The largest gathering of archaeologists to ever meet in Scotland will be congregating at the University of Glasgow this week (Sep 2-5).

The European Association of Archaeologists’ (EAA) annual meeting will be attended by 2,000 delegates from more than 80 countries.

But the proceedings will not be confined to lecture theatres. To complement the Scientific Programme, the Glasgow EAA Committee has organised a series of artistic events at various locations around the city under the banner of the Our Place in Time arts festival.

The ability to inspire the wider public is celebrated by the Dig Art competition; the best entries will be displayed on the railings of the University of Glasgow along University Avenue this week.

Two short films have been made by Kate Robinson and Circa Media:  “Tracing Stories” examines the connection between archaeology and Scottish writers, while “Fashioned Earth” explores the connection between contemporary art and archaeological sites.

An overview of the Our Place in Time programme is presented in a publication Trace (Download pdf. on right) 

The artistic programme is intended to communicate to the wider public the excitement that archaeologists get from the intimate exploration of the remains of the past.

Some of the work has been newly commissioned for this event, such as John Creed’s Pilgrims’ Crozier; other works have been explicitly inspired by reflections about the distant past, such as the photographic exploration of early Celtic saints by Thomas  Joshua Cooper. His exhibit, entitled Wandering Home, runs from August 29 – September 30 at Glasgow Cathedral and Govan Old Church.  

First published: 31 August 2015

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