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LANDSCAPES , S OURCES , AND INTELLECTUAL P ROJECTS IN A FRICAN H
ISTORY : R ETHINKING H ISTORICAL EVIDENCE AND ITS I NTERPRETATION
12-14 N OVEMBER 2015
Department of African Studies and Anthropology (DASA) and
Centreof West African Studies (CWAS), University of Birmingham
C !! "#$ P %&$'
What types of evidence, data, and sources can we use to e
pand!nowledge of the African past" #ow can di$erent types of
evidence%e critically analysed & %e they landmar!s on African
landscapes orfaded te ts produced %y authors unfolding speci'c
intellectual andpolitical pro ects" hese are some of the *uestions
that haveanimated the wor! of Dr+ aulo -ernando de .oraes -arias
for 'vedecades+ /n 01&02 3ovem%er 1402 the Department of
AfricanStudies and Anthropology (DASA) and Centre of West African
Studies(CWAS) of the University of Birmingham (U5) will host a
symposiumaimed at confronting these *uestions and spea!ing to
issues thathave %een central to Dr+ De .oraes -arias6
scholarship+
As a very special opening to the symposium, Dr+ De .oraes
-ariashas accepted to give the third -age 7ecture on hursday
013ovem%er 1408 at 8pm+ #is lecture will %e followed %y a
receptionand the two su%se*uent days will feature
wor!shop&style panels andplenary sessions+ hese panels will
serve %oth as a %roaderre9ection on Dr+ De .oraes -arias6
engagement with these themes,and as an important opportunity for a
renewed engagement withthe sources for the African past at a moment
of 9u in Africanhistoriography+
We invite su%missions of panels and:or papers focusing on any of
the themes listed %elow or generally related to Dr+ De .oraes
-arias6research+
S()%#'*+) &)&'
0) Demythologising the African past; what are the enduring
mythsthat distort the interpretation of Africa
8/9/2019 Symposium in honour of Paulo Farias November
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1) #istoricising African myth; myths are 'lled with clues+ hey
revealmoral values, aesthetic udgments, and salient themes in
thepopular imaginary of African societies that provide insights
into apast often left unrecorded+ What are the historical and
culturaldynamics that in9uence the production, circulation,
andtransformation of African myths"
=) Accounting for conte t; Beyond accounting for the language
andculture of the authors of our sources, how can we integrate
aconsideration of other factors > such as the rec!oning of
time,awareness of landscapes, landmar!s, and the material
andimmaterial world > in the study and interpretation of sources
of theAfrican past"
2) ?evealing the pro ects %ehind the sources; aulo -ernando
de.oraes -arias urges us to thin! of African sources > %e they
te tual,oral, or epigraphic & as the products of the
%iographic, intellectual,and political tra ectories of their
authors+ Can we use sources asavenues for reconstructing the
intellectual pro ects of their authors,and the discursive 'elds in
which these authors operated"
8) Developing a historiographic ethics %ased on a
genuinehermeneutical stance in historical e egesis+ #ow can
researcherswrite in a way that reveals the usti'cation in the
/ther6s point of view (and ma!es us dou%t our own)"
@) Contri%utions related to any of the regional and theoretical
linesof in*uiry that have animated aulo -ernando de .oraes
-arias6wor!, including oru%a, uareg, and Songhay oral history
epigraphyresearch in medieval .ali, Benin, and .auritania ihadist
and non&
ihadist slam Afrocentrism critical reassessments of 3orth
andWest African historiography etc+
S+.)*''*#/ #" .' $ '
Su%missions of papers should include author6s name, a
liation,contact details, paper title, a%stract of no more than 144
words+
anel proposals should %e su%mitted %y panel organisers
andinclude complete information for all of the papers included in
thepanel+
he deadline for the su%mission of a%stracts is 1 J /+ $( 2015 +
here is no registration fee+ he conference will ta!e place in
theUniversity of Birmingham6s campus+ articipants are e pected
toma!e their own travel and accommodation arrangements and
topurchase their own meals+ DASA will o$er co$ee:tea %rea!s
andinvite all participants to the reception that will follow the
-age
7ecture on the evening of hursday 01 3ovem%er+
