The Qualities of Time

Wendy James is Professor of Social Anthropology at the Institute for Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Oxford.David Mills is Anthropology Co-ordinator at the Centre for Learning and Teaching Sociology, Anthropology and Politics at the University of Birmingham.

Introduction: From Representation to Action in the Flow of Time (Wendy James, University of Oxford and David Mills)Part I: Objects and Places as Signs of the Past The Material Culture of Memory (Paul Lane) 'Varimu Valale': Rock Art as World Heritage in a Ritual Landscape of Central Tanzania (Jasper Chalcraft) The Time of Place in West Mexico (Trevor Stack, University of Aberdeen) Part II: Mythical Times, Presentism and the Critique from History A Tiger in an African Palace (Richard Fardon, School of Oriental and African Studies) 'Time, Too, Grows on the Moon': Some Evidence for Knight's Theory of a Human Universal (Ian Watts, University of Cape Town)Historical Time Versus the Imagination of Antiquity: Critical Perspectives from the Kalahari (Chris Wingfield) Kingship, Revolution and Time: Perspectives on Materiality and Modernity (David Wengrow, Christ Church College, University of Oxford)Part III: Modern Times?Time Inscribed in Space, and the Process of Diagnosis in African and Chinese Medical Practices (Elisabeth Hsu, Green College, University of Oxford)Time and the Work Ethic in Post-Socialist Romania (Monica Heintz, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Germany)Part IV: Counterpointing the Metanarratives Quartering Sheep at Carnival in Sud Lopez, Bolivia (Maggie Bolton, University of Manchester) Bandits and Heroes: Past and Present in Central China (Mary Rack)The Persistence of Multiple-Religious Ceremonies in South-West Ethiopia (Tadesse Wolde, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Germany) Time-Shapes and Cultural Agency Among West African Craft Specialists (Roy Dilley, University of St Andrews)Part V: Cosmologies and the Making of History The 'Rounds' of Time: Time, History and Society in Boran Oromo (Gemetchu Megerssa, University of Addis Ababa and Aneesa Kassam, University of Durham)Cutting Time: Beads and Songs in the Making of Samburu Memory (Bilinda Straight, Western Michigan University) Old System, New Conflicts: Age, Generation, and Discord Among the Meru, Kenya (Anne-Marie Peatrik, CNRS, University Paris X-Nanterre) The Kanungu Fire: Millenarianism and the Millennium in South-Western Uganda (Richard Vokes, University of Oxford)Part VI: Persons In and Out of Time Life Made Strange: On the Re-Inhabitation of Bodies and Landscapes (Andrew Irving, University College London and Royal Free Hospital)Embodied Memories: Displacements in Time and Space (Julia Powles, St. Catherine's College, University of Oxford) Living in Time's Shadow: Pollution, Purification and Fractured Temporalities in Buddhist Ladakh (Martin Mills, University of Aberdeen)Introduction: From Representation to Action in the Flow of Time--Wendy James, University of Oxford and David MillsPart I: Objects and Places as Signs of the Past * The Material Culture of Memory--Paul Lane * 'Varimu Valale': Rock Art as World Heritage in a Ritual Landscape of Central Tanzania--Jasper Chalcraft * The Time of Place in West Mexico--Trevor Stack, University of Aberdeen Part II: Mythical Times, Presentism and the Critique from History * A Tiger in an African Palace--Richard Fardon, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) * 'Time, Too, Grows on the Moon': Some Evidence for Knight's Theory of a Human Universal--Ian Watts, University of Cape Town * Historical Time Versus the Imagination of Antiquity: Critical Perspectives from the Kalahari--Chris Wingfield * Kingship, Revolution and Time: Perspectives on Materiality and Modernity-- David Wengrow, Christ Church College, University of OxfordPart III: Modern Times? * Time Inscribed in Space, and the Process of Diagnosis in African and Chinese Medical Practices--Elisabeth Hsu, Green College, University of Oxford * Time and the Work Ethic in Post-Socialist Romania--Monica Heintz, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, GermanyPart IV: Counterpointing the Metanarratives * Quartering Sheep at Carnival in Sud Lípez, Bolivia--Maggie Bolton, University of Manchester * Bandits and Heroes: Past and Present in Central China-- Mary Rack * The Persistence of Multiple-Religious Ceremonies in South-West Ethiopia--Tadesse Wolde, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Germany * Time-Shapes and Cultural Agency Among West African Craft Specialists--Roy Dilley, University of St AndrewsPart V: Cosmologies and the Making of History * The 'Rounds' of Time: Time, History and Society in Boran Oromo--Gemetchu Megerssa, University of Addis Ababa and Aneesa Kassam, University of Durham * Cutting Time: Beads and Songs in the Making of Samburu Memory--Bilinda Straight, Western Michigan University * Old System, New Conflicts: Age, Generation, and Discord Among the Meru, Kenya--Anne-Marie Peatrik, CNRS, University Paris X-Nanterre * The Kanungu Fire: Millenarianism and the Millennium in South-Western Uganda--Richard Vokes, University of OxfordPart VI: Persons In and Out of Time * Life Made Strange: On the Re-Inhabitation of Bodies and Landscapes--Andrew Irving, University College London and Royal Free Hospital * Embodied Memories: Displacements in Time and Space--Julia Powles, St. Catherine's College, University of Oxford * Living in Time's Shadow: Pollution, Purification and Fractured Temporalities in Buddhist Ladakh--Martin Mills, University of Aberdeen