The Institute for Medieval Studies at the University of New Mexico invites proposals for three
sponsored sessions for ICMS 2027. Proposals must be submitted through the ICMS Confex
Portal (https://shorturl.at/d05So) by 15 September 2026, including title, 300 word abstract and
50 word description.

Medieval Ruins from Old English Motif to Modern Archaeology:
Past, Present and Future

People are fascinated by ruins, remnants of the past that reach across time, highlighting its passage
as well as the decay and death and that all face. While emphasizing the transience of human
accomplishments, ruins also offer the hope that some small part of our world might survive into the
future to attest to our memory. This interdisciplinary session invites proposals on ruins and the
medieval world, including, but not limited to the Old English ruin motif, the appearance of ruins in
global medieval literature, ruins in works of medievalism, and modern archaeological studies and
preservation efforts aimed at medieval ruins. (Direct inquires to Lisa Myers at myersl@unm.edu.)