Category Archives: Around the Department

News, stories and goings on from around the Archaeology Department in Exeter.

Research Seminar #10: “5000 Years of Camelid Herding in the Andes” by Dr. Penny Dransart

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The Rock Art Site of Calacala, Bolivia. Credit: http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/bolivia/calacala.php

The Rock Art Site of Calacala, Bolivia. Credit: http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/bolivia/calacala.php

This week’s research seminar was presented by Dr. Penny Dransart on the development and continuation of the pastoral care of camelids in the Chilean Andes over the last several thousand years. The high altitudes and steppe regions of these mountains make them largely unsuitable for the cultivation of crops, so nomadic herding is the main subsistence that can be sustained here. Penny’s work explores the long-term continuity of herding practices and the use of pastures to keep camelid herds through exploration of the ethnographic and archaeological records, as well as a broad brush approach to understanding camelids.

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Prosecco-ral Archaeology: PG Seminar Christmas Party

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Prosecco and mince pies, how Christmassy! Photo credit: Ethan Greenwood

Prosecco and mince pies, how Christmassy! Photo credit: Ethan Greenwood

Last night we had our Student Seminar (PGtips) Christmas Party! PGtips happens once every three weeks or so; it’s a chance for PhD and Masters students to give short presentations on their research and to get feedback and new ideas from the postgraduates in the department. It’s a great way for the Exeter Archaeology Postgrads to keep at the cutting edge of research, and it’s an important social gathering as well, supported by wine and baked goods courtesy of its attendees. Continue reading →

Research Seminar #9: “The Fallow Deer, 10kBP to Present” by Dr Naomi Sykes

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Male Fallow Deer

Male Fallow Deer

Naomi Sykes came to talk to us about the work of the Fallow Deer project. In a fascinating presentation she divulged a wealth of information about Dama dama past and present, and how the work of the project will impact, and is indeed already impacting, the future.

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Research Seminar #8: PG takeover!

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We were treated to a very different kind of research seminar on Friday when three of our PhD researchers bravely took the stage to present on their work. The three students had recently given these papers at EAA Glasgow and were invited to share them with the department, which was great for those who couldn’t make it to Scotland in September! In a break from the usual format, each student gave a 20 minute presentation followed by questions. The turnout was fantastic, it was great to see such support for postgraduate research! There was even a live tweet going on – follow it with the hashtag #PGtakeover.

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The Bronze Age Forum

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The Bronze Age Forum cover, illustrated by Kate Verkooijen

The Bronze Age Forum cover, illustrated by Kate Verkooijen

On the 7th and 8th November, the Bronze Age Forum came to Exeter. This event, celebrating the ongoing research by Bronze Age scholars across Europe, only occurs once every two years, so it seemed most apt that it came to our University to coincide with the retirement of our own Bronze Age professor: Anthony Harding. The standard, of course, was high and yours truly had the esteemed position of opening the conference – an act of cruelness or kindness by Anthony depending on your perspective! Papers on the first morning were dominated by metalwork, with some fascinating research on Europe-wide projects being discussed by independent researchers from the likes of Berlin University and Oxford Archaeology, as well as larger project teams, from the British Museum and Leiden University.

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Research Seminar #6: “A reinterpretation of Middle-Eastern Neolithic mortuary practices” by Dr. Karina Croucher

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skull

Plastered skull now in the collection of the British Museum, from Jericho, Israel, 7000-6000 BC. Photo credit: British Museum

Dr. Kroucher’s talk discussed the plastered skulls sometimes found in burials across the Near Eastern Neolithic, at sites including Ein Ghazal and Chatalhoyuk. Approximately 90 skulls have been recovered from across the Near East where the skull of an individual has been plastered over after death and decomposition. Some plastered skulls have shells or stones in place for eyes, and sometimes colourings such as browns or pinks were used probably to make the skull look more life-like. An absence of plaster on most skulls where hair would have been has led some researchers to suggest that wigs or hair may have been attached to the skulls. The reasons for some skulls being plastered and displayed are unclear and Dr. Kroucher’s research questions related to understanding the practice of skull-plastering and whether we can use contemporary theories of grief and mourning to inform on past mortuary practices.

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Research Seminar #5: “Metalwork and the Chiefly Technologies of the Recuay Culture” by Dr. George Lau

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requayOur visiting speaker last Friday was Dr. George Lau of the University of East Anglia. He delivered an artefact rich presentation entitled “Metalwork and the Chiefly Technologies of the Recuay Culture (AD1-700), North Highlands of Peru”.

Dr. Lau first introduced the Recuay culture in the context of its environment and its contemporaries. The highland landscape was particularly well suited to camelid herding and tuber agriculture. The culture and its contemporaries are in a region known for their fantastically detailed pottery showing symbolism and social hierarchy, which links aspects of society such as ancestor veneration and warrior leaders.

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Research Seminar #4: “Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village, SD” by Prof. Alan Outram

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outram lecture

On Friday we were incredibly grateful to Professor Alan Outram, our head of department, for stepping in a short notice when our scheduled talk was postponed. Dr. Marisa Lazzari, the coordinator of our departmental seminar series, jokingly suggested that “as a research intensive department, we always have a research talk on hand”! Professor Outram’s talk was entitled:

Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village, South Dakota: Economy and Connectivity of the Earliest Agriculturalists on the Northern Plains.

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Research Seminar #3: “The Enisala grave: Bioarchaeology, social status, health care and ethnicity” by Prof. Florin Curta

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Our third departmental research seminar this series was on Friday 16th October. Following the theme of funerary practices, Prof. Florin Curta of the University of Florida presented: “The Enisala grave: Bioarchaeology, social status, health care and ethnicity in early 7th century Dobrudja (Romania).

The female grave in Enisala (photo by S. Ailincăi) (Ailincăi et al., 2014)

The female grave in Enisala (photo by S. Ailincăi) (Ailincăi et al., 2014)

Prof. Curta provided an alternative view to the interpretation of grave goods and ethnicity. He challenged the assumption that social ethnicity represents social reality and the emphasis placed on material culture items to define group boundary markers. Rather than using items as identity markers, he suggests that they may have been used to create new ethnic identities by combining characteristic elements from other regions and recognised ethnic groups. The example of the Enisala grave provides evidence for such a combination.

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