Vol. 42 No. 2 Humans and Animals,* ed. Lotte Hedeager. Submission by September 2009 for publication in June 2010. The study of animals in archaeology is currently in the process of conquering new ground, and new theoretical approaches are emerging. The purpose of this volume of World Archaeology is to reveal both the range and the significance of this work. Papers are invited concerning any region or period on such topics as, for example, animals and identity construction, cosmological perspectives on animals and the environment, ontological perceptions of animals, integration of social life and economy both in terms of practice and of belief, and the relationship between humans and animals as part of wider human-environment interactions.
Vol. 42 No. 3 Archaeology and Contemporary Society,* ed. John Schofield. Submissions by January 2010 for publication in September 2010. Why the past matters, and its cultural relevance alongside immediate concerns such as healthcare and the economy, are questions archaeologists have often faced from sceptics. Heritage is now a central tenet of sustainable development, and of the strategies and frameworks that many governments have signed up to, but not everyone directly associates heritage with archaeology: the value of heritage does not necessarily imply the cultural relevance of archaeology. This volume invites papers exploring the relevance of archaeology in contemporary society through the full range of examples and situations. In an age when concern for climate change and the depletion of oil reserves dominate the political, social and economic agenda, why should society continue to invest in the past? Why should our archaeological resources continue to be protected for the benefit of future generations? Is it true that archaeology has a particular role to perform in predicting future change, on the basis of what happened in the past? Is it essential that we understand the past in order to create sustainable futures? And in this context, are some archaeologies more relevant than others? Or is it simply that the past matters more in terms of wider social issues such as cultural identity? Using case studies and perspectives from around the world, this volume will seek answers to fundamental questions about why the past matters and to whom.
Vol. 42 No. 4 Debates in World Archaeology,* ed. Elizabeth DeMarrais. Submissions by May 2010 for publication in December 2010. Papers initiating or contributing to debates or discussions, or papers offering comment, either in relation to papers previously published in World Archaeology or to archaeological issues more generally.
Vol. 43 No. 1 Postcolonial Archaeologies,* ed. Peter van Dommelen. Submission by May 2010 for publication in March 2011. Postcolonial theories have gradually but persistently gained more prominence in archaeology over the last decade or so. In their wake, colonialism has emerged as a topic of interest throughout the discipline, while in those fields with a long-standing tradition of colonial studies – historical and Mediterranean archaeology in particular – conventional approaches are radically being reconsidered. In line with the roots of postcolonial theories in literary studies, most attention has tended towards critiques of contemporary academic and, to a lesser extent, popular representations of past colonial contexts. Much less effort has conversely been spent on alternative and fresh interpretations of those past colonial contexts themselves. In this issue, the focus will be on ‘doing archaeology' along postcolonial lines: that means either novel interpretations and perspectives on colonial situations in the past, whether distant or less so, or reflections on fieldwork and research in contemporary postcolonial contexts. In both cases, the underlying assumption is that postcolonial theories offer exciting perspectives for doing archaeology differently and it is the aim of this issue to explore these differences, both past and present.
Vol 43 No. 2  New Approaches to StoneMines and Quarries; Materials and Materiality, ed Gabriel Cooney. Submission by September 2010 for publication in June 2011. It is now over twenty-five years since the publication of  a World Archaeology issue  on stone quarries (16: 2). Since that time our understanding of the significance of the recognition, extraction and production of artifacts from particular stone sources has changed dramatically. Analytical approaches allied to the application of a range of scientific techniques have facilitated the discrimination of the use of sources, the tracking of the process of working stone, the nature and scale of production zones and the geographical extent of movement of objects. These advances have been matched by a recognition that in the past stone was not viewed as neutral and inert but rather as animate, alive, with rich symbolic potential and that is useful to think in terms of objects having cultural biographies. The extraction and working of particular stone sources formed an active medium in the creation of identities and memory in a range of social contexts and practices. The value of relating and linking the human working of and engagement with stone at different scales, from the microlithic to the megalithic, is increasingly being recognised. Quarries occur in specific locations but rather than categorising them as peripheral, industrial sites when they are evaluated in the context of the symbolic value placed on stone from particular sources and places in social landscapes, their wider importance can be appreciated. Papers are invited which consider these themes and in particular how advances in investigative approaches have contributed to our understanding of the social role and significance of the working and use of stone in the past.