The Virtual Conference for Women Archaeologists and Paleontologists (VCWAP) is back for its fifth edition on March 5-7, 2025! During these three days, we will be shining a spotlight on early-career women researchers and women paleoartists, by presenting their work.
We want to emphasize that everyone, regardless of employment status, gender identity or expression, is warmly welcome to attend and participate in the discussions. We believe in the power of mentorship and networking to foster growth, diversity, and inclusivity within the academic community. We are not just about showcasing scientific excellence; we are here to build a supportive community for women in science. Join us to be part of this empowering experience.
The 5th VCWAP will take place on March 5-7th, 2025. It will be held online (via Zoom, Discord, and Gather Town) and free of charge. If you wish to help us finance the 5th VCWAP, you can join, for 2-10€, the Association for early-career Women Archaeologists and Paleontologists.
During the VCWAP, early-career women researchers and women paleoartists can present their work in three engaging formats:
- 10 min Talk (Zoom);
- Poster (Gather Town)
- Paleoartistic Reconstructions (Gather Town).
Gather Town provides a virtual space that facilitates dynamic and real-time discussions, enhancing the interaction between presenters and attendees.
In addition to our scientific sessions, we will continue our tradition of hosting a Round Table Discussion, focusing on gender-related issues and ways to address them in both Archaeology and Paleontology.
Once again, everyone, regardless of career stage, gender identity or expression, is invited to participate in our inclusive event, where we aim to foster mentorship, diversity, and community support for women in science.
This year we are honored to feature the work of paleoartist Sandra Hähle to represent the 2025 edition of VCWAP. Sandra Hähle won the award for best paleoartistic reconstruction from the VCWAP 2024 Paleoart Gallery.
Details of the instructions are available on the Call for Abstracts and our Tutorials. Proposals for talks, posters and paleoart should be submitted using our templates, via our Registration Form.
Deadlines
- Submission of Abstract (regular talk, poster): December 1st, 2024.
- Submission of Paleoart: December 15th, 2024.
Abstracts for Talks and Posters
The VCWAP welcomes contributions from early-career women (cis and trans) researchers in Archaeology and Paleontology, without permanent positions (from master students to postdoctoral stages). It covers various aspects of ancient life (plants, fungi, invertebrates, vertebrates including humans), their interactions, and the study of materials, environments, climates, and must involve methodologies used in archaeology and/or paleontology. Your contribution must fit into at least one of these five scientific sessions accompanied by some keywords (not exhaustive):
- Heritage and gender studies (patrimony, cultural & societal impact, dissemination, pedagogy, protection & preservation of archeological & paleontological sites and fossiles, transmit, outreach, acessibility, museum, feminism, …)
- Characterization and dynamics of populations and their environments (paleoecology, and habitat-use, niche-modelling, anthropisation, morphometrics, comparative anatomy, evolving ecosystems, biogeography, phylogeny, taxonomy, diversity, turnover, extinction, isotopes, dental wear analyses, paleoenvironment, paleoclimate, technologies, …)
- Actualistic and experimental frameworks (reference populations with well-known ecology, ethnoarcheology, neo-ecology, actualistic approaches, experimentation under controlled conditions, modern reference databases, tool calibration, modelisation, …)
- Tracking functional and behavioral responses to environmental constraints (adaptation, exaptation, selection, past climate changes, ecological plasticity, fall-back foods, diet, chaîne opératoire, positional behaviors, morphological changes, form-function relationships, biomechanics, …)
- Exploitation of natural resources and raw materials (subsistence strategies, technology, industry, ecological plasticity, hunting pattern, diet, foraging, …)
You can submit your abstract with the Registration and Submission Form by December 1st, 2024. Please upload the abstract by completing and respecting this Template. We encourage you to follow our Tutorial for tips on how to write a good abstract. We understand that certain circumstances (e.g., internet connectivity issues or special conditions) may make it challenging for you to give a live presentation. In such cases, you have the option to send us a pre-recorded presentation in advance.
Contributions to the Virtual Paleoart Gallery
The Virtual Paleoart Gallery (VPG) welcomes contributions from all women paleoartists (trans or cis), regardless of their background (academic or non-academic) and their professional status (professional or non-professional). We invite your creative works aimed at bringing past human and non-human beings back to life. Your paleoartistic reconstruction may take various forms and must be accompanied by a short commentary in English (150-400 words). In this commentary, you will provide insights into the scientific assumptions, artistic choices, references, and/or specimens that form the basis of your reconstruction. You will find more details in our Tutorial to build the perfect contribution for the VPG.
You can submit your application to the VPG with the Registration and Submission Form by December 15th, 2024. Please upload the commentary by completing and respecting this Template. We encourage you to follow our Tutorial for tips on how to write a good abstract.
Awards
- Best Regular Talk Award: the awardee will have the possibility to choose between the following options offered by our sponsor Transmitting Science: 1) Two consulting sessions on how to incorporate storytelling into a presentation or an abstract; 2) Three specialized coaching sessions with the expert Haris Saslis to help improve professional decision making, excellence at work, and increase personal satisfaction.
- Best Poster Award: €100
- Best Paleoartistic Reconstruction: €100
The three laureates will be honored on the website of the Association for early-career Women Archaeologists and Paleontologists.
If you would like to attend this event as a public, please complete this Registration Form. If you submit a contribution proposal, your registration will be taken into account at the same time.
Registration deadline: February 28th, 2025 (GMT+1).
Connection links will be sent to you in the days before the start of the conference.
The detailed program will be available in February 2025.
Organizing Committee
- Ana Abrunhosa (Ph.D) – IPHES-CERCA, Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution, Tarragona, Spain
- Evangelia Alifieri (Msc) – Greece
- Emilie Berlioz (Ph.D) – EvoAdapta, department of Historical Sciences, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
- María Borao Álvarez (Ph.D) – TRACES UMR 5608, CNRS-University Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès, Toulouse, France
- Abril Castagnola (Msc) – Grupo de Investigaciones Arqueológicas del Nordeste, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
- Rosana Cerezo-Fernández (Ph.D Fellow) – University of Salamanca, Dpto. Prehistoria, Historia Antigua y Arqueología, Salamanca, Spain & TRACES UMR 5608, CNRS – University Toulouse Jean Jaurès, Toulouse, France
- Pénélope Claisse (Ph.D Fellow) – Evo-eco-paleo, University of Lille, Lille, France
- Darja Dankina (Ph.D) – Nature Research Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Jade Duché (Msc) – TRACES UMR 5608, CNRS-University Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès, Toulouse France
- Ana Belén Galán López (Ph.D) – TRACES UMR 5608, CNRS-University Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès, Toulouse, France
- Axelle Gardin (Ph.D) – Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
- Marina Lezcano (Scientific Illustrator) – Spain
- Victoria Lockwood (Ph.D) – PALEVOPRIM UMR 7262 CNRS – University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France
- Margot Louail (Ph.D) – Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, American School of Prehistoric Research, Cambridge, USA
- Margot Michaud (Ph.D) – French Guyana University, Cayenne, France & EDDy Lab University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Marie-Estelle Ölz (Msc) – Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Laurie Pélissier (Ph.D Fellow) – PALEVOPRIM UMR 7262 CNRS – University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France
- Claudia Speciale (Ph.D) – IPHES-CERCA, Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution, Tarragona (Spain), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Departament d’Història i Història de l’Art, Tarragona, Spain, and Department of Historical Studies, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
- Axelle Walker (Ph.D) – PALEVOPRIM UMR 7262 CNRS – University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France
Scientific & Paleoart Committees
- Ana Abrunhosa (Ph.D) – IPHES-CERCA, Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution, Tarragona, Spain
- María Borao Álvarez (Ph.D) – TRACES UMR 5608, CNRS-University Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès, Toulouse, France
- Abril Castagnola (Msc) – Grupo de Investigaciones Arqueológicas del Nordeste, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
- Rosana Cerezo-Fernández (Ph.D Fellow) – University of Salamanca, Dpto. Prehistoria, Historia Antigua y Arqueología, Salamanca, Spain & TRACES UMR 5608, CNRS – University Toulouse Jean Jaurès, Toulouse, France
- Pénélope Claisse (Ph.D Fellow) – Evo-eco-paleo, University of Lille, Lille, France
- Darja Dankina (Ph.D) – Nature Research Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Jade Duché (Msc) – TRACES UMR 5608, CNRS-University Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès, Toulouse France
- Ana Belén Galán López (Ph.D) – TRACES UMR 5608, CNRS-University Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès, Toulouse, France
- Axelle Gardin (Ph.D) – Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
- Marina Lezcano (Scientific Illustrator) – Spain
- Margot Louail (Ph.D) – Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, American School of Prehistoric Research, Cambridge, USA
- Margot Michaud (Ph.D) – French Guyana University, Cayenne, France & EDDy Lab University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Laurie Pélissier (Ph.D Fellow) – PALEVOPRIM UMR 7262 CNRS – University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France
- Claudia Speciale (Ph.D) – IPHES-CERCA, Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution, Tarragona (Spain), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Departament d’Història i Història de l’Art, Tarragona, Spain, and Department of Historical Studies, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
- Axelle Walker (Ph.D) – PALEVOPRIM UMR 7262 CNRS – University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France
CONSENT AND ETHICAL GUIDELINES DOCUMENTS
- Consent and Authorization Form for Artwork Use
- Ethical Guidelines for the Virtual Paleoart Gallery of the VCWAP
- Video consent and release agreement for a filmed communication during the 5th VCWAP
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The Association for early-career Women Archaeologists and Paleontologists (AWAP) strives to ensure everyone a welcoming, respectful, safe and collaborative conference experience, regardless of their gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, neurodiversity, physical appearance, body size, ethnicity, nationality, race, age, or religion. To ensure that all participants at the annual Virtual Conference for Women Archaeologists and Paleontologists (VCWAP) understand what behaviour is expected, and what behaviour will not be tolerated, the AWAP has established this Code of Conduct.
EXPECTED BEHAVIOUR
The AWAP expects that participants at the VCWAP will:
- Be considerate and respectful to all conference participants. Avoid demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behaviour, materials, and speech.
- Be willing to speak up if you observe anything that is inconsistent with this Code of Conduct at the VCWAP. Please contact a member of the VCWAP conference team as soon as possible if you feel harassed or uncomfortable, notice someone else being harassed, or have any other concerns.
UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR
The AWAP will not tolerate unacceptable behaviour from any participant. Unacceptable behaviour includes, but is not limited to:
- Intimidating, harassing, abusive, discriminatory, derogatory, or demeaning speech, materials, or conduct by any participants of the conference.
- Violence, threats of violence, or violent language directed against another person.
- Sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, or otherwise discriminatory jokes and language.
- Personal insults, particularly those related to gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, or disability.
- Inappropriate photography or recording (especially for use on social media, without the prior permission of the individuals or owners of the content therein).
CONSEQUENCES OF UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR
Unacceptable behaviour will not be tolerated. It is expected that anyone asked to stop unacceptable behaviour will comply immediately. Participants who violate the AWAP’s code of conduct may be expelled from the conference if they engage in unacceptable behaviour.
UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR: WHAT TO DO
Please notify a member of the VCWAP conference team if you observe / are subject to unacceptable behaviour, or have any other concerns, by sending us an email (vcwap@awap-science.org) or by sending us a private message directly through the Zoom chat. The VCWAP Team will be available to assist anyone those experiencing unacceptable behaviour to feel safe during the conference. Reports will remain completely confidential.
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