The CHILD SPACE conference will consist of several sessions with different titles referring to the topics of the presentations, as well as to important areas of research in the field of childhood bioarchaeology.
Although archaeology is concerned with the study of the past, its development is closely tied to contemporary social issues, which influence how it changes its perspective on the past.
For a long time, archaeology focused on the material culture of the past; functioning as a descriptive and categorizing discipline until questions of identity filtered through from historical science. From the 19th century onwards, historians began to demonstrate a keen interest in not only the changes and development of large social structures but also the history of people's relationships, their ways of thinking and the everyday behaviour associated with them. This shift in focus gave rise to the emergence of individual narratives.
At the same time, feminist perspectives from sociology started to bring attention to previously 'invisible' societal actors, particularly women and children began to be highlighted, at least in scholarly essays. The breakthrough study was Philippe Ariès' work in 1960 „Centuries of Childhood: A Social History of Family Life”[L'enfant et la vie familiale sous l'ancien régime], which, despite containing some controversial ideas - such as that the medieval world was insensitive to children, seeing them as miniature adults - was instrumental in positioning childhood as a distinct area of study. This work has sparked significant debate, and it is now generally accepted that certain elements of the parent-child relationship, such as emotional bonds, have remained consistent throughout history. The conference will open with Prof. Katharina Rebay-Salisbury's presentation, "The Archaeology of Childhood: Past, Present and Future", which will provide valuable insight into the past and future trajectory of archaeology in this captivating and relevant topic for contemporary society.
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