The Groundbreaking Research showcase’s brave presenters.
Ground-Breaking Research
On Thursday evening (24th Sept) we held our first ever “Ground-Breaking Research” showcase, a student run symposium where existing postgraduate students gave 5 minute presentations on their research topic. The session was aimed at providing a quick introduction to the types of research that are being carried out in the Archaeology department, especially for students who had just joined us. All told, 8 intrepid researchers took the stage, with topics ranging from zooarchaeology, human bioarchaeology, experimental archaeology to landscape archaeology, and covered around 8000 years of human history (and prehistory). The session was thoroughly enjoyed by all and was a great success. Hopefully it will become an annual feature!
Launch of Archaeologists Engage
The official launch of Archaeologists Engage!
Also launched at our Showcase was the incredibly exciting new initiative “Archaeologists Engage”. This non-profit organisation aims to promote improved communication between archaeology professionals and their wider public. They encourage archaeologists world-wide to acknowledge a professional responsibility to address the imbalance between our knowledge and the information that reaches the public. They note that this imbalance is especially visible in the international film industry.
Archaeologists Engage are challenging archaeologists to sign up to do some form of public engagement that is outside their usual professional activity in 2016. To sign up, or for more information about this brilliant new project, visit their website or follow them on twitter.
PGtips – a student seminar series
Whilst the Groundbreaking Research showcase is over, postgraduates in archaeology will be running “PGtips” (a pun on the teabag, the PG stands for postgraduate!) once every three weeks, where two postgraduates will give 20 minute presentations on an aspect of their research. All archaeology students, especially postgraduates, are warmly invited to attend. The next PGtips will be on the 15th October. Look out for signs around the department and emails closer to the time.
On Friday 9th October we were treated to the second instalment of the departmental research seminar series here in archaeology. Continuing the funerary theme of last week, Dr. Leticia Cortés from CONICET-U/ Buenos Aires delivered a presentation on her PhD research topic: “Landscape, bodies and historical trajectories: funerary practices of the southern Cajón Valley (North-western Argentina, 6000-1300 BP). The sites studied in the presentation were two villages, Cardonal and Bordo Marcial, dated to circa 2000BP. Burials in the area are found in tombs and cemeteries that span from 6000BP to 1300BP. The burials pre- and post-date the settlement occupations, but there are contemporary internments also.
