The 20th Congress of the International Association for the History of Glass has been announced, and the call for papers issued. The congress will take place in Fribourg and Romont, Switzerland, Monday 7 – Friday 11 September 2015. It is organized by the Vitrocentre Romont, in collaboration with the University of Fribourg, the Fribourg Cantonal Archaeology Service, and several Swiss museums. The congress will feature two poster sessions, and three lecture sessions organized as follows: prehistory to late antiquity; the Middle Ages to the 21st century; and the archaeometry of glass – new approaches and methods. There will also be opportunities to visit the Vitromusée and the exhibition ‘A Last Glass? The Archaeology of a Material’ at the Fribourg Cantonal Archaeology Service, and to take in a glass-blowing demonstration.
Prospective speakers should submit a 300-word abstract by 30 November 2014. Themes for contributions can be taken from the history, archaeology, art history, technology, archaeometry, and conservation of glass from the entire world, from pre-history to the 21st century. Papers should only cover subjects for which the data have been obtained at the time of submission. Please remember that only a small part of the audience or poster readers will be familiar with your subject, so explain the background and objectives of your research; discuss the results in a historical or archaeological context; and explain your main methods of analysis in a way that can be generally understood.
Further information and a submission form are available on the AIHV website. Papers may be delivered in English, French or German and should be 20 minutes in duration. Acceptance of papers by the scientific committee will be based on the abstracts, so any abstract must highlight the significance of the contribution and be as clear and informative as possible.