ICAZ FRWG MEETING XXI


21st International Conference
International Council for Archaeozoology
Fish Remains Working Group

Dear colleagues,

the Organizing Committee again invites with pleasure scholars to participate in the XXI FRWG International Conference, held at the Austrian Archaeological Institute and the Natural History Museum in Vienna, Austria, from August 22–27, 2022. This year we (plan to) organize a meeting with physical presence of the speakers and participants. Nevertheless, depending on the unpredictable pandemic Covid-19 situation, a virtual meeting instead of the physical FRWG meeting in Vienna might again be planned alternatively. Participants will be informed in due time and financial aspects, such as aliquot refund of fees, will be taken into account.

The conference deals with research fields promoted by the ICAZ FRWG with the aim of creating a basis for an interdisciplinary discussion. Following the tradition of the FRWG, the program of the meeting is open to and the organizers welcome contributions from any field of ichthyo-archaeological research. One proposed topic will invite papers on environmental history and historical fish faunas from various aquatic environments.

Vienna is located at the Danube, a large river system with strong Alpine influence. The writer, teacher and clergyman Wolfgang Schmelzl penned a song of praise “Ein Lobspruch der hochlöblichen und weitberühmten Stadt Wien in Österreich // A hymn to the commendable and famous city of Vienna in Austria”, where he also described and lauded the typical fishes caught in the Danube in the 16th ct. Fish and especially carp had a long tradition of rearing especially in areas north of Vienna and trading to and consumption in Vienna not least because of the fasting periods in medieval and Early Modern Times. The Danube was always a source for food, a transport route and in the 20th century, it became a source for electricity production with many hydropower dams. The river was always a potential threat for Vienna until the late 19th century, when flood protection dikes relieved most of the urban population from flood damage. Today, parts of the remaining Danube floodplains in and East of Vienna are protected as a national park. It offers one of the last preserved alluvial riparian forests and still has a remarkable diverse fish community.

Vienna offers advantages for carrying out this conference, such as:

  • Easy accessibility in the centre of Europe, as Vienna is a hub of European and international transport.
  • Longstanding tradition of interdisciplinary archaeological-scientific activities in various of different institutions.
  • 425 hotels in all categories and a broad range of cultural attractions

The venue will be the Natural History Museum Vienna in the very centre of Vienna. The location offers elegant surroundings with an appropriate infrastructure in an imperial atmosphere.


Looking forward very much to meeting you in Vienna!
 

Alfred Galik | Austrian Archaeological Institute at the Austrian Academy of Sciences
Astrid Pircher | Austrian Archaeological Institute at the Austrian Academy of Sciences
Gertrud Haidvogl | Inst. of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management (IHG), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Günther Karl Kunst | VIAS Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science, University of Vienna
Jürgen Kriwet | Institute for Palaeontology, University of Vienna