Scientific Sessions

Session overview

You can see the list of sessions accepted for inclusion at EAA 2026 by following the link below.

EAA 2026 sessions

Information for session organisers

General info

  • Session definition and function within the conference: EAA sessions are conference panels that focus on a specific archaeological topic. EAA Annual Meetings usually have between 200 - 350 parallel sessions, and 2000 - 4500 papers / oral presentations within them. The Call for Session opens in mid September and continues until the end of October. Next, the session proposals are evaluated by the Scientific Committee (nominated anew for each conference) and those which are accepted and paid for are opened for submissions in the Call for Contributions where EAA Members can submit their paper proposals to specific sessions. 
  • Session proposal submission: Sessions can be proposed only through the EAA 2026 submissions portal. The person submitting the proposal is considered the main sesssion organiser and contact person for the session.
  • Session evaluation and results: Session proposals are evaluated by the Scientific Committee (nominated anew for each conference), who ensure both academic quality and inclusivity. Evaluation results are typically published in the first half of December.
  • Call for Contributions: Once sessions have been evaluated, accepted, and the payments settled (please see the information under Session Organiser Payment Requirements in the box on the right), the Call for Contributions opens where delegates can submit contribution proposals to specific sessions.
  • Min. number of papers: Sessions must receive a minimum number of papers to proceed (regular and pre-circulated formats: at least 6 papers; keynote sessions: 5 papers; discussion sessions: 3 papers; session with 6 slides in 6 minutes: 10 papers). If the minimum is not met, sessions may be merged with others on similar topics or cancelled. Contributions from cancelled sessions may be reassigned to other sessions based on decisions by the Scientific Committee and session organisers. Session organisers will be informed if their session does not meet the required paper limit after the Call for Contributions closes (please refer to deadlines). This limit does not apply to workshop and round table sessions.
  • Session structure: Sessions are organised in 2-hour blocks, with up to 7 oral presentations per block (each presentation lasting 15 minutes). One session should have min. one 2-hour timeslot and max. four 2-hour timeslots depending on the number of papers presented within it.
  • Session schedules: Session schedules are created after papers have undergone the first stage of reviews (by session organisers). The process of arranging session schedules is managed by the main session organiser through the submissions portal. Detailed guidelines on how to organise session schedules are provided by the EAA Secretariat. Organisers are kindly asked to review and follow these guidelines thoroughly. The Scientific Committee reviews finalised session schedules and may request minor adjustments if necessary.

Session Formats

1. Regular Sessions

  • Format: 15-minute presentations, discussions, and introductory/closing comments.
  • Minimum: 6 presentations. Posters can also be included but do not have presentation slots.
  • Submissions: All contributions (presentations & posters) must be submitted via the EAA submissions portal.
  • Promotion: Session organisers are encouraged to advertise and invite submissions. Open to all EAA Members.

2. Keynote Sessions

  • Format: Up to three invited keynote presentations, followed by 15-minute regular presentations and discussions.
  • Duration: Keynotes can be 15 or 30 minutes.
  • Posters: Posters can also be included but do not have presentation slots.
  • Submissions: All presentations (including keynotes) must be submitted via the EAA submissions portal. The EAA Secretariat assigns “keynote” status to selected presentations in agreement with session organisers.
  • Promotion: Organisers are encouraged to advertise and invite both regular and keynote submissions. Open to all EAA Members.

3. 6 Slides in 6 Minutes Sessions

  • Format: Short case study presentations with 6-minute presentations, discussions, and introductory/closing comments.
  • Minimum: 10 presentations. Posters can also be included but do not have presentation slots.
  • Submissions: All contributions must be submitted via the EAA submissions portal.
  • Promotion: Organisers are encouraged to advertise and invite submissions. Open to all EAA Members.

4. Pre-circulated Paper Sessions

  • Format: Similar to regular sessions, but discussions are based on materials shared between session participants before the conference.
  • Minimum: Same as regular sessions. Posters can also be included but do not have presentation slots.
  • Submissions: All contributions must be submitted via the EAA submissions portal.
  • Promotion: Organisers are encouraged to advertise and invite submissions. Open to all EAA Members.

5. Discussion Sessions

  • Format: 15-minute presentations, discussions, and opening/closing remarks, with more time allocated to discussion than in regular sessions.
  • Minimum: 3 presentations (and max. 5 presentations per 2-hour session block). Posters can also be included but do not have presentation slots.
  • Submissions: All contributions must be submitted via the EAA submissions portal.
  • Promotion: Organisers are encouraged to advertise and invite submissions. Open to all EAA Members.

6. Round Tables

  • Format: Interactive discussions with limited presentations, seating up to 30 participants, focused on specific themes.
  • Submissions: No submissions via the portal. Speakers are invited by session organisers.
  • Maximum: 10 invited speakers per session.
  • Speaker management: Names should be added via the submissions portal when submitting the session proposal.

7. Workshops

  • Format: 2-hour interactive sessions (e.g., data consultation, software demos).
  • Submissions: No submissions via the portal. Speakers are invited by session organisers.
  • Maximum: 10 invited speakers per session.
  • Speaker management: Names should be added via the submissions portal when submitting the session proposal.

8. Other

  • Format: Reserved for sessions that do not fit the standard formats provided above.
  • Procedure: Please describe how you would like your session to be organised via the submissions portal when submitting the session proposal or contact [email protected] to discuss possible session format modifications before submitting.

 

Invited speakers and discussants

These are special categories of contributors who do not submit proposals through the EAA 2026 submissions portal. Instead, they are invited to participate in a given session directly by the session organisers. The main session organiser can add invited speakers or discussants via the EAA 2026 submissions portal at the time of submitting the session proposal.

  • Invited Speakers: Can only be added to sessions with the formats "round table," "workshop," or "other." Speak on a specific topic agreed upon with the session organisers in order to provide expertise, context, or cutting-edge research to highlight the session. A maximum of 10 invited speakers is allowed per session.
  • Discussants: Can be added to all other session formats. A discussant typically provides critical feedback on the presentations, synthesizes insights, and facilitates discussion among presenters and the audience A maximum of 1 discussant is allowed per session.
  • These two types of speakers do not need to be EAA Members to be added to a session but must pay the EAA membership fee and conference registration fee to be able to attend the conference.

IMPORTANT: The one-paper (oral presentation) per person limit does not apply to invited speakers and discussants. However, please note that scheduling conflicts may arise if these individuals are also participating in other sessions as presenters or organisers. To minimise potential conflicts, we recommend avoiding selecting invited speakers or discussants who are involved in multiple sessions.

Guidelines for Session Organisers

The EAA 2025 Call for Sessions was open between 23 September and 6 November 2025 23:59 CET (extended deadline).

Session organiser requirements:

  • You must have an EAA ID to submit a session (EAA 2026 membership payment not necessary at this stage).
  • To find your EAA ID, please log in at https://www.e-a-a.org.
  • One person may submit max. one session as main organiser.
  • The person who submits the proposal via the EAA 2026 submissions portal is considered the main organiser and contact person for the session.
  • One person can be involved as organiser in max. two sessions in total.
  • Each session must have min. 2 and max. 5* session organisers.
  • Organisers must represent at least two different countries (based on where they reside / where their main institution is based).

Call for Contributions:

  • All accepted sessions will open for contribution submissions on 19 December 2025.

Session organiser payment:

  • Payments for EAA 2026 membership and conference registration are not open yet. We will notify you as soon as these payments can be made (expected at the end of October).
  • The final deadline for all session organisers to complete EAA membership and conference registration payments is 28 January 2026.
  • Note: Organisers who haven’t completed their payment by the deadline will be removed from the session. If fewer than two organisers from different countries have paid, the session will be cancelled.

* Please note that according to our policy, the maximum limit of 5 organisers also applies to sessions that may be merged after the session evaluation stage. We kindly ask organisers to consider this when submitting a session proposal.

Session Evaluation Criteria

When submitting a session, organisers should ensure:

  1. Scientific Standards: The proposal should define its research question, apply rigorous methods, ground itself in current literature, ensure reproducibility, and follow ethical practices.
  2. Alignment with Current Research: The proposal should reflect contemporary archaeological research.
  3. Relevance to Meeting Theme: The proposal should fit the selected Annual Meeting theme.
  4. Broad Appeal: The proposal should have a wide focus and relevance across Europe (please avoid overly narrow topics).
  5. Novelty: The proposal should not replicate a session from the last two Annual Meetings; if similar, it must present new approaches or original perspectives.
  6. Clarity & English: The proposal should be clear and well-structured; consider having it proofread in English if needed.

Session Submission & Format

The guidelines specified below should be followed when completing the EAA 2026 submissions form. 

  • Session proposals can only be submitted through the EAA 2026 submissions portal at https://submissions.e-a-a.org/eaa2026/
  • Session proposals are submitted to Annual Meeting themes (please see the descriptions here).
  • When submitting a session, please choose the appropriate format (seedescriptions on the left).
  • Session abstract: between 150-300 words
  • Session title: max. 20 words
  • Session organiser affiliations should be limited to max. 80 characters, using only the main name of the institution (e.g., University of Helsinki). Please do not include titles, positions, addresses, or country names.
  • Please always include EAA IDs for your co-organisers if they already have one.

The EAA may restrict expression that violates the law, that defames a specific individual or group of individuals, that constitutes a genuine threat or harassment, that unjustifiably invades substantial privacy or confidentiality interests, or that violates the EAA Code of Conduct and Principles.