Call for Papers

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Second Call for Papers

International Workshop of African Archaeobotany

Cairo, 9-11 November, 2026

American University in Cairo

We are delighted to announce that the 11th International Workshop for African Archaeobotany will take place in Cairo (Egypt) from 9th-12th November 2026, hosted at the American University in Cairo. The conference invites the submission of abstracts for papers and posters related to human-plant interactions in Africa dealing with seed and wood/charcoal macro- and micro-remains, as well as genomic, geo-chemical, and ethnobotanical studies. 

Conference research spans the entire African continent, covering diverse environments from Mediterranean to tropical forest and desert regions. We accept papers covering the entire temporal range of human experience. 

The conference offers a multidisciplinary forum to present and discuss findings on current research. Interdisciplinary elements include historical, ethnological, anthropological, ethnographic, linguistic, molecular, and geochemical analyses related to ancient plant use. Themes encompass agriculture, food practices, crafts, funeral rituals, diffusion dynamics, trade, plant domestication, fuel management, landscape evolution, food security and sovereignty, and medicinal plant use.

Authors are invited to submit abstracts for oral or poster presentations of no longer than 500 words via https://e.cglink.me/2kZ/s300006663   by 1st November, 2025. 

Proceedings will be published in a peer reviewed journal. 

Download the call as a PDF here

Conference Program

Nov 9th-11th, 2026 Lectures at the American University in Cairo (incl. poster & lab sessions)

Nov 9th, 2026 evening, Keynote lecture by professor Dorian Q. Fuller (venue TBA)

Nov 12th, 2026 Conference excursion

Important Dates

1st November 2025              Deadline for submission of abstracts 

15th January 2026 Deadline for submitting Dr Ahmed G. Fahmy prize applications

26th February 2026                  Informing authors of selected oral paper and posters

1st March - 30th April 2026     Early bird registration

30th April - 30th Sept 2026   Regular registration

9-11th November 2026            Conference

12th November 2026 Conference excursion

The timeline between abstract submission and acceptance notice is specifically designed to allow sufficient time for participants to secure funding (where needed) and travel documents (where needed), both of which are frequently dependent on confirmation of acceptance. 

Conference fees

Professional: USD$200 (early bird USD$150).

Professional African: USD$100 (early bird USD$75).

Student: USD$100 (early bird USD$75)

African Student: USD$50 (early bird USD$35)

Conference fees include conference package, conference lunches, coffee breaks, welcome reception.

Farewell dinner and excursions will be paid separately.

Prof. Ahmed G. Fahmy Memorial Speaker Prize 

Since 2015, the “Prof. Ahmed G. Fahmy Memorial Speaker” prize has been awarded to promising early career scholars from Africa.

The grant is open to any early career scholar, but preference is given to MA or PhD students, and to those planning on presenting a poster or oral communication.

Applications must be completed by January 15th 2026 by sending a detailed Curriculum Vitae, a cover letter summarizing the research themes and the main results obtained and a recommendation letter from their supervisor to iwaa2026cairo@gmail.com

In parallel, the applicants may submit a proposal for oral or poster presentation by November 1st, 2025 through this link https://e.cglink.me/2kZ/s300006663 

Conference Website: https://sites.google.com/view/iwaa2026/home

Conference Email: iwaa2026cairo@gmail.com

Scientific Committee 

Alemseged Beldados Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia

Anna-Maria Mercuri University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy

Charlène Bouchaud CNRS/National Museum of Natural History, Paris, France

Claire Malleson American University of Beirut, Lebanon

Dorian Q. Fuller University College, London, UK

Jacob Morales University of Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain

Jérôme Ros CNRS/Université Montpellier, France

Katharina Neumann Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Leonor Peña Chocarro Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Spain

Louis Champion University of Montpellier, France

Margareta Tengberg National Museum of Natural History, Paris, France

Mennat-Allah El Dorry American University in Cairo/Ain Shams University, Egypt

Philippa Ryan Kew Gardens, UK

Salima Ikram American University in Cairo, Egypt

Sarah Walshaw Simon Fraser University, Canada

Organising Committee

Mennat-Allah El Dorry American University in Cairo/Ain Shams University, Egypt

Claire Malleson American University of Beirut, Lebanon

Salima Ikram American University in Cairo, Egypt

Hadeel Zahran Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt