idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
• 350 researchers and students from 30 nations will discuss the latest findings on the links between society, environment and culture since the Stone Age
• Presentation of the prestigious Johanna Mestorf Award for excellent doctoral theses
• Media are cordially invited to the conference opening and award ceremony as well as to the conference as a whole
When the environment changes rapidly, when supposedly reliable rules of coexistence are questioned, when new technologies fundamentally change everyday life, many people experience a feeling of uncertainty. In such a situation, a scientifically based view of the past can provide social orientation. How did people deal with changes in previous millennia? To what roots can certain processes in today's societies be traced?
From Monday (24 March), more than 350 researchers and students from the fields of archaeology, palaeoecology and other natural, social and life sciences will meet in the Audimax (Main Lecture Hall) of Kiel University (CAU) for the six-day international ‘Kiel Conference 2025: Scales of Social, Environmental, and Cultural Change in Past Societies’ to present and discuss current research findings on these issues.
‘History does not repeat itself exactly, which is why it does not provide us with detailed instructions for action. But if we recognise fundamental patterns, we can still learn from the past for the present. One example is that well-networked and open societies have coped better with transformations than highly isolated societies,’ says conference president Prof Dr Johannes Müller from the Institute of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Archaeology at Kiel University.
The topics that are dealt with in the conference sessions cover the entire period from the Palaeolithic Age to the Middle Ages. They will focus on the effects of climate change and adaptation to the environment as well as social change, identities and migration. ‘These are also highly relevant topics today and the links to the present are particularly important to us,’ emphasises Johannes Müller, who is also the spokesperson for the Kiel Collaborative Research Centre 1266 ‘Scales of Transformation’ and the ROOTS Cluster of Excellence at Kiel University.
The conference will also focus on archaeological methods and digital innovations, including the use of artificial intelligence, as well as maritime archaeology and landscape archaeology.
With the support of the CAU's Office for Gender Equality, Equal Opportunities and Family, a round table will also address the topic of ‘Sexism in Archaeology’. An exhibition on this topic, organised by the French association Archéo-Éthique, will be on display in parallel in the Audimax at Kiel University. This is the first time the exhibition will be shown in Germany.
A second exhibition entitled ‘Alles bleibt anders’ (Everything remains different) will present the results of eight years of intensive research work in the CRC1266 during the conference.
The promotion of young researchers is another focus of the conference. For the first time, a special session will offer students the opportunity to present their current Bachelor's and Master's projects to other students as well as to experienced scientists.
A long-standing tradition of the Kiel Conference is the awarding of the prestigious Johanna Mestorf Prize for outstanding dissertations in the field of socio-ecological research into past societies and landscape archaeology. The prize is endowed with a total of 3000 euros.
It is named after Johanna Mestorf (1828-1909), who carried out archaeological and ethnographic research in Kiel. She was the first female museum director (1891) and one of the first female professors (1899) in Germany.
‘Supporting excellent young researchers is an important concern of our research focus. The Johanna Mestorf Award sets an example that is recognised far beyond Kiel,’ says Johannes Müller.
The Kiel Conference is one of the largest scientific events in the German-speaking world that focusses on the links between the environment, social relationships, material culture, population dynamics and human perception in the past. The CRC 1266 and the ROOTS Cluster of Excellence are organising the conference as part of the Johanna Mestorf Academy at Kiel University.
Note for the media:
Representatives of the media are cordially invited to the opening of the conference with the presentation of the Johanna Mestorf Prize.
Time: Monday, 24 March, 1.30 pm
Location: Frederik-Paulsen-Hörsaal (Lecture Hall) in the Audimax of the CAU, CAP 2, 24118 Kiel
Are you interested in further sessions and topics of the conference or would you like to conduct an interview with participants? Please contact us at press@roots.uni-kiel.de
https://www.kielconference.uni-kiel.de/ The Kiel Conference 2025 with detailed programme
The Kiel Conference 2025 is already the eighth edition of the Kiel Conference series, which originat ...
Carsten Reckweg
CRC 1266/Uni Kiel
Criteria of this press release:
Journalists, Scientists and scholars, all interested persons
Environment / ecology, Geosciences, History / archaeology, Social studies
transregional, national
Scientific conferences
English
The Kiel Conference 2025 is already the eighth edition of the Kiel Conference series, which originat ...
Carsten Reckweg
CRC 1266/Uni Kiel
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