Following the success of edieval equestrianism sessions at the International medieval congress (IMC) Leeds 2016, we invite papers for special sessions on medieval equestrian history for the IMC at Leeds in 2017. We welcome papers on theoretical and practical aspects of medieval equestrianism, as well as for the special strand of IMC 2017, “Otherness”. We also accept papers using experimental and reconstruction approaches building on profound scholarly research.

Argument

‘It is intriguing to reflect that everyone in the Middle Ages, as a matter of course, must have been able to guess the social rank of every horse that came in sight, just as they recognized ranks of people. Horses and people intermingled everywhere, locked in a relationship that made indispensable to each other.’ (Joan Thirsk, ‘Foreword’ to Ann Hyland, The Horse in the Middle Ages)

Following the success of Medieval Equestrianism Sessions at the IMC Leeds 2016, we invite papers for special sessions on medieval equestrian history for the International Medieval Congress at Leeds in 2017. We welcome papers on theoretical and practical aspects of medieval equestrianism, as well as for the special strand of IMC 2017, ‘Otherness’. We also accept papers using experimental and reconstruction approaches building on profound scholarly research.

In particular, we seek papers in the following fields:

• Archaeology and archaeozoology;
• Economics and medieval agriculture;
• Environmental studies and climatology;
• Animal studies and human-animal encounters; and
• Other approaches to medieval equestrianism in the fields of arts and humanities.

Inspired by the public interest in the horse riding display by Levantia at IMC Leeds 2016, we will once again organise a display of medieval saddlery and equestrian equipment as part of Making Leeds Medieval Festival (6 July 2017).

In addition, we intend to publish a volume on the medieval horse, with the majority of chapters based on the papers presented at IMC Leeds 2016 and 2017.

Submission guidelines

The deadline for conference paper proposals is 25 September 2016.

The deadline for the volume chapters is 31 June 2017.

Please send an abstract of not more than 500 words and a short CV to the session organisers: Dr. Timothy Dawson (levantia@hotmail.com) and Dr. Anastasija Ropa (Anastasija.Ropa@lspa.lv). Please indicate whether you are submitting for the IMC session, the publication or both.

Session organisers

• Dr. Timothy Dawson
• Dr. Anastasija Ropa