at the Institute of Technology, Sligo, Ireland, between 25 and 27 October 2013 during the year of 'The Gathering', an Irish government initiative to engage with the worldwide diaspora. The aim of the conference and of this volume was to take a multidisciplinary approach in order to explore the structures, material culture and psychology behind gatherings of people. This volume thus seeks to contribute to the study of varied types of temporary gatherings both from the contemporary world and from the past. Through time people have gathered together for many reasons, including religious and political assemblies, social interaction and to exchange commodities and ideas. While some of these gatherings occurred in particular buildings or arenas, many were outdoors and temporary, and may have left only limited material evidence of their occurrence. It is therefore hoped that this multidisciplinary approach will provide insight into these sometimes ephemeral events and their remains. Front Cover Title Page Copyright Sponsors Table of Contents List of Contributors List of Illustrations List of Tables Preface and Acknowledgements Chapter 1. Gatherings Past and Present: An Introduction Chapter 2. Near-to-Death Experiences: Gatherings of the Living and the Dead Chapter 3. Gatherings of Faith: Pilgrimage in Medieval Ireland Chapter 4. Aeridheacht and Excursions: Gatherings and the Social Impact of Irish Railways, 1850–1960 Chapter 5. Passionate Gatherings: The Global Sociality of Football Chapter 6. Food, Gatherings and Social Power: Case Studies in Feasting and Community Gatherings in Iron Age Scotland Chapter 7. Scouting for Boys: Prospection and Autoethnography Methods to Map the Archaeology of a Jamboree Chapter 8. Gathering the Nations: Towards an Archaeology of Assembly in Early Medieval Ireland Chapter 9. A History of Gathering at the Hill of Ward, Co. Meath Chapter 10. Colonial Gatherings: The Presentation of Inu in New Kingdom Egypt and the British Imperial Durbar: A Comparison Chapter 11. Collective Actions Within and Between Gatherings