Seminar for Arabian Studies
About Us
The Seminar for Arabian Studies is the only international forum that meets annually for the presentation of the latest academic research in the humanities on the Arabian Peninsula (including archaeology, epigraphy, ethnography, language, history, art etc.) from the earliest times to the present day or, in the case of political and social history, to the end of the Ottoman Empire (1922).
The Seminar for Arabian Studies is a three-day conference that meets in the summer of each year and has been hosted by the British Museum since 2002. An average of 45 academic papers on a wide variety of topics are normally given at the Seminar. In recent years this has increased and in 2012 a total of 56 papers were presented. Well over 200 delegates attend the conference from countries all around the world. Interested members of the public are very welcome to attend.
A brief outline history of the Seminar
The Seminar began as an informal study-group in early 1968 at the suggestion of John Dayton to promote the cause of archaeological research in the Arabian Peninsula. After an initial meeting the group formed itself into a society, with John Dayton as its Secretary. It held its first meeting in Institute of Archaeology, University of London, in October 1968 with a lecture by Peter Parr on a survey in the North-west Hejaz, which he had undertaken earlier in that year with Gerald Lankester Harding and John Dayton.
On the 6th of January 1969 a further one-day Seminar was held at the Institute of Archaeology at which five papers were delivered. Summaries of these were published in the Bulletin of the Institute of Archaeology volume 8-9 (1968-1969: 243-258), following the first part of Parr, Harding and Dayton's "Report on the Preliminary Survey in N.W. Arabia".
On the 19th of June 1969 a third Seminar was held in Cambridge at which six papers were read. These were not published as a group but their titles were listed in the Bulletin of the Institute of Archaeology Volume 8-9 (1968-1969: 258).
On the 6th of January 1970 a fourth Seminar was held at the Institute of Archaeology, London. Only one paper (by Peder Mortensen) was published in the later Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies (PSAS) Volume 1-3 (1970-1973).
The fourth Seminar was held in Cambridge on 22nd-23rd of June 1970 at which twelve papers were read, of which seven were published in the first volume of PSAS volume 1 (1971).
The fifth Seminar was held in Cambridge from the 22nd-23rd of June 1970 at which twelve papers were read, of which seven were published in the first volume of PSAS Volume 1 (1971).
The sixth Seminar was held at Oxford from the 22nd-23th of September 1971 at which eleven papers were read of which eight (plus one sent by Paolo Costa) were published in PSAS volume 2 (1972).
In 1973, the papers from the fourth, fifth and sixth Seminars were reprinted in one volume as PSAS volumes 1-3 (1970-1973). These were prefaced by summaries of those papers read at the second Seminar, a list of papers read at the third, and Peder Mortensen's paper from the fourth.
The seventh Seminar was held at the Institute of Archaeology, London, from the 27th-28th of September 1972 at which 14 papers were read (both Beeston and Winnett read papers, although this was not mentioned in the list of the papers published in PSAS). Nine papers were published in PSAS volume 3 (1973).
The eighth Seminar was held at Cambridge in June 1973 and thirteen papers were read, all of which were published in PSAS volume 4 (1974), together with a book review by A.F.L. Beeston and a cumulative index of all papers published in previous PSAS volumes. After this the present pattern of publication was established.
The ninth Seminar was held at Oxford on 3rd-5th of July 1974 and was the first three-day seminar.
Volume 40 (from the 44th Seminar) of the Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies was published by Archaeopress in July 2010 and contains 33 papers. Volume 41 (from the 45th Seminar) is now in preparation and should be available for sale at the 2012 Seminar.
The 2012 Seminar for Arabian Studies
The 46th Seminar will be held in London at The British Museum from Friday the 13th to Sunday the 15th July 2012 (please note the change of days this year from the traditional Thursday to Saturday). To download a .pdf of the provisional programme please click here: provisional programme. To download a .pdf detailing the abstract submission process and proposed Special Sessions, please click here.
How the Seminar is Organised
The Seminar meets for three days in July each year in London or another British university town. In 2011, more than 220 people attended the Seminar from all over the Middle East, Europe, North America and the rest of the world (Australia, Brunei, New Zealand & South Africa were represented) and over 56 papers were presented.
All of the 1000-plus people and institutions on the Seminar's mailing list receive a call for papers in November of each year and a circular with a provisional programme and booking forms in April. Those who are not already on the mailing list should write to or email the Secretary (contact details below).
Fees and Registration for the 2012 Seminar
The conference fee for the three days is £90. Individual days are £40 and half-days are £20 (the fee for Friends of the British Museum is £70 (£30 per day, half-day £15) and students is £40 (£20 per day, half-day £10). Registration will take place at the British Museum, (in the forecourt of the Clore Education Centre in front of the BP Lecture Theatre), Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG from 13:30 on the 13th of July throughout the course of the Seminar.
Further details regarding Seminar registration and methods of payment can be found on the General Booking Form. If you are presenting a paper or a poster, please use the Speaker Booking Form or Poster Booking Form Poster Booking Form as appropriate.
Please return your booking form and make any payments by the 30th of June 2012.
How to Submit a Paper
Those who wish to give a paper at the Seminar or present a poster display, are asked to submit an abstract of approximately 200 words to the Secretary by the 15th February 2012. As there are usually many more offers of papers than can be accommodated in the programme, the Seminar's Steering Committee has to make a selection and it is seldom possible to accept all those submitted. Owing to the number of papers, each is normally limited to twenty minutes of presentation followed by five minutes for discussion and questions. Wherever possible, papers are grouped thematically and chaired by a specialist in the subject.
Authors of multi-author papers are asked to select only one of their number to deliver the paper, though it is hoped that their colleagues will be ready to answer questions and contribute to the discussion. Owing to the number of papers it is regretted that only one paper on any single project can usually be accommodated in the programme in any particular year, although additional material may be presented in poster displays. Routine annual reports on fieldwork are discouraged in favour of works of synthesis or communications on particular aspects of a site or of outstanding discoveries. However, reports every three or four years on the progress of field projects are very welcome and there is no limitation on poster displays. Only those papers that are physically presented at the Seminar can be submitted for publication in the PSAS but these will be closely reviewed.
How to Submit a Poster
The Steering Committee of the Seminar for Arabian Studies has been delighted by the high quality of poster presentations received over the past few years. The deadline for the submission of posters for the 46th Seminar is the 30th May 2012. A poster submission form is available here: Poster submission form, and guidelines on the production of posters are available here: Poster guidelines. They can also be obtained by emailing seminar.arab@durham.ac.uk.
Given the limited availability of display panels there is a restriction of 20 posters to be presented at Seminar. As with paper abstracts the Steering Committee will select those posters that are judged the most scholarly. Facilities are provided for poster displays on boards displayed near the lecture hall. Only those posters that are physically displayed at the Seminar can be submitted for the PSAS but these will be closely reviewed.
Invitations
Invitations to attend the Seminar and/or to give a paper can be issued on request to enable participants to obtain leave from their academic institutions and/or to obtain visas. However, invitations to give a paper can only be issued after an abstract has been submitted and accepted. In addition the Seminar is run on a largely voluntary basis and is non-profit-making. It is therefore unable to offer financial assistance for travel or accommodation or to waive the conference fee.
Accommodation for 2012
Limited accommodation is available at Astor College, UCL Student Residences, which is located about a 15-minute walk away from the British Museum. The cost is £40.00 per night (bed & breakfast) per person in single bedrooms. Please note that Astor College is a student residence, not a hotel. Seminar accommodation can be organised by completing the General Booking Form, which contains further details about the accommodation and methods of payment.
Steering Committee of the Seminar and Editorial Committee of the Proceedings::
Dr L. Weeks (Chairman), Dr A. Mac Mahon (Secretary), Mrs. J. Starkey (Editor-in-Chief PSAS until July 2012), Prof. J. Watson (Editor-in-Chief PSAS after July 2012), Mr A. Thompson (Treasurer), Prof. A. Avanzini, Dr M. Beech, Dr. R. Carter, Dr. N. Durrani, Dr R. Eichmann, Prof. C. Holes, Prof. R.G. Hoyland, Dr. D. Kennet, Mr. M.C.A. Macdonald, Prof. K. Al-Muaikel, Dr V. Porter, Prof. D.T. Potts, Prof. C. Robin & Dr St J. Simpson
Contact
For more information about the Seminar for Arabian Studies please contact:
Dr. Ardle Mac Mahon (Secretary)
Seminar for Arabian Studies
The British Museum
c/o Middle East Department
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG
UK
email: seminar.arab@durham.ac.uk
The Seminar for Arabian Studies is the only international forum that meets annually for the presentation of the latest academic research in the humanities on the Arabian Peninsula (including archaeology, epigraphy, ethnography, language, history, art etc.) from the earliest times to the present day or, in the case of political and social history, to the end of the Ottoman Empire (1922).
The Seminar for Arabian Studies is a three-day conference that meets in the summer of each year and has been hosted by the British Museum since 2002. An average of 45 academic papers on a wide variety of topics are normally given at the Seminar. In recent years this has increased and in 2012 a total of 56 papers were presented. Well over 200 delegates attend the conference from countries all around the world. Interested members of the public are very welcome to attend.
A brief outline history of the Seminar
The Seminar began as an informal study-group in early 1968 at the suggestion of John Dayton to promote the cause of archaeological research in the Arabian Peninsula. After an initial meeting the group formed itself into a society, with John Dayton as its Secretary. It held its first meeting in Institute of Archaeology, University of London, in October 1968 with a lecture by Peter Parr on a survey in the North-west Hejaz, which he had undertaken earlier in that year with Gerald Lankester Harding and John Dayton.
On the 6th of January 1969 a further one-day Seminar was held at the Institute of Archaeology at which five papers were delivered. Summaries of these were published in the Bulletin of the Institute of Archaeology volume 8-9 (1968-1969: 243-258), following the first part of Parr, Harding and Dayton's "Report on the Preliminary Survey in N.W. Arabia".
On the 19th of June 1969 a third Seminar was held in Cambridge at which six papers were read. These were not published as a group but their titles were listed in the Bulletin of the Institute of Archaeology Volume 8-9 (1968-1969: 258).
On the 6th of January 1970 a fourth Seminar was held at the Institute of Archaeology, London. Only one paper (by Peder Mortensen) was published in the later Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies (PSAS) Volume 1-3 (1970-1973).
The fourth Seminar was held in Cambridge on 22nd-23rd of June 1970 at which twelve papers were read, of which seven were published in the first volume of PSAS volume 1 (1971).
The fifth Seminar was held in Cambridge from the 22nd-23rd of June 1970 at which twelve papers were read, of which seven were published in the first volume of PSAS Volume 1 (1971).
The sixth Seminar was held at Oxford from the 22nd-23th of September 1971 at which eleven papers were read of which eight (plus one sent by Paolo Costa) were published in PSAS volume 2 (1972).
In 1973, the papers from the fourth, fifth and sixth Seminars were reprinted in one volume as PSAS volumes 1-3 (1970-1973). These were prefaced by summaries of those papers read at the second Seminar, a list of papers read at the third, and Peder Mortensen's paper from the fourth.
The seventh Seminar was held at the Institute of Archaeology, London, from the 27th-28th of September 1972 at which 14 papers were read (both Beeston and Winnett read papers, although this was not mentioned in the list of the papers published in PSAS). Nine papers were published in PSAS volume 3 (1973).
The eighth Seminar was held at Cambridge in June 1973 and thirteen papers were read, all of which were published in PSAS volume 4 (1974), together with a book review by A.F.L. Beeston and a cumulative index of all papers published in previous PSAS volumes. After this the present pattern of publication was established.
The ninth Seminar was held at Oxford on 3rd-5th of July 1974 and was the first three-day seminar.
Volume 40 (from the 44th Seminar) of the Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies was published by Archaeopress in July 2010 and contains 33 papers. Volume 41 (from the 45th Seminar) is now in preparation and should be available for sale at the 2012 Seminar.
The 2012 Seminar for Arabian Studies
The 46th Seminar will be held in London at The British Museum from Friday the 13th to Sunday the 15th July 2012 (please note the change of days this year from the traditional Thursday to Saturday). To download a .pdf of the provisional programme please click here: provisional programme. To download a .pdf detailing the abstract submission process and proposed Special Sessions, please click here.
How the Seminar is Organised
The Seminar meets for three days in July each year in London or another British university town. In 2011, more than 220 people attended the Seminar from all over the Middle East, Europe, North America and the rest of the world (Australia, Brunei, New Zealand & South Africa were represented) and over 56 papers were presented.
All of the 1000-plus people and institutions on the Seminar's mailing list receive a call for papers in November of each year and a circular with a provisional programme and booking forms in April. Those who are not already on the mailing list should write to or email the Secretary (contact details below).
Fees and Registration for the 2012 Seminar
The conference fee for the three days is £90. Individual days are £40 and half-days are £20 (the fee for Friends of the British Museum is £70 (£30 per day, half-day £15) and students is £40 (£20 per day, half-day £10). Registration will take place at the British Museum, (in the forecourt of the Clore Education Centre in front of the BP Lecture Theatre), Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG from 13:30 on the 13th of July throughout the course of the Seminar.
Further details regarding Seminar registration and methods of payment can be found on the General Booking Form. If you are presenting a paper or a poster, please use the Speaker Booking Form or Poster Booking Form Poster Booking Form as appropriate.
Please return your booking form and make any payments by the 30th of June 2012.
How to Submit a Paper
Those who wish to give a paper at the Seminar or present a poster display, are asked to submit an abstract of approximately 200 words to the Secretary by the 15th February 2012. As there are usually many more offers of papers than can be accommodated in the programme, the Seminar's Steering Committee has to make a selection and it is seldom possible to accept all those submitted. Owing to the number of papers, each is normally limited to twenty minutes of presentation followed by five minutes for discussion and questions. Wherever possible, papers are grouped thematically and chaired by a specialist in the subject.
Authors of multi-author papers are asked to select only one of their number to deliver the paper, though it is hoped that their colleagues will be ready to answer questions and contribute to the discussion. Owing to the number of papers it is regretted that only one paper on any single project can usually be accommodated in the programme in any particular year, although additional material may be presented in poster displays. Routine annual reports on fieldwork are discouraged in favour of works of synthesis or communications on particular aspects of a site or of outstanding discoveries. However, reports every three or four years on the progress of field projects are very welcome and there is no limitation on poster displays. Only those papers that are physically presented at the Seminar can be submitted for publication in the PSAS but these will be closely reviewed.
How to Submit a Poster
The Steering Committee of the Seminar for Arabian Studies has been delighted by the high quality of poster presentations received over the past few years. The deadline for the submission of posters for the 46th Seminar is the 30th May 2012. A poster submission form is available here: Poster submission form, and guidelines on the production of posters are available here: Poster guidelines. They can also be obtained by emailing seminar.arab@durham.ac.uk.
Given the limited availability of display panels there is a restriction of 20 posters to be presented at Seminar. As with paper abstracts the Steering Committee will select those posters that are judged the most scholarly. Facilities are provided for poster displays on boards displayed near the lecture hall. Only those posters that are physically displayed at the Seminar can be submitted for the PSAS but these will be closely reviewed.
Invitations
Invitations to attend the Seminar and/or to give a paper can be issued on request to enable participants to obtain leave from their academic institutions and/or to obtain visas. However, invitations to give a paper can only be issued after an abstract has been submitted and accepted. In addition the Seminar is run on a largely voluntary basis and is non-profit-making. It is therefore unable to offer financial assistance for travel or accommodation or to waive the conference fee.
Accommodation for 2012
Limited accommodation is available at Astor College, UCL Student Residences, which is located about a 15-minute walk away from the British Museum. The cost is £40.00 per night (bed & breakfast) per person in single bedrooms. Please note that Astor College is a student residence, not a hotel. Seminar accommodation can be organised by completing the General Booking Form, which contains further details about the accommodation and methods of payment.
Steering Committee of the Seminar and Editorial Committee of the Proceedings::
Dr L. Weeks (Chairman), Dr A. Mac Mahon (Secretary), Mrs. J. Starkey (Editor-in-Chief PSAS until July 2012), Prof. J. Watson (Editor-in-Chief PSAS after July 2012), Mr A. Thompson (Treasurer), Prof. A. Avanzini, Dr M. Beech, Dr. R. Carter, Dr. N. Durrani, Dr R. Eichmann, Prof. C. Holes, Prof. R.G. Hoyland, Dr. D. Kennet, Mr. M.C.A. Macdonald, Prof. K. Al-Muaikel, Dr V. Porter, Prof. D.T. Potts, Prof. C. Robin & Dr St J. Simpson
Contact
For more information about the Seminar for Arabian Studies please contact:
Dr. Ardle Mac Mahon (Secretary)
Seminar for Arabian Studies
The British Museum
c/o Middle East Department
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG
UK
email: seminar.arab@durham.ac.uk
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