From Domizia Paolucci <domizia.paolucci@uniroma1.it>:linebreak=========================linebreaklinebreakSHADES: Settlements, Networks, and Change in Bronze Age Western Asia 17-18 December 2026linebreaklinebreakThe Doctoral School in Archaeology of Sapienza University of Rome – Curriculum Orientale is pleased to invite submissions for SHADES: Settlements, Networks, and Change in Bronze Age Western Asia, an international conference dedicated to exploring the cultural, social, political, and economic transformations that shaped Western Asia during the Bronze Age.linebreaklinebreakScheduled to take place on 17-18 December 2026, the conference will bring together scholars working across Anatolia, Mesopotamia, the Levant, and the Arabian Peninsula to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and comparative perspectives on the diverse trajectories of Bronze Age societies and their interactions with the built and inhabited landscape.linebreaklinebreakThanks to the support of the American Center of Research (ACOR), the conference will also include a venue in Amman, creating an additional space for discussion and exchange that strengthens the sense of scholarly community and reinforces connections between researchers working across the region.linebreaklinebreakCONFERENCE THEMES: The Bronze Age witnessed the emergence of complex coexisting societies, which inhabited the landscape in diverse ways, developed specific forms of organization and economic systems, and interacted over great distances. By adopting an archaeological, theoretical, comparative, and interdisciplinary approach, SHADES aims to explore the different ways communities occupied and shaped the landscape, how settlement systems formed and evolved, the development of regional and interregional exchange networks, and the circulation of raw materials, technologies, and ideas.linebreaklinebreakParticular attention will be devoted to the sociopolitical and ideological transformations associated with these processes, as well as to cultic, ritual, and funerary practices that shed light on local identities, community organization, and the interconnectedness of people across Western Asia.linebreaklinebreakThe conference also seeks to highlight the plurality of historical trajectories that characterized Bronze Age Western Asia, emphasizing the coexistence of different social, economic, and cultural pathways rather than the inevitability of a single developmental model. The conference seeks to challenge linear and deterministic narratives of historical change, while also investigating the connections, continuities, and transformations linking different chronological phases, regions, and communities.linebreaklinebreakThe five thematic sessions welcome contributions employing a wide range of scientific approaches, including material culture studies, landscape archaeology, archaeometry, GIS-based spatial analysis, architectural studies, and the investigation of funerary contexts.linebreaklinebreakAs Western Asia continues to face profound political instability and humanitarian crises, SHADES seeks to strengthen scholarly dialogue across geographical and disciplinary boundaries while fostering critical reflection on the role of archaeology in contemporary society. The conference aims to create a forum for critical discussion of the production, interpretation, and dissemination of archaeological knowledge in contexts of conflict and uncertainty. Within this broader framework, a dedicated session will examine the conservation, protection, management, and public engagement of cultural heritage, emphasizing their significance for collective memory, cultural identity, and community resilience.linebreaklinebreakSHADES is grounded in the belief that archaeological research must be collaborative, reflexive, and ethically responsible. Our collective endeavour therefore seeks to foster forms of knowledge production that move beyond extractive and colonial legacies, recognizing the central role of local scholars, institutions, and communities who study, preserve, and live alongside the archaeological landscapes of Western Asia.linebreaklinebreakDEADLINE - 15 October 2026linebreaklinebreakFor further information, visit the official website (with complete call for papers): https://shades-conference.netlify.app/#cfplinebreak