Dear Colleagues,
Europe is once again in the hottest part of the year; we wish all of you a fun, productive, and safe summer whether you are in the field, the office, or on holiday! Just last year our editorial letter highlighted the extreme temperatures and weather that summer will bring. Already it seems that summer 2024 will follow along as a harsh echo of the footsteps of summer 2023. Heatwaves are expected across Europe and beyond, with many countries already experiencing record-breaking heat. In fact, this summer will likely be the hottest ever on record with temperatures exceeding 10C above average already in some places. Unfortunately, this trend shows no sign of changing anytime soon. Please take exceptional precautions while in the field. Be vigilant for signs of heat stress for yourself and for colleagues!
Of course, summer also brings us closer to the 30th EAA Annual Meeting in Rome, which is likely to be not only the hottest AM to date, but also the largest. At last count, there are hundreds of sessions and thousands of presentations from which to choose!
While we wait, however, this issue of TEA still has plenty to dig into, including the usual TEA fare: the EAA’s July thru October Calendar and In Case You Missed It. As we are focusing on Italy in advance of the 2024 AM (a fact further highlighted by our lovely cover shot of the Colosseum by Francesca di Maria) this issue also includes interviews with two Italian colleagues: a chat with EAA Official Maria Taloni (EAA Executive Board) and Meet a Member over TEA featuring Flavia Palazzini (PhD student at Sapienza University of Rome, the host institution for this year’s Annual Meeting). In preparation for the Annual Meeting, Francesca Di Maria provides us with An Archaeologist’s Guide to Rome, including some great tips on what to see, where to go, how to eat well on a budget and how to organize your visit to get the most out of the Eternal City this summer.
We also include an Overview of the European Archaeological Council’s new guidelines and a Newsflash introducing the Chantier-Ethique label: a code of conduct protocol for conducting and maintaining professional and ethical on-site working conditions. In addition, we take a step into the past of the Silk Road with Anna Radchenko’s fascinating cross-disciplinary analysis of kashi ceramic tiles from sites from the Zaporizhya region of present-date Ukraine, which additionally serves as a sharp reminder of the ongoing war in Ukraine and its toll on Ukrainian cultural heritage. In another cross-disciplinary offering, Masahito Tsuboi sheds light on the evolution of antler size in Cervids, revisiting Gould’s discussion of allometry (body-scaling in evolutionary contexts) as exemplified in the extreme antler size and morphology of the extinct Irish elk (a prime example of which many of us will recall seeing in the Ulster Museum during last year’s AM in Belfast). Speaking of deer, Ali Cameron and Alice Jaspars take us along for the ride as they trace the remarkable provenance of the Book of Deer, a medieval Scottish illuminated manuscript with a complicated history. Rounding out this issue, TEA editor Samantha Reiter gives us a review of some recommended summer reading in her review of Jodi Taylor’s rollicking time-travel archaeology adventure Just One Damned Thing after Another. Rounding out the issue is a Community Spotlight on the Society of Africanist Archaeologists (SAfA) by Marina Gallinaro and colleagues and an announcement about an upcoming osteology short course in the UK.
Finally, please remember to keep your cameras to hand as you finish up fieldwork or some final sightseeing—once again this year, TEA has a photojournalism competition on the theme of ‘Archaeology: Art or Science?’ The due date for submissions has just passed, but we are hopeful to run another competition in 2025! Keep your eyes peeled for prospective shots as well as for further news! We will be announcing the semi-finalists of this year’s competition at the ABM in Rome in just a few weeks’ time.
We hope to see you all in Rome.
Best Regards,
Matthew J. Walsh and Samantha S. Reiter
Editors