The "NetWood" conference aims to study in a diachronic and transdisciplinary way the economic and social networks that have developed in Egypt around the use of wood, from the Predynastic to the Ottoman period.

In Egyptological studies, research into every aspect of wood has seen renewed intensity in recent years, from species identification and distribution, to the uses and crafting of the material. Nevertheless, disciplinary compartmentalization still too often constitute a barrier to communications–the only way to solve aporias and broaden views. In this research environment, it is all the more crucial to take advantage of this new convergence of interest, to compare the latest research findings and to question preconceived ideas. The sources available have never been so numerous, and the prospects opened up by each approach are as varied as they are complementary. Therefore, the dialogue between related disciplines, from language science to archaeobotany, and the mutual illumination of material and textual sources are set out as methodological principles here. This interdisciplinary approach is indeed a prerequisite for the diachronic analysis of the various issues related to wood exploitation, whether economic, cultural or landscape.

Topics to be explored include 1) Identification of species: Egyptian and foreign wood, 2) Wood circulation: production, distribution and consumption (raw material), and 3) Woodworking: workshops and use of worked objects.

This call is open to any contribution likely to bring new elements on the subject, whatever the approach taken, the historical period concerned or the language of the corpus studied. To meet the requirements of a transdisciplinary audience, care should be taken to clarify the scope of the study, ensuring communication accessible to all, and, as far as possible, to seek to establish links with other disciplinary fields. Papers should be delivered in English or French.