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Heri01


The material waste of aggression. Dangerous resurfacings of past conflicts 
Convenors:
Regina F. Bendix (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen)
Francisco Martínez (Tampere University)
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Discussant:
Patrick Laviolette (FSS, MUNI, Masaryk Univ.)
Format:
Panel
Stream:
Heritage
Location:
B2.44
Sessions:
Saturday 10 June, -
Time zone: Europe/Prague

Short Abstract:

We welcome papers that address the resurfacing of remnants of past wars. Fossils of aggression raise questions in an unsuspecting present, such as issues of responsibility and disposal, as well as reflections on the dematerialization of purpose and the survival of historic evidence.

Long Abstract:

The underground is a realm of cultural and historical density. It holds irregularly layered assemblies of defunct dwellings, lost toys, and broken cars, but also unexploded bombs, bullets and landmines (Arensen 2022), forgotten deposits of chemicals, and other products of the past that remain dangerously active. Different fossils and leftovers are resting beneath yet occasionally expulsed, holding within them an untimely or unrealized accomplishment. Under the ground is a holding space for alternative pasts and futures while threatening the stability of the present. Impossible coalitions meet there, thanks to the very durability of modern warfare (Schofield et al. 2002).

This panel welcomes papers that deal with the resurfacing of dangerous remnants of conflict. The underground harbors remnants of outmoded chains of production and socio-political organization, bringing the visions and knowledges of other times into the present. They also can carry within them socio-economic and environmental hazards, The resurfacing of dangerous residues enacts both a separation and a reconnection, depending upon what kind of rituals of reintegration are deployed. In some cases, they point at non-discursive and non-rational realms (Olsen et al. 2021), materializing notions of excess and sacrifice.

Alas, what kinds of messages do the residues of past wars carry and pass on to new generations? What challenges do they present as they resurface? Forgotten or at least suppressed, in their longevity, in their very durability, the material waste of aggression embodies an incalculable aspect of living with uncertainty, and demand attention, skill, and forward-looking responses (DeSilvey 2018).

Accepted papers:

Session 1 Saturday 10 June, 2023, -