Conference, on zoom at 6 PM, by Hubert Feiglstorfer, Senior Researcher, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Social Anthropology and Kristina Pfeifer, Lecturer, Technical University of Vienna.

The black tent can be described as a significant part of the material culture of Tibet. However, it is not limited to this cultural area but should be understood as part of different cultures far beyond Tibet. The book ‘Nomads’ tents in Tibet and beyond‘, out of which we will present different perspectives on the black tent, considers aspects of nomads’ culture and craft traditions in Tibetan cultural areas with a research focus on Damzhung in Central Tibet from a range of scientific perspectives, including technical, spatial, environmental, economic, and social dimensions. The book also looks beyond the Tibetan plateau to compare nomadic craft traditions across other regions, including Mongolia, Iran, and Turkey, as well as furtherly selected regions of West Asia and North Africa, setting a focus on the architectural type of black hair tents. Processes of making, building and maintenance in nomadic societies are manifested in local craft traditions. These involve the entire community and are adapted to prevailing environmental conditions and anthropogenic factors. The subtitle of the book ‘Dwelling and craft in sociotechnical context’ refers to dwelling as a concept that is closely determined by processes of making in nomads´ everyday life. Technical knowledge and practical skills concerning a range of crafts are retained, honed, adapted and passed on within local currents of tradition, leading us to observe that dwelling practices and building crafts are processes that interact at the core of nomadic culture and daily life.