Archaeology Department hosts Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference
The Archaeology Department of the School of History, Classics and Archaeology hosted the 43rd Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference - one of the largest annual archaeological meetings in Europe - for the first time.
The Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference has been running since the late 1970s, but this was the first time the University of Edinburgh has hosted it. Between 15th and 17th December 2022 over 450 participants from across the UK, Europe, North America, and Asia attended 32 sessions in the John McIntyre Conference Centre and St Leonard’s Hall at the University.
The main conference theme was “Revolutions”, establishing a historiographical link with former Edinburgh Abercromby Professor Vere Gordon Childe, who developed the famous concepts of the Neolithic and the urban revolutions. Professor Manuel Fernández-Götz (Chair of the organising committee), Professor Emma Hunter (Head of School), and Dr Jon Henderson (Head of Archaeology) opened the Conference and welcomed attendees, and the keynote lecture was delivered by Professor David Wengrow, co-author of the bestselling book, “The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity”.
Alongside academic presentations, attendees enjoyed social activities which provided a welcome opportunity to bring together colleagues from the university, heritage, museum, and commercial archaeology sectors. The Conference was supported by various sponsors and exhibitors, and had the invaluable help of numerous student volunteers making for a hugely successful event which reflects Edinburgh’s standing in the archaeological community.