Archaeology Group

• Archaeology Group
• About the Group
• Research Themes
• Landscape and Townscape Archaeology
• Environmental Archaeology
• Bronze Age Settlement
• Niah Cave, Borneo
• Central Androy Project Madagascar
• The Norse settlement of Kilpheder South Uist
• Ethnoarchaeology of South Uist
• Reconstructing house activity
• Animal Bones from Medieval Russia
• The Great Auk and Big Fish on the Isle of Portland
• The Provisioning of Roman towns
• Analysis of Worked Objects from Early Bronze Age Graves
• Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology
• Cultural Resource Management
• Science-based Archaeology
• Technology, Production and Ancient Materials
• Maritime Archaeology
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Ethnoarchaeology of South Uist

The Characterization of Analogue Materials

The use of the comparative approach and analysis of analogue materials for understanding site formation processes and the reconstruction of activity areas has recently been given a high priority in archaeological research. This project aims to characterize modern samples representing a range of known activities and potential source materials for use on archaeological sites (e.g. peat, ash, dung) according to their biological, chemical, and physical composition. The results will provide a framework with which to compare the results of recent archaeological investigations and help to distinguish between background pedological processes and anthropogenic activities.

Project Director:

Helen Smith

Publications

• Smith, H, 1996, An environmental and geoarchaeological investigation of recently abandoned farm buildings on the Outer Hebrides. In D Gilbertson, M Kent and J Gratton (eds.) The Outer Hebrides: the last 14,000 years (SEARCH 2). Sheffield Academic Press. Sheffield. 195-206

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