EAA Matters

• Cover: When we listened to the heavens
• Calendar for EAA Members
• Minutes of the 2023 EAA Annual Membership Business Meeting (AMBM)
• Behind the Scenes Chat with an EAA Official: Joana Valdez-Tullett

Cover: When we listened to the heavens

José Farrujia de la Rosa
La Laguna University

Ancestral cultures based on the herding of livestock and agriculture, such as the indigenous people of the Canary Islands, enjoy their principal celebrations during the summer. At the sun’s highest orbit, the ancestral islanders began to harvest their crops and brought together breeding herds to guarantee the next generation of goats. This marked the beginning of the indigenous year.

Announced by the solstice, it was important to know when the sun began to linger in the sky and when summer began. Each year, during the summer solstice, La Palma’s surrounding indigenous population gathered at the site depicted in the photo, to celebrate and thus give strength to the sun. During these days, even today and at sunset, the sun sneaks through the hole that can be seen in the silhouette of the mountain and illuminates the rock on which the indigenous people engraved the spirals. That is why they chose these rocks of the ravine, and not others, to leave their mark, because right there ‘Magec’ the sun, projected and continues to project its light at sunset and announcing the arrival of summer.

There was a time when heaven spoke to us and we knew how to listen. Archaeology today can keep the echo of the past alive, and in so doing, help us better understand our surroundings and their value. They offer us an ancient perspective on life and the beliefs of those who, before us, paved the way on this earth.

This photo was taken at sunset on June 17, 2022 (La Palma, Canary Islands) and captures the moment when the setting sun directly illuminates the plaque and its spiral design.

Calendar for EAA Members

November 2023 – February 2024

• end October: Registration for the 30th EAA Annual Meeting in Rome, Italy, opens
• 9 November: Deadline for session proposals for the 30th EAA Annual Meeting in Rome, Italy
• 4 December: Announcement of session acceptance / rejection to session organisers
• 14 December: Deadline for registration and membership payment for session organisers
• 18 December: Call for papers / posters for the 30th EAA Annual Meeting in Rome, Italy, opens
• 22 December – 1 January: EAA Secretariat closed
• 31 December: End of the 2023 EAA membership
• 1 January: Beginning of the 2024 EAA membership
• January: Call for nominations to the EAA election circulated to Members
• January: Call for nominations to the European Heritage Prize circulated to Members
• January: Call for nominations to the Oscar Montelius Foundation (OMF) Early Career Achievement Prize (ECAP) circulated to Members
• 1 January: Deadline for submissions to TEA winter issue
• 29 January: Final list of sessions and session organisers for the 30th EAA Annual Meeting in Rome, Italy, available
• 1 February: Call for volunteers opens
• 8 February: Deadline for paper / poster submissions
• 1 March: Call for volunteers closes

Minutes of the 2023 EAA Annual Membership Business Meeting (AMBM)

Technical note

Following the provision of Art. IX of the EAA Statutes, the EAA Executive Board specified the following Rules of Procedure for the 2023 EAA Annual Membership Business Meeting.

1. The 2023 EAA AMBM shall be held per rollam, i.e., voting electronically within a given timeframe and under security settings that ensure a single, verified and anonymous vote per Full Individual Member.
2. An informal virtual meeting with Members shall be held in advance of the per rollam voting process to allow discussion about, and questioning of, the subject of the votes. This informal meeting was held on 1 September 2023 in hybrid format, attended by 69 onsite and 10 online Full Individual Members.
3. Notice of the AMBM with detailed instructions for registration and voting per rollam shall be given to all Full Individual Members not less than sixty days prior to the date of the informal virtual meeting. The notice was given to Full Individual Members via web page and email communications.
4. All documents for the Annual Membership Business Meeting and necessary for the per rollam decision shall be sent to Full Individual Members electronically at least fifteen days before the informal virtual meeting. Members received notice of the 2023 AMBM Reports on 15 August 2023.
5. The per rollam ballot was open from 11 to 18 September 2023 and individualised secured access to the ballot, together with the link of the AMBM informal meeting recording (https://youtu.be/CLZkoxHt8Ns), was provided to all Full Individual Members on 11 September 2023. The quorum for the per rollam ballot consists of 5% of Full Individual Members. As of 11 September, the EAA had 4052 Full Individual Members; the quorum therefore was 203 Members. Altogether 602 responses were received in the per rollam ballot, the quorum was therefore reached.
6. Decisions shall be made by simple majority of the voting Members.
7. The results of the voting of the AMBM shall be published by 2 October 2023 on the EAA website and by sending these results by e-mail to the electronic addresses of all Full Individual Members.

The following report combines the discussion held at the 1 September 2023 informal meeting with the results of the per rollam voting. Matters not subject to the per rollam voting are covered in the AMBM Reports, available to all EAA Members, and are only referenced in the present Minutes.

Opening and welcome

The EAA President Eszter Bánffy opened the informal meeting and welcomed the Members present or joining the meeting online. She summarised what happened in EAA in the past year, as outlined in the EAA Annual Report, and emphasised new initiatives such as the TEA photo contest or the EAA Book Prize. The EAA aims to expand its external contacts, for example by having signed a Memorandum of Understanding with The International Association for Archaeological Research in Western & Central Asia (ARWA). Eszter Bánffy highlighted three further points from among EAA activities: the growing weight of sustainability at Annual Meetings; the EAA emphasis on safe space policy; and the expertise of the EAA Advisory Committees, which will be among the cornerstones of the next EAA Strategic Plan (2025 – 2028).

Minutes of the 2022 AMBM

The Minutes of the 2022 AMBM were previously published on the EAA web. There were no questions raised, and the President proposed to the AMBM to approve the Minutes of the 2022 AMBM as a correct record of the Meeting.

The President proposed to the AMBM to approve the 2022 AMBM Minutes. EAA Full Individual Members voting per rollam approved the minutes of the 2022 AMBM as follows: 396 (65.9%) voting Members approved, 2 (0.3%) voting Member did not approve, 203 (33.8%) voting Members abstained; there were 45 blank responses.

Matters arising from the Minutes

There were no matters arising from the 2022 AMBM Minutes.

Membership report

The EAA Secretary Sally Foster presented the EAA Membership report (cf. AMBM Reports p. 4–6). Since the membership report dates to early July, she pointed out a stunning update in membership figures – the EAA now has 4 076 Members, the biggest number ever. Altogether 3 334 registered for the Annual Meeting in Belfast, of whom 2 638 attend onsite. The EAA currently has 24 Corporate Members, two of whom were new this year: Era Arqueologia, Portugal, and University of Zadar, Department of Archaeology, Croatia.

Financial report

The EAA Treasurer Esa Mikkola resigned on 21 August 2023 due to health reasons. Eszter Bánffy, on behalf of the whole EAA, expressed gratitude for his work, and wished him well. As per the Statutes, a new Treasurer will be co-opted by the Executive Board for one year, 2023–2024, when the position will be open for election for the remainder of the original term of office. Advised by the EAA Nomination Committee, the Executive Board co-opted Katja Predovnik as the new Treasurer at its 2 September meeting.

The EAA Finance Manager Krisztína Pavlíčková presented the 2022 accounts and the 2023–2024 budget (cf. AMBM Reports p. 7–12).

The 2022 Annual Meeting in Budapest was the first one which the EAA organised in hybrid format and under a new business model. The 2022 Annual Meeting budget resulted in a 40 000 surplus, half of which was donated to the OMF for future bursaries. The overall 2022 accounts were based on membership fees of 2872 Members, and generated a surplus of 48 605 EUR. The surplus added to the EAA cumulative balance and create a sound reserve for the future.

The 2023 EAA accounts, based on membership fees from 4 050 Members, include expanded budget for the restructuring and expanding of the EAA Secretariat. Both the 2023 and 2024 budgets are planned as moderately positive.

The President proposed to the AMBM to approve the 2022 financial statement. EAA Full Individual Members voting per rollam approved the 2022 financial statement as follows: 418 (69.4%) voting Members approved, 3 (0.5%) voting Members did not approve, and 181 (30.1%) voting Members abstained; there were 44 blank responses.

The President proposed to the AMBM to approve the 2023–2024 budget. EAA Full Individual Members voting per rollam approved the 2023–2024 budget as follows: 430 (71.6%) voting Members approved, 2 (0.3%) voting Members did not approve, 169 (28.1%) voting Members abstained; there were 45 blank responses.

Membership fee level for 2024

The membership fee level for 2024 remains unchanged (since 2017); therefore, following the provision of Art. V / 6 of the EAA Statutes, AMBM approval is not required.

Statutes Committee report

No Statutes amendments were proposed to the AMBM in 2023. The EAA Secretary Sally Foster presented the proposed Statutes editing changes (cf. AMBM Reports p. 13–14). Should Members identify need for Statutes changes, they are asked to inform the EAA Executive Board.

Oscar Montelius Foundation report

The Chair of the OMF Board of Trustees Elin Dalen presented the OMF report (cf. AMBM Reports, p. 15). She expressed gratitude for EAA’s financial support to the Foundation, and referred to the difficult economic situation worldwide, which translated into altogether 482 grant applications this year; only 82 applications could be funded. The OMF will seek ways how to extend support to EAA Members.

Nomination Committee Report and election results

The Chair of the EAA Nomination Committee Gitte Hansen presented the 2023 Nomination Committee report (cf. AMBM Reports, p. 16). The Nomination Committee wish to increase its visibility within the EAA and raise Members’ interest in actively serving the EAA. Members are welcome to contact the Nomination Committee at NomCom@e-a-a.org.

EAA Secretary Sally Foster presented the election results. The election into the EAA Executive Board and Nomination Committee had been held separately from the AMBM ballot. Altogether 500 valid votes were received online, recorded automatically by the QuestionPro software and confirmed by the EAA Nomination Committee Members Matija Cresnar, Cornelius Holtorf, Gitte Hansen and Marta Rakvin. The candidates elected (shown in bold below) will serve from 2023 to 2026 at the Executive Board, and 2023 to 2027 on the Nomination Committee. The EAA congratulates the successful candidates, and thanks those who were not elected for their continued interest in the work of the Association.

New appointments and reappointments

The EAA Secretary Sally Foster thanked the outgoing EAA Boards and Committees members:

She welcomed the newly (re-)appointed members of the following EAA Boards and Committees:

EAA Publication reports

The EJA Editor Cate Frieman presented the European Journal of Archaeology report (cf. AMBM Reports, p. 17–18). She highlighted the increase in the number and diversity of submissions to the EJA and thanked the peer reviewers who contributed to maintain the high quality of the Journal. The EJA Reviews Editor Marta Díaz Guardamino is coming to the end of her term, and the EAA will be launching a call for a new Reviews Editor in the coming months. The EJA aims to become fully Open Access in 2025; the Publisher will offer a waiver programme to ensure that any author wishing to publish in the EJA and not covered by institutional agreements can do so at no fee.

TEA Co-Editor Samantha Reiter presented The European Archaeologist report (cf. AMBM Reports, p. 21–22). She thanked all TEA contributors and invited EAA Communities which have not yet been spotlighted in TEA to contact the Editors. The amount and diversity of TEA content have increased, and TEA Editors have therefore moved the submission deadlines slightly backwards to ensure timely publication of TEA issues. Sam Reiter congratulated the winners of the 2022 TEA photo contest — José Nicolás Balbi, Roger Thomas and José Farrujia de la Rosa — and invited Members to vote for the winners of the 2023 photo contest via online survey on 11–18 September.

Elements Co-Editor Bettina Arnold presented the Elements series report (cf. AMBM Reports, p. 20). The publication rate stands at average two volumes per year since its launch in 2018. Each volume is downloadable for free for certain period of time upon publication at the Cambridge University Press website. Bettina Arnold invited Members to submit proposals for Elements volumes.

The Executive Board member monitoring EAA publications Ariane Ballmer presented the THEMES in Contemporary Archaeology report (cf. AMBM Reports, p. 19) on behalf of the Editors.

Ariane Ballmer outlined the EAA Book Prize – the winners of the first edition were announced at the Opening Ceremony. The details of the 2024 round will be soon published on the EAA web and communicated to EAA Members also via email.

Appeal and Anti-Harassment Committee report

Member of the Appeal and Anti-Harassment Committee (AAHC) Bettina Arnold reported on the activities of the re-formatted Committee in the past year (cf. AMBM Reports, p. 23). The Committee focused on establishing its remit and operating guidelines, and discussed the complexities of the Committee’s mandate, such as its lack of legal status, confidentiality of information it handles and translation policy. The Committee invites Members to comment on the remit of the Committee and the use of the AAHC web page by email to antiharassment@e-a-a.org.

Advisory Committees reports

Representatives of EAA Advisory Committees briefly outlined their activities in the first year of existence (cf. AMBM Reports, p. 24–27).

EAA Communities

The EAA Vice-President Jesper Hansen, in charge of EAA Communities, presented the report on EAA Communities (cf. AMBM Reports, p. 27–28). In 2022–23, the EAA had altogether 24 Communities, including two new ones: Community for Textile Archaeology and Conservation (ComTex) and Computational Modelling of Past Socio-ecological Systems (COMPS). Altogether 10 Communities have reached the end of their three-year term and were all renewed with the exception of the Professional Associations in Archaeology Committee, which has been dissolved due to inactivity. The EAA Communities differ in focus and size, but all are invited to apply for EAA funding in both 2023 and 2024.

Outlook into the Coming Year

The EAA President Eszter Bánffy emphasised the role of the EAA Advisory Committees, also in view of the upcoming new EAA Strategic Plan 2025–2028. EJA transition to Open Access is an important step forward, and the EAA will aim for the same move for its other publications. Eszter Bánffy informed Members of upcoming changes at the EAA Secretariat: Katka Kleinová will leave the position of EAA Events and Data Manager at the end of December and will be substituted by Magda Karabáš. Eszter Bánffy expressed gratitude to Katka, wished her well for the future and welcomed Magda.

The incoming Events and Data Manager Magda Karabáš has been learning into the position since March. One of the tasks she took over is the redesign of the EAA web site, which should be launched this autumn and for a short period run in parallel with the old web site to allow Members comment. Members had the opportunity to see a brief teaser of the new web site: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuMqUvwHB64

Location of future Annual Meeting

The EAA President Eszter Bánffy reminded Members of the aim of the EAA to connect the East and West, which should also translate into the location of EAA Annual Meetings. However, only seven Annual Meetings have been held in category B countries, as opposed to 21 Annual Meetings held in category A countries. She proceeded to announce the location of two future Annual Meetings:
2025: 31st EAA Annual Meeting, Belgrade, Serbia
2026: 32nd EAA Annual Meeting, Athens, Greece.

Announcement of the 30th EAA Annual Meeting

Alessandro Vanzetti, Chair of the 2024 Scientific Committee, briefly introduced the key details of the 30th EAA Annual Meeting, to be held at the Sapienza University in Rome, Italy, 28–31 August 2024. He explained the Annual Meeting motto and logo and introduced the Annual Meeting themes. Alessandro Vanzetti thanked the members of the Scientific Committee and Advisory Board for their work to date. He then presented two short films, which can be viewed at https://www.e-a-a.org/EAA2024.

Any other business

Eszter Bánffy, the EAA President, thanked all Members attending and invited them to raise questions or comment on EAA matters.

On behalf of all Members, Peter Kienzle thanked all EAA constituents for their work. Maria Mina thanked the outgoing Executive Board member Amanda Chadburn, who will receive a farewell from fellow Board members at the 2 September Board meeting. Eszter Bánffy thanked the Board, staff and Members at large for their commitment.

Since there was no other business to be discussed, Eszter Bánffy closed the informal meeting and urged Members to vote on EAA matters per rollam.

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Behind the Scenes Chat with an EAA Official:

Joana Valdez-Tullett

TEA: Archaeologists are such a diverse group; can you tell us about what drew you to social media? What is the most important and relevant part of your work for the EAA?

I developed and managed the social media strategy for Scotland’s Rock Art Project, for which I worked until February 2022. This allowed me to engage with a variety of people, which I really enjoyed. The Social Media Editor role with the EAA is one of the first points of contact with its members and a large community with tens of thousands of people. It therefore carries a great deal of responsibility in how that initial contact is managed.

TEA: Can you tell us a bit about what drew you to archaeology?

I wanted to be an archaeologist ever since I was a small child, even when I had no idea what it was all about. I only knew that it dealt with old things and I always had a fascination with history. One of my earliest memories is of a visit I made with my parents to a village that had been abandoned due to being submerged by a dam. At some point they lowered the water levels, and we could visit the village. I was four, and I remember walking around the abandoned ruins with my parents, picking up small bits of pottery and trying to put them together. I also always enjoyed going to my dad’s village, on the border between Portugal and Spain, and walking around the castle, the Romanesque church and the ruins of a nearby monastery. I was always drawn to these old places, so I think my interest in archaeology just came naturally and it never left me. I was lucky enough to study it and pursue archaeology as a career.

TEA: Has archaeology always been your career goal?

Yes, I never really thought about being anything else other than an archaeologist, and I am very lucky to have always worked in the field

TEA: How do you see archaeology changing in the future?

Archaeology is already heavily digital, and this trend is likely to continue. There are already good examples of the application of AI in archaeological research, and the use of this technology will probably expand to a variety of news areas and continue to change the way we work.

TEA: What/How does archaeology contribute to society at large?

Archaeology has a lot of potential as a means to understanding our societies, bridging the past and present. I think that one of the main ways that archaeology will contribute to our modern societies is by helping us to understand long-term climate trends, the impact of human activities on the environment, and consequences of climate change, but also coping strategies and lessons on adaptability and human resilience.

TEA: What is the biggest issue facing European archaeology?

In its various forms, archaeology suffers from underfunding, which leads to a number of issues from lack of or slow research, difficulties in conservation and preservation, lack of staff amongst other problems that make this field in general a bit challenging.

TEA: What archaeology literature are you reading right now?

Thomas Cirotteau, Jennifer Kerner, and Eric Pincas. 2022. Lady Sapiens: Breaking Stereotypes About Prehistoric Women. London: Hero

TEA: Describe your workspace in five words or less.

Full of Books.

TEA: What is the one piece of gear that you can't live without (in the field/office)?

A camera. Whether a proper camera or my phone, I like to have it around in case there is something worth photographing.

TEA: What is your best/worst/funniest/oddest archaeology/work story?

When I was working as an archaeologist in Portugal, I was involved in the field survey of a pretty inhospitable V-shaped valley looking for rock art. We could only survey the riverbanks in the summer because the water levels were lower. However, the riverbanks were mostly inaccessible, and we had to get an inflatable boat and hire a local fisherman to help us navigate the river. In some parts, we had to walk over very large boulders carrying the dingy and in other parts there were rapids. We had to swim to survey smaller subsidiaries of this river, because there was no other way to access them. This was probably the most unique survey that I ever did, and besides some stressful and scary moments, I have very good memories of this job.

TEA: If you could have a conversation with any archaeologist living or dead, who would it be, and what would you choose as the topic?

After becoming an archaeologist, I found out that my grandfather’s great-great-grandfather was an early archaeologist and a founding member of what is today the Association of Portuguese Archaeologists. I would love to have a chat with him about his work and his favourite periods. To find out about our shared interests.

TEA: If you could go back in time, would you go? Where and when?

There are a few places in time that I wouldn’t mind visiting in the past, like the Côa Valley in Portugal during the Palaeolithic to witness rock art creation processes and occasions, my dad’s village in the Medieval period, or the city of Macau (in Asia, and where I grew up) before all the skyscrapers were built. But I quite like the present and all the possibilities that it offers. Perhaps I would rather visit the future, and hopefully find out that we manage to save the planet!

TEA: Any advice to new archaeologists just starting out/joining the EAA?

To a new archaeologist: Archaeology is quite interdisciplinary, so diversify your skillset, take advantage of any fieldwork opportunities available to you, build a network of contacts and take time to read, develop your theoretical background and keep an open mind when thinking about the past.

TEA: What is your favourite part of your job?

I love to do fieldwork, in particular field surveys. Walking the landscapes, and the combination of hiking, nature, archaeology, animals, plants and the different sounds has always been one of my favourite parts of this job.

TEA: Do you go to archaeological sites on vacation, or do you do other things?

I have a young family and we tend to do a variety of things, but there is always archaeology involved in our holidays! Just this summer we crawled into a variety of chambered tombs in Orkney!

Photo courtesy of J. Valdez-Tullett

J. Valdez-Tulett in Portugal. Photo by A. Rodrigues.

J. Valdez-Tullett photographing Scottish Rock art. Photo by T. Barnett.

J. Valdez-Tullett (on left) and colleague looking for rock art in Scotland (Scotland’s Rock Art Project). Photo by T. Barnett.