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| Association for the Study of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Societies | |
|---|---|
| Name | Association for the Study of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Societies |
| Abbreviation | ASPPS |
| Formation | 20th century |
| Type | Learned society |
| Headquarters | Unknown |
| Region served | International |
| Membership | Archaeologists, historians, conservators |
| Language | Multiple |
Association for the Study of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Societies is an international learned society focused on the comparative study of Prehistory, Protohistory, and related archaeological contexts. It functions as a multidisciplinary forum connecting researchers from institutions such as the British Museum, British Academy, University of Cambridge, and University of Oxford with practitioners in museums, heritage bodies, and national research councils like the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Max Planck Society. The association promotes fieldwork, laboratory science, and theorization that intersect with projects at sites like Çatalhöyük, Stonehenge, and Skara Brae.
Founded in the mid-20th century by a network of scholars from the University of London, the British Museum, and continental centres including the Collège de France and the Universität Heidelberg, the association emerged alongside institutions such as the Society of Antiquaries of London and the Prehistoric Society. Early members included figures associated with excavations at Knossos, Palaikastro, Hallstatt, and Vézère Valley research, collaborating with organizations like the École française d'Athènes and the German Archaeological Institute. Over decades the association adapted to methodological shifts introduced by proponents of radiocarbon dating at the British Geological Survey, flotation methods promoted by researchers linked to the Natural History Museum, London, and theoretical debates influenced by scholars connected to the École des hautes études en sciences sociales and the University of Cambridge.
The association seeks to advance knowledge about prehistoric and protohistoric societies through support for excavation at loci such as Çatalhöyük, Tollund Man contexts, and Varna Necropolis, and through scientific study in laboratories at institutions like the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and the Natural History Museum, Vienna. Objectives include fostering comparative analyses involving data from the Indus Valley Civilization, Bronze Age Aegean, Neolithic China, and Muisca contexts, encouraging interdisciplinary approaches that draw on specialists affiliated with the British Library, Smithsonian Institution, and the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research.
Membership comprises academics and professionals linked to universities such as the University of Sheffield, University of Edinburgh, and University College London, curators from the V&A Museum, and field directors of projects at sites like Gordion and Tell es-Sultan. Governance typically involves an elected council with positions comparable to structures at the Royal Anthropological Institute and the Society for American Archaeology, including a president, secretary, and treasurer. Advisory committees draw on expertise from agencies such as UNESCO, the European Research Council, and national heritage bodies like Historic England.
The association organizes annual and biennial meetings held in venues ranging from the British Museum to university campuses including the University of Oxford and the University of Bologna, and partners with congresses like the European Association of Archaeologists and the World Archaeological Congress. Themed symposia have addressed issues reflected in excavations at Pincevent, responses to finds such as the Lindow Man, and methodological innovations emerging from collaborations with the Max Planck Society and the University of Leiden. Workshops and field schools connect participants with projects at Pompeii, Vindolanda, and the Mildenhall Treasure research teams.
The association publishes conference proceedings, monographs, and occasional papers comparable in scope to outputs from the Journal of Archaeological Science, the Antiquity (journal), and the Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society. Its editorial board includes scholars associated with publishing houses and presses such as the Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and the Brill Publishers. Research activities span archaeometry, palaeogenetics in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, zooarchaeology tied to the Natural History Museum, London, and landscape archaeology incorporating work connected to the Ordnance Survey and regional heritage agencies.
The association awards travel grants and research scholarships to early-career researchers affiliated with institutions like the University of Cambridge, Trinity College Dublin, and the École Normale Supérieure, and offers prizes for best papers and field reports paralleling schemes run by the Society for American Archaeology and the European Association of Archaeologists. Endowments have enabled fellowships to support field seasons at sites such as Çatalhöyük, Tell Brak, and La Draga, and to fund laboratory analyses at centres like the British Geological Survey and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
Collaborative partnerships include links with museums such as the British Museum, Musée du Louvre, and the National Archaeological Museum, Athens, research consortia funded by the European Research Council and the Wellcome Trust, and heritage agencies like Historic Scotland. Outreach initiatives target public engagement through exhibitions at institutions including the Ashmolean Museum, school programs coordinated with the British Council, and multimedia projects produced in association with broadcasters such as the BBC and the Deutsche Welle.
Category:Archaeological organizations Category:Learned societies