On 6, 7 and 8 September the 4th International Rural Congress RePort + SEHA (2023) is held at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra, dedicated to the theme “Food Sovereignty – Dynamics of production and supply in the long term“. Participants are invited to reflect historically on agricultural and food challenges, between the local and the global, encouraging a broad discussion, interweaving traditional chronological, spatial and disciplinary boundaries.

Proposals for papers are open until 20 February. We would invite all colleagues to participate, and especially those dedicated to the Early Middle Ages, in the following session:

Agrarian practices in the Early Middle Ages – diversity and adaptability | Catarina Tente (IEM – NOVA FCSH); Sara Prata (IEM – NOVA FCSH)

The archaeology of Early Medieval rural communities has undergone great development in recent years, allowing for the recovery of data relevant to the understanding of the lifestyles of peasants. The progress in research has made it possible to characterize and discuss precisely these questions related to agrarian economies, in particular regarding the production, transformation, storage, circulation and consumption of foodstuffs.

This session seeks papers within the scope of rural studies focused on Early Medieval archaeology, especially on Iberian Peninsula contexts, in particular:

1. Archaeobotanical perspectives;

2. Isotope analysis;

3. Productive and transformative spaces;

4. Storage structures;

5. Material culture related to food processing and consumption;

6. Agrarian techniques and rural landscapes.