Archaeology and Anthropology (PhD) – (Ph.D.)

Contents

Archaeological Science

The Department shares Archaeological Science research facilities with the Departments of Chemistry and Earth Sciences which feature state-of-the art GC mass spectrometry and MC-ICP-MS. Recent joint projects have focused on the U-series dating of the earliest humans in Mexico, dating of cave art, the provenance of Irish Bronze Age Gold and the analysis of stable isotopes to identify dietary change in prehistory. The Department also operates a micro CT scanner, with a variety of archaeological and related applications. Bioarchaeology and Biological Anthropology

This research group investigates the biological evidence for human society, including palaeodiet, past disease and ancient human movement, through the study of human remains and modern evolutionary anthropology. Current projects include NERC-funded collaboration with the Chemistry Department to identify dairying in prehistory. Another research group works on human skeletal material from excavations, ranging in date from prehistory to early modern.

Garden History

A large research group working on various aspects of designed landscapes in Britain and overseas, including the non-Western world. The Leverhulme funded Historic Gardens and Landscapes of England project, led by Professor Timothy Mowl, aims to provide a county-by-county survey, and will have 16 volumes published by 2012. Historical and Conflict Archaeology

Research in this area examines the archaeology of historical periods, from the medieval to the modern. Active projects include colonial encounters in the Atlantic world, the Caribbean and African east coast. A second field is the archaeology of 20th century conflict. Here, research includes the Great Arab Revolt Archaeological Project (in collaboration with the Royal Jordan Museum), and fieldwork and publication of the First World War battlefields in conjunction with the Ypres and Imperial War Museums. Local archaeological work includes the development of Berkeley (Gloucestershire) as an urban and ecclesiastical centre and research on the Industrial revolution.

Human Origins

The Department has a strong international reputation for research into human origins in Africa, Asia and Europe. This research includes human evolution, the development of modern human behaviour, the evolutionary status of Neanderthals and scientific dating techniques.

Mediterranean Archaeology

The Department's research into the Mediterranean region ranges from Bronze Age and Iron Age archaeology to Egyptian archaeology, contemporary perceptions of heritage in Anatolia. Current research projects include survey in southern Turkey and multiperiod excavations on the Sea of Marmara.

Prehistory

The Department has a strong and varied faculty expertise in Neolithic and Bronze Age and Iron Age Europe and Britain. Specialisms include Late Neolithic-Copper Age transitions, funerary archaeology, monumentality, Neolithic materialities and prehistoric landscapes. Current funded research projects in this field include the Stonehenge Riverside Project (with the Universities of Sheffield, Manchester, UCL and Bournemouth), the Kinship and Residence 3rd Mill BC Project (with the Universities of Manchester and Halle, Germany), and Prehistoric human mobility and substinence in the Russian steppe (with the Free University, Berlin).

Social Anthropology

The Department has a broad range of faculty expertise in social anthropology, including the anthropology of religion, kinship, political anthropology, environmental anthropology and tourism and heritage studies, and with particular expertise in south-eastern Europe, Central America and Africa.