Analysis of Cata Sand shells and whalebone under way
Analysis of the whalebone and shells recovered during the excavations at Cata Sand, Sanday, Orkney, is under way at the University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute.
Category: Zooarchaeology
Video: 5,000 years of waiting for the tooth fairy – Ness of Brodgar’s seaweed-eating sheep and the European context
The recording of June 2021’s monthly UHI Archaeology Institute research seminar, which took place on Friday, June 25.
New paper – evidence of the grey whale at Scottish archaeological sites
A new paper co-authored by the University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute’s Dr Ingrid Mainland and Martin Carruthers was launched today and is free to access online.
Zooarchaeology session at Slovenian Science Festival
What animal remains can tell us about life in Viking Age Orkney is the subject of a University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute talk at the Slovenian Science Festival this afternoon.
Funded PhD Opportunity – human/animal interaction in Wales (AD700-1000)
Cardiff University and the National Museum Wales have a fully funded collaborative doctoral studentship available focusing on human/animal interactions in Wales between AD700-1000.
Whale bone genetics and the extraordinary closure of Cairns broch
DNA investigations undertaken on a large collection of whale bone from the University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute Iron Age archaeological site of The Cairns, have afforded a glimpse into the complex relationship of Iron Age communities with whales.
Ancient DNA study at The Cairns lands massive whale tale
Dr Antonia Thomas is a lecturer in archaeology at the University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute based in Orkney, Scotland. Antonia’s work focuses on art and archaeology in its broadest sense – from the interpretation of prehistoric art, to the intersections between contemporary art practice and the archaeological imagination.
New UHI archaeology paper examines the origins of aquaculture
The University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute is pleased to announce the publication of an important research paper in the Nature Ecology and Evolution journal.
Extracting DNA from The Cairns and Minehowe whalebone collections
This week, Brenna Frasier from Saint Mary’s University, Nova Scotia and Vicki Szabo from Western Carolina University joined Dr Ingrid Mainland and Martin Carruthers at the UHI Archaeology Institute to examine the collection of whalebone artefacts recovered from The Cairns and Minehowe excavations, Orkney.
MSc student contributes to Ness of Brodgar research
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.
Examining the Cata Sand whales
The excavation at Cata Sand on the island of Sanday in Orkney not only unearthed the remains of Early Neolithic Houses, but also as reported in August, the skeletons of around twelve whales originating in the nineteenth century.
The Cairns whalebone – the inside story
Post-excavation work is progressing well on the whalebone vessel unearthed at The Cairns late last year. The vessel not only contained a human jawbone, but also animal bones, remains of ceramic pots and stone tools.
‘Toiling with Teeth’ – research paper published
A key goal for archaeozoology is to define and characterise pastoral farming strategies – how did people in the Middle Iron Age / Viking Late Norse period organise their farming?