Garbage, Recycling, and Living with Rubble (winter term 2020/2021)

This webinar is an off-the-beaten-track approach to understanding two of the most culturally charged phenomena of the archaeological record: the reuse of things and the disposal of waste. The course this semester is devoted primarily to two themes: 1. the material evidence of reuse of objects (the “second life of things”), buildings, and construction material (spolia) in the archaeological record; and 2. cultural practices of and attitudes towards recycling, garbage-disposal, and pollution. Special emphasis is placed on migration and the resettlement of abandoned sites, and the economic and social implications of this reuse of ancient places. Case studies are culled from excavated sites throughout the Islamic world of the medieval and early modern eras.

Oct. 27, 2020
Introduction to the course
Secondary contexts: managing pits and middens (on-site disposal), and “for the love of manure” (off-site disposal/reuse)

Nov. 03, 2020
Guest lecture: Prof. José Carvajal Lopéz (University of Leicester)
Topic: “Refuse and reuse in al-Andalus and Qatar: Palaces, cities and tents”

Nov. 10, 2020
Guest lecture: Prof. Michael Given (University of Glasgow)
Topic: “Sherds, manure and ruins: lively memories and biographies in Ottoman-Modern Cyprus”

Nov. 17, 2020
Guest lecture: Dr. Ian Jones (University of California-San Diego)
Topic: “A Dark Path? Pollution, Waste Disposal, and Recycling in Ayyubid Faynan, Southern Jordan”

Nov. 24, 2020
Resettlement of abandoned places
Readings: Walker 2020; Walker 2010: 123-145.

Dec. 01, 2020
Guest lecture: Prof. Scott Redford (SOAS-University of London)
Topic: “First Right of Refuse: Reuse in Monumental Stone Architecture & Archaeology (Medieval Turkey)”

Dec. 08, 2020
Architectural reuse, recycling, and repurposing – what is the difference?

Dec. 15, 2020
Guest lecture: Ms. Hend Elsayed (University of Bonn)
Topic: “Ruins in situ and ex situ: meaning, function and practice: View from Mamluk Cairo”

Jan. 12, 2021
Guest lecture: Dr. Itamar Taxel (Israel Antiquities Authority)
Topic: “Aspects of Pragmatic Life: Pottery Reuse and Refuse Disposal in Late Antique and Early Medieval Palestine”

Jan. 19, 2021
The second life of things: ceramic recycling and the cookpot called “Betty”

Feb. 02, 2021
Course wrap-up: cultural attitudes towards ruins, recycling, and waste disposal

University-level command of English language. Open to students on the MA and PhD level, as well as post-graduates. You will need a computer with speaker and webcam, as well as a reliable internet connection, to participate.

Those interested in attending should email the instructor, Prof. Bethany Walker (bwalker@uni-bonn.de) with a brief letter of interest and a CV by October 23, 2020. For new participants in our webinar series, brief interviews by Skype may be held with the instructor.