26th EAA Virtual Annual Meeting, 24-30 August 2020

Virtual Networking!

Bridges, townscapes, relativity, networking ... Whenever we invite you to attend our Annual Meetings, the usual way to do this is to rely on the sense of place of the city where we meet. This touch was ‘bridges’ in Maastricht 2017, ‘townscapes’ in Barcelona 2018, ‘relativity’ in Bern 2019, and it was to be ‘networking’ for Budapest 2020 referring to the Pannonian Basin as a hub.

What is the sense of place in a non-place? Which is the sense of place in a digital space, a virtual encounter? It is the people, the participants actively engaged as co-producers, the distinct individuals de-individualized in their meta-subjective avatars. It is a sense built up from whatever we bring as individuals: our knowledge, our wishes, and the package of our tradition as the European Association of Archaeologists. A tradition that calls us to meet and encounter. Once again, in spite of the current problems or exactly because of them, the EAA membership will use the strong spirit of our Association to find a suitable alternative to keep meeting, discussing and envisaging how to reinvent normality. We will create networking! When problems are huge – and they are for many of our colleagues and societies – archaeology, archaeologists and EAA must be part of our struggle for the future.

In spite of the disappointment of the cancellation of the Budapest 2020 Annual Meeting, the excitement we feel about going virtual with the heart-warming support of the Scientific Committee, Budapest Organizing Committee, ELTE University, session organisers, presenters and keynote speakers, allows us to plan for a full programme including the Opening Ceremony, keynote lectures, a full scientific programme, the AMBM and the election of a new President and Secretary.

Message to EAA members

Dear EAA members

It took longer than expected to launch the practicalities for the EAA 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting because of the need to find a suitable and respectful solution for all the parties involved in the cancelled Budapest Annual Meeting. Now we can come back to you with important information we hope you will enjoy. Amidst the disruptive effects of coronavirus pandemic, it seemed difficult to envisage a feasible alternative. But the members´ willingness to go ahead and replace the in-person meeting by the first virtual Annual Meeting of the EAA, gave us the strength to search for an innovative option. More than 150 sessions involving 1800 presentations and most of the keynote speakers have confirmed their participation. The Virtual Annual Meeting will take place on August 24-30. It will be performed as a service to members, i.e. there will be no registration fee or other charge for current EAA members. All current members can take part in the Virtual Annual Meeting this year. This policy has been approved by the EAA Executive Board considering the exceptional circumstances that we all face and, particularly, in attention to those who suffer from the devastating economic impact of the ongoing crisis in the archaeological sector. In a few days, we will start reimbursing the Budapest registration fees. If any of you wish to donate all or part of this fee to EAA, it would help EAA – while financially stable – to cope better with the losses around the Budapest cancellation. The costs of organizing the virtual Meeting are high but affordable. This all will be presented and discussed in full at the Annual Membership Business Meeting, held virtually on August 28.

We expect the professional online platform for the Virtual Annual Meeting (VAM) to give a satisfying experience to participants. It will recreate in the virtual space the usual format of our Meetings with all their activities and atmosphere. We call you all to meet there and produce the special magic of the EAA for lively open discussions about relevant topics of our discipline and practice.

Soon after this message, you will get further information from our Secretariat regarding the VAM and the reimbursement of Budapest registration fees. Meanwhile, you can access already the VAM-webpage through the link www.e-a-a.org/EAA2020virtual

There are still three matters I should address. It is the enthusiasm and loyalty of our members that led us to find a solution. This prompt reaction could be achieved only because of the re-organization of the Secretariat and its processes that EAA undertook in recent years. Our staff, your Board and our colleagues in Budapest have done an exceptional work to find the best solution to the problem. But adaptation never ends and the recent process has shown us some procedures that we must improve. Secondly, the heart-warming support of the Scientific Committee, session organisers, presenters and keynote speakers fuelled us to follow this way.

In a more personal sense, if I may, I must applaud once again the sort of association of members we are. Not a single message of complaint or worries was received during the last very dramatic three months. The sense of communality and trust helped us immensely to respond to a very uncertain situation. At the end of March, we said that 2020 cannot be a lost year for the EAA, and it will not be. EAA will arise from this situation stronger, more innovative and prepared to adapt our knowledge and practice to the challenges this crisis brings. This is for us all!

Salud, keep well and take care

On behalf of the EAA Executive Board
Felipe Criado-Boado
President of the EAA