Þóra Pétursdóttir is Post Doctor at the Dpt. of Archaeology, History, Religious studies and Theology at UiT The Arctic University of Norway, and currently member of the CAS project After Discourse: Things, Archaeology, and Heritage in the 21st Century.

Friday May 12, Pétursdóttir gives the paper 'Walking the Drift: Theorising along the intertidal' at the Department of Archaeology at the University of Oslo. 

Abstract:

The paper discusses an ongoing study of "drift matter" (marine debris) along coastlines of northern Norway and Iceland.

The material drifting and amassing in intertidal zones of these regions, is one of the most evident environmental problems of the day, also globally. However, taking these intimidating constellations seriously from an archaeological and eco-critical perspective, is challenging and may require a slackening of conventional scientific reasoning and a concern and tolerance for vagueness, ambiguity and the unknown.

Hence, attempting to follow the rhythms of the intertidal, the paper will discuss how this material resists definition; how it reveals the darkness in things; how it manifests the dialectics of the known and unknown; and how “drifting along” may inform different forms of reasoning and knowing.

Open to all interested

This seminar is open to all interested.