Postgraduate Research Student Stories Zooarchaeology

MSc student contributes to Ness of Brodgar research

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Last month we welcomed Justin Ayres, Masters student from Sheffield University, who joined us to work on the Smart Fauna Structure Ten project at the Ness of Brodgar with Dr Ingrid Mainland from the UHI Archaeology Institute.
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Justin working in the lab at The University of the Highlands Archaeology Institute at Orkney College UHI.

The University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute works with a number of other universities across the world on collaborative research projects and student exchanges.

Last month we welcomed Justin Ayres, Masters student from Sheffield University, who joined us to work on the Smart Fauna Structure Ten project at the Ness of Brodgar with Dr Ingrid Mainland from the UHI Archaeology Institute.

I have been interested in archaeology from around the age of 15 or 16, but went into engineering.

When I returned to Derbyshire to work in the family green grocers business I spent my free time wondering around the Peak District looking at Neolithic and Bronze Age sites. I started life-long learning modules in archaeology and then an undergraduate degree at Sheffield University. At a dig in Wales I met Professor Colin Richards and this led to an opportunity to dig at the University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute Cata Sand archaeology excavation last year, where I met Dr Ingrid Mainland.

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Archaeologists working on a section of the main trench at the Ness of Brodgar.

I e-mailed Ingrid earlier this year in regard to analysing the faunal remains from Cata Sand, but it had already been completed, so she offered me the opportunity to undertake research with material from the Ness of Brodgar excavation for my dissertation.

So here I am working on this incredible site collecting data for my Masters dissertation and collaborating on an important research project in such a beautiful part of the world.

Next steps? I am now undertaking a Masters degree and wish to pursue a career in zooarchaeology. I will just keep learning and see what other opportunities present themselves in archaeology. I don’t think I would have thought ten years ago that I would be working on such a research project, so we will see how things go over the next few years.

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Structure Ten at the Ness of Brodgar.

If you want to join the research team at the University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute to complete a postgraduate qualification in archaeology then drop us a line at studyarchaeology@uhi.ac.uk or see our student section on this website.