GENERAL

The 1999 International Rock Art Congress will take place on the campus of Ripon College, Ripon, Wisconsin, U.S.A. from May 23 to 31. The Congress is sponsored by The International Federation of Rock Art Organizations. The national host is the American Rock Art Research Association and the local/regional host is the Mid-America Geographic Foundation. Other participating organizations include the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, the University of Wisconsin-Fond du Lac, die Eastern States Rock Art Research Association, the Upper-Midwest Rock Art Research Association, the University of Minnesota, and the Minnesota Historical Society.

There will be two days of pre-congress field trips (May 22 and May 23) and two days of post-congress field trips (May 30 and May 31). The costs of post-congress field trips are included in registration (or requiring only a nominal fee). Dormitory accommodations will be available at Ripon College. A package of room and board (meals) has been fixed at S35.00 (U.S.). Meal tickets for any combination of meals (dinner only, lunch and breakfast, etc.) can be purchased by those staying off-campus. A list of 25 motels in the immediate area is available - conference rates have been negotiated. There are approximately 100 motel units available in Ripon, all of which have been reserved at conference rates. The college can accommodate 1000 One motel (32 units) is within easy walking distance. Distances to other non-campus accommodations range from 1 mile to 17 miles. These include all price ranges. Registration fee for the Congress is $150.00 per person, and $125.00 pre-registration. Student registration is $50.00.

Air connections from Chicago, Milwaukee. and Minneapolis to Appleton. Wisconsin are the most convenient. Ripon College will provide shuttle service from and to Appleton (45 minutes) on peak arrival and departure days. Chicago is 185 miles from Ripon. Milwaukee is 80 miles away. Road connections are by freeway, except for 18 miles.

The Congress format will follow that of the Flagstaff Congress of 1994. There will be several concurrent sessions in the mornings, and General Sessions (symposia) in the afternoons. There will be public presentations in the evening. Registration will be from 5.00 to 9·00 p.m. Sundav. Mav 23 and from 7.00 - 8.45 on Moodav, Mav 24. Registration will take place in the Rotunda of Harwood Memorial Union. Late arrivals may register throughout the week.

Information boards (approx.3O" x 30") for participating organizations will be mounted in the registration area. These may include the history, nature and goals of your organization. You may include addresses, membership fees and publication policies.

Efforts are underway to conduct some of the sessions in Spanish (with English translations as well as English to Spanish translations). To facilitate such communication, an innovation for slidepresentations is being initiated. Presenters will be asked to produce translated captions for theirslides for dual projection. One screen will contain the view, the other a caption for it (English if a Spanish presentation, Spanish if an English presentation). This will significantly reduce the problem of doubling the time in translated papers The organizers are hoping that these arrangements will form a successful precedent for future congresses, and that a significant number of Hispanic contributors will avail themselves of this service.

FIELD TRIPS There will be approximately 8 field trips, most of them featuring both rock art sites and effigy mound sites. Special areas include east central Wisconsin, southwest Wisconsin, western Wisconsin, and Minnesota. A major western trip is scheduled at the end of the Congress for those delegates who are driving home to the west. This trip will include the Jeffers Petroglyph Site in southwestern Minnesota and the Pipestone National Monument Leading regional authorities will act as guides on most trips The Gottschall Site will be on the pre-congress trips, and will be conducted by Dr Robert Salzer, the principal investigator

GENERAL UPDATE In advance of all deadlines the Ripon Congress now has a total of 22 academic sessions. Twenty-one countries are participating or are interested in participating. The sessional announcement has been electronically disseminated in English, French, Spanish, German, and Portuguese. In addition to the field trips a credit course in Rock Art is being developed by Ripon College. It will cover three weeks, ending at the start of the Congress on May 23, 1999. The final week of this course will be devoted to rock art conservation and will be conducted by Drs. Alan Watchman and Jaanie Loubser, two ranking international experts in the field.

Another innovation of the Ripon Congress will be an international philatelic exhibition of stamps depicting rock art. An attempt is being made to have the United States Postal Service issue such a stamp, concurrent with the opening of the Congress

Efforts are also underway to engage Native dance groups to open and close the Congress. A Pow Wow will be featured on Saturday, May 29 on the Menominee Reservation at Keshena. Busses will be provided.

Areas relatively new to world level conferences will in 1999 include Siberia in a major session to be chaired by ranking authority Dr Esther Jacobson from the University of Oregon. Another area infrequently covered in symposia will be Saudi Arabia, in a session to be chaired by Dr Majeed Khan.

More standard sessions always in demand will include a large session on rock art conservation to be chaired by Claire Dean. An equally popular session on rock art dating will be chaired by Drs. Marvin Rowe and Marian Hymen of Texas A B M University, world figures in the specialty.

All individuals interested in rock art are invited to submit abstracts of papers intended for presentation at the Congress. A deadline for papers has not yet been set, but applicants are encouraged to make their submissions as early as possible. Proposals should be limited to 300 words. The results of the application will be made available as soon as possible.

Unless otherwise specified later in the planning phase, papers will be strictly limited to 20 minutes (including question time). A longer formal paper (using the American Antiquity Style Guide) may be submitted for publication in the Congress proceedings. Presenters are asked to have first (typed) drafts available at the time of delivery. Requirements for translation, audio-visual equipment or other needs must be made at the time the presentation is proposed.

Planning for the publication of the proceedings is underway. Session chairpersons will be responsible for initial editing, and the final compilation will be undertaken by the American Rock Art Research Association, in collaboration with the International Federation of Rock Art Organizations and the Mid-America Geographic Foundation.

POSTERS Organizations re encouraged to provide well mounted, secure posters for gallery exhibition. Ample well lighted space has been allocated for these. It is expected that the focus of these posters will be rock art or relevant aboriginal themes. Groups not in attendance at the Congress are welcome to arrange for the exhibition of posters

CURRENT STATUS A preliminary estimate of 700 delegates from 30 countries remains in place.

If you have any questions, they may be directed to: