The next meeting of the London Chapter OAS will be held in person at the Museum of Ontario Archaeology, 1600 Attawandaron Road, London, Ontario. There will be no ZOOM version! The meeting will be held on Thursday October 12, 2023 at 7:30 PM (doors open at 7 PM). The speaker will be:

Dr. Christopher Kerns (FSA Scotland, RPA), Timmins Martelle Heritage Consultants, London, Ontario, speaking on: Siren Song of the North – Histories of Archaeological Inquiry and the Prominence of Orkney in Neolithic Studies.

Abstract: The Neolithic period – as represented by the sites and monuments located on the islands of Orkney – has, does and will continue to have an exaggerated influence on our understanding of the Neolithic period in Scotland, the British Isles, and Western Europe. Like other prominent regions in the British Isles, Orkney has an exceptionally long history of archaeological inquiry conducted by some of the most influential archaeological figures in the history of the discipline which in turn has biased interpretative narratives of the Neolithic period. Traditionally, this has been seen as a cause-and-effect paradox where it is unclear whether the prominence and importance of the sites and monuments contributed to the influence of the archaeologists or the influence of the archaeologists contributed to the prominence and importance of the sites and monuments. However, a more nuanced examination of the historical context and the specific circumstances surrounding the investigation of influential sites and monuments shows a more complicated and entwined relationship between archaeological locations and the archaeologists who investigate them, while simultaneously showing how bias can have a cumulative effect through time, exerting ever greater influence on narratives of the Neolithic period.        

As a heads up, at our Thursday, November 9th 7:30 PM meeting will be available only via ZOOM – we will be alternating between ZOOM and in person monthly meetings at the Museum this year to see how that works. The speaker will be: Dr. Claude Chapdelaine (Emeritus Professor, Université de Montréal) on his work on a 9000 year old site near Sherbrooke, Quebec.