CAA 2021 Digital Crossroads. Proceedings of the 48th Conference on Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology

Abstract

These proceedings bring together a selection of papers and posters presented at the 48th Conference on Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (CAA), one of the leading international forums for the exploration of digital and quantitative approaches in archaeological research. The conference theme, “Digital Crossroads,” was selected to reflect the original intention to host the event in Limassol, Cyprus, the third-largest island in the Mediterranean and a place that has occupied a pivotal position at the crossroads of civilisations since prehistory. Beyond its geographical resonance, the theme also captures the broader intellectual and methodological moment in which archaeology and related disciplines now find themselves, as ongoing digital transformation continues to reshape the ways in which the past is investigated, interpreted, and communicated. The cultural heritage of Cyprus and the wider Eastern Mediterranean constitutes an exceptional historical, social, and economic resource. At the same time, this heritage remains particularly vulnerable to the effects of conflict, political instability, and other regional pressures. In this context, the protection, preservation, and promotion of cultural heritage, together with the study of long-term social and human–environment interactions, provide a particularly fertile framework for the development and application of quantitative methods and digital technologies within contemporary archaeological scholarship. Although the Local Organising Committee had very much hoped to welcome participants to Limassol in June 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately rendered an in-person meeting impossible. Nevertheless, it was both a privilege and a pleasure to host this important annual gathering of the CAA community in an online format, ensuring the continuation of scholarly exchange and international collaboration during an exceptionally challenging period. We wish to express our sincere gratitude to the members of the Scientific Committee, the officers of CAA International, the Cyprus University of Technology, and our local supporters. Their dedication, collaboration, and generosity were instrumental in making this event possible.