Dear All, Jacqui Mulville and I are proposing a session on *Whales and Whaling* at the Society for American Archaeology meetings in Vancouver, Canada next year (March 29 - April 2, 2017). We are hoping that any of you working on historic aspects of cetacean hunting or ecology might be interested in presenting some of your research at the session. The session abstract is below, and we're hoping we can bring together global perspectives and research. Unfortunately, the deadline for abstract submission is rapidly approaching (Sept 8th) - my apologies about the tight time frame. Please contact Jacqui (mulvilleja@cardiff.ac.uk) or Camilla (camilla.speller@york.ac.uk) if you're interested in attending the session and I will provide you with a link to submit your abstract. If you can recommend other colleagues or students that we might invite, please let us know. The more people we can get together, the better! Best wishes, Camilla Speller and Jacqui Mulville *Whales and Whaling: new perspectives and approaches for documenting long-term exploitation of cetaceans* *Human have been exploiting whales and other large marine mammals for thousands of years. Often initially focused on the opportunistic use of stranded carcasses, active whale hunting technologies and strategies emerged worldwide in different times and places. In spite of their importance as sources of food, fuel and raw materials, there are fewer archaeological studies of cetaceans than any other hunted mammal group. Today, cetaceans are amongst the most threatened groups of mammals, due to dramatic global declines resulting from industrial overharvesting and other anthropogenic influences. Archaeology has an important role to play in not only in deciphering the timing, socio-cultural context and technological developments of active whaling, but also in providing essential baseline information on the past geographical distribution and abundance of now-threatened species. This session will explore ongoing challenges and new perspectives for documenting past cetacean exploitation from a wide range of geographic areas and time periods. Potential examples include (but are not limited to) historical, archaeological, morphological and molecular approaches for reconstructing the timing, intensity, technology and socio-economic importance of cetacean exploitation, and documenting both natural and anthropogenic impacts on large marine mammal populations worldwide. * -- Dr Camilla Speller Lecturer in Bioarchaeology Undergraduate Admissions Tutor BioArch, Department of Archaeology University of York http://www.york.ac.uk/archaeology/staff/academic-staff/speller/