Conferences

 

Andy speaks at conferences across the UK and internationally. He also runs major archaeology and World War I conferences.

Report from the 2017 CONFERENCE

“A RICHER DUST” was the title of the 2017 annual conference showcasing projects relating to the recovery and identification of human remains through conflict archaeology which is a multi-disciplinary approach to sites of conflict which acknowledges the sensitivities of ethnicity, and national and cultural identity. It embraces archaeology, cultural history and geography, as well as military history. At the 2017 conference a well-received  international panel  looked at diverse projects in the field.

Comments from delegates:-

“I particularly liked the breadth of discussion –  not just world wars but prehistory.”

“Very interesting, knowledgeable speakers.”

“Good open discussions and excellent, well-informed presenters.”

“Fascinating.”

2017 topics included:-

World War One: The Recovery and identification of the remains of two British soldiers killed at La Boisselle, France, in 1915    Speaker – Simon  Jones

Simon is currently a freelance historian and tour guide. He was formerly the curator at the Royal Engineers and King’s Regiment Museums and a guest curator for English Heritage. He was lead historian for the La Boisselle Study Group and is currently writing a book on underground warfare at La Boisselle. He is the author of books on underground warfare and chemical warfare during the First World War. See his blog at SimonJonesHistorian.com

Violence in the British Bronze Age  – An archaeological project   Speaker – Richard Osgood

A chance discovery in the Gloucestershire village of Tormarton yielded evidence of the violent end for a number of young men some 3000 years ago. Richard Osgood will discuss the phenomenon of warfare in our prehistoric past. Conflict and brutality are nothing new! Richard is senior archaeologist at the UK Ministry of Defence.

The US Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)- Researching and recovering missing personnel from all past wars and conflicts  Speaker – Heather Harris, Deputy Director Europe Mediterranean Region.

Heather Harris is responsible for overseeing the work of multidisciplinary teams researching the circumstances of loss for more than 27,000 unaccounted-for personnel. Where possible, these teams also plan, coordinate and execute fieldwork aimed at recovering the remains of American personnel for identification and subsequent burial in accordance with the wishes of the next of kin. Ms Harris will be joined by Dr Mark Russell of the DPAA and Mr Rocky Gillette from the DPAA’s Strategic Partnerships Directorate

World Wars: The ethics of recovering human remains from World War battlefields which have become sites of cultural heritage  Speaker – Andy Robertshaw

 

“It has now been a number of years that Mr Robertshaw has been meeting with my students, explaining the intricacies of the Battle of the Somme and a soldier’s life in the trenches. Mr Robertshaw’s enthusiasm for the subject is contagious and, each year, my students come back inspired , with a concrete understanding of the subject. Mr Robertshaw does not simply lecture – he allows students to touch, hear, and see the war – through objects, video and activities. I cannot think of a better way to experience World War One”.

Deborah Leparc, Anglophone Section for Bilinguals, Institut Notre Dame, France.

A Soldier’s Life – trench tour

“Andy was great and got a very good response from the audience.”

Wells-next- the-Sea Library, September 2016

Digging the Trenches