The Society AWRANA

The Association was created at the initiative of researchers during the Faro Conference in 2012.

The Society AWRANA was officially registered as an international non-profit organisation
according to French law on April 28th 2022.

From 15th of April 2022, the current AWRANA Executive Board is in office. It is made up of the following members:

  1. Christina LEMORINI (Italy), President
  2. Iris GROMAN-YAROSLAVSKI (Israel), Vice-President
  3. Yolaine MAIGROT (France), Treasurer
  4. Niccolò MAZZUCCO (Spain), Secretary
  5. Maria PILIPONSKY (Israel), Communications Manager

You can find the official articles of the association below:


During the International Conference on Use-Wear Analysis organized in Faro (Portugal) in 2012 the present researchers in the discipline agreed to establish an international non-profit society.  

Article 1

The society is called “The Association of Archaeological Wear and Residue Analysts”. Its acronym is “AWRANA”. The association promotes the broad field of research that investigates the function of tools and other artefacts. It aims to stimulate communication and scientific cooperation between scientists, and to improve public understanding of past human cultures. Contributing scientific disciplines typically include microwear, residues, microscopy, spectroscopy, spectrometry, archaeo-chemistry, palaeo-botany, palaeo-zoology, forensic science and DNA studies.

Article 2
The official address of AWRANA is currently located in Paris, France. The board may decide to re-locate the official address of the society. When European legislation to cover societies and private charities is enacted, AWRANA will be governed by European law.

Article 3
AWRANA has been created for an indeterminate duration.

Article 4
Objectives of AWRANA

The purpose of AWRANA is to support science and research in the field of tool and artefact function. Its aims and objectives are exclusively and directly of public utility as defined in the relevant sections on tax exemption in the French taxation legislation. In particular, the society fulfils the mission of its articles of association through the implementation of the following core activities:

  1. to organize triennial meetings based on a scientific programme and to organize a public-outreach event or a public lecture,
  2. financial support of international and interdisciplinary research proposals and research projects,
  3. public relations activities to increase the public and political awareness and understanding of this research field.
  4. The society is a non-profit organisation.
  5. The society’s budget may only be used to support statutory aims. Members do not receive financial benefits from the society.
  6. No person shall benefit from expenditures that are not in accordance with the aims of the society, or benefit from disproportionately high remuneration.
  7. If the society is dissolved, or loses the tax-privileged status, its assets shall be transferred to a corporate body under common law or a different tax- privileged body. The funds are to be used for science and research in the field of wear and residue research.

Article 5
Membership

  1. Ordinary membership is open to academic professionals and students of all nationalities from the fields of research outlined in the preamble.
  2. Honorary membership can be bestowed by the Executive based on special merit in relation to the objectives of the Society.
  3. Supporting membership is open to individuals, enterprises, public bodies, societies of public utility and other legal entities that support the study of wear and residue research.

Article 6
Three-yearly membership fees are collected from the members. The Executive fixes the amount of the three-yearly fee and the due date, but the fee cannot be more than €250. Details are regulated in the contribution rules. Honorary members are not required to pay fees.

Article 7
Membership applications shall be submitted in writing (by postage or by e-mail) to the Executive for consideration. Membership acceptance requires a simple majority vote by the Executive. Rejection of a membership application requires no explanatory statement.

Article 8
Membership ends in one of the following circumstances:

  • the member gives written notice (per postage or per e-mail) of termination to the Executive
  • the death of the member
  • exclusion after a simple majority vote by the Executive.
  • exclusion from the list of members (for instance due to not having paid membership fees before the required deadline).

Article 9
Elements of the Society are

  • the general assembly
  • the executive

Article 10
General assembly

  1. A general assembly of the ordinary members shall be organized at least once every three years by the executive. Moreover, a general assembly shall be organized if at least a third of the members request a general assembly in writing and provide a reason. Invitations need to be sent out in written form, or via e-mail, at least six weeks before the fixed date, including information about location, date, time, and agenda. The letter of the invitation is considered delivered to a member, if it was sent to the most recent postal address or email address that was provided by the member in writing.
  2. Only ordinary members who have paid their membership fees before the time of the general assembly can vote.
  3. The duly convened general assembly can vote, irrespective of the number of members present.
  4. In the general assembly, resolutions may be passed by the simple majority of the members with voting-power in attendance.
  5. Amendments to the statutes require an obligatory postal or on-line ballot. Amendments to the statutes require a two-thirds majority of the returned postal ballots. The motion and suggested changes to the statutes must be sent to the members at least 6 weeks before in written form (postage or e-mail).
  6. The Society may only be dissolved by an obligatory postal or on-line ballot; this requires a two-thirds majority of the returned ballots. The motion must be available to the members at least 6 weeks before in written form.
  7. The general assembly has the following responsibilities:

Definition and changes to the statutes (10.5 applies)
Decision to dissolve the society (10.6 applies)
Acceptance of the budget-report and accounting-report of the Executive and to give formal approval of the actions of the Executive
Election of the Executive

  1. The general assembly is chaired by the President; in his/her absence by the vice-president or by a chair elected by the general assembly. The secretary is responsible for the minutes of the meeting; in his/her absence the general assembly elects a recording secretary.
  2. Decisions of every assembly have to be recorded. The minutes of the meeting have to be signed by the chair and the recording secretary.

Article 11
The Executive

  1. The Executive consists of 5 Executive officers:

President
Vice-President
Treasurer
Secretary
Communications Manager

  1. The Executive officers represent the society in legal relations and sign contracts for the society. Two members of the Executive are authorized to represent the society; one always has to be the president. The immediate Past President and the Chair of the next conference organising committee will have an advisory role on the executive.
  2. The Executive officers shall be members of the Society and academic professionals employed in the fields of research outlined in Article 1.
  3. If an Executive member resigns during their term, the Executive can co-opt new Executive members until the next general assembly.
  4. The Executive is responsible for all duties of the society, as long as these duties are not assigned to a different body of the society by the statutes.

Article 12
Election of the Executive

  1. The election of the Executive is organized during a general assembly by an election supervisor, who is elected by the general assembly.
  2. The Executive officers are elected for three years, starting from the day of the election; however, it stays in power until the next election of the Executive officers. Every Executive member is elected individually. Eligible to vote are the attending members with voting power according to Article 5.
  3. The term is renewable. If requested, voting will be conducted by secret ballot.
  4. Every Executive board member may not serve more than 2 terms; voted unanimously at the general meeting on May 31, 2018, Nice.

Article 13
Executive meetings

  1. A formal Executive meeting shall be organized at least once a year by the Executive officers.
  2. The announcement and the agenda of the formal Executive meetings should be sent to the Executive at least 6 weeks in advance in writing or via email. Executive votes require a quorum of 3.
  3. The Executive can be called for informal meetings by the Executive officers on short notice, including via teleconference.

Article 14
Scientific meetings

  1. The organization of scientific meetings of the Society shall be delegated by the Executive to a local group of organizers who will handle the venue(s), the programme, and the interactions with local institutions.
  2. Papers submitted for participation in the scientific meetings will be selected through peer review conducted by the Conference organising committee.
  3. The programme and the budget of the scientific meeting must be approved by the Executive officers prior to the meeting.

Article 15
Finances

The financial year shall be the calendar year and runs from January 1st up to December 31st. The first financial year will run from the creation date up to December 31st of the same year.

At the end of the financial year, the financial report is prepared by the treasurer and approved by the Executive. The financial reports are submitted for approval by the treasurer to the triennial general assembly.

Article 16
Amendments to the Statutes

The Executive is entitled to modify these statutes, should law require this. This also applies to restrictions or amendments to these statutes requested by the district court and/or the tax authority, as long as the nature of these changes is not essential.

Article 17
Languages

The official language for communications of the Society, congresses, the Executive, the Management and the minutes of the meetings is English.