A 'Dying to Know' workshop
The Gale History Museum at Macquarie University is calling for paper and presentation abstract submissions for a workshop the museum will be hosting in partnership with the Collective for Archaeology, Cultural Heritage and Environment (CACHE) on 8 August, 2025.
Lessons from past and present approaches to death, dying, disposal and commemoration.
Human beings have been dying for as long as we have existed as a species. From our deepest past until our current moment, every family, community and culture has had to engage with death. Some communities draw upon the experiences of ancestors and/or forge new practices.
However, within many communities, death, dying and disposal have become taboo topics and people have become untethered from past practices. This disassociation can create challenges and become a source of trauma and maladaptation. Similarly, these taboos impact on workforce training and retention, and create challenges for the development of best practices.
Can we bridge past and present practice to find better ways of dying? Can contemporary insights help us better understand death in the past? Can past practices inform our approaches to dying and death in the future?
On 8 August, in alignment with Dying to Know Day, The Gale History Museum, in partnership with the Collective for Archaeology, Cultural Heritage and Environment (CACHE), will host an interdisciplinary workshop exploring approaches to death, dying, disposal and commemoration. We are calling for papers and presentations from disciplines including, but not limited to:
- archaeology and museology
- palliative care
- medical and allied health sciences
- sociology and social sciences
- Indigenous studies
- cultural studies.
Please submit abstracts by Friday 20 June, 2025.
To submit your abstract, please download and complete this form, and email your completed form to ghm@mq.edu.au.
Contact: Yvonne Inall
Phone: +61 (2) 9850 9263
Email: ghm@mq.edu.au