Course director (from 1.10.08): Dr Allan Hall
There is no unambiguous, simple term for what we are teaching! Bioarchaeology as we understand it is concerned with the use of biological remains found at archaeological sites to interpret past human activity and site formation processes. This is different from the American term 'Bioarchaeology' developed by Jane Buikstra to mean the study of human skeletal remains. A course of that kind at Masters level does not exist at York, but is provided at many institutions local to York (these include the Universities of Durham, Sheffield and Bradford).
The purpose of the Bioarchaeology course at York is to deepen the knowledge and experience of practising archaeologists in the analysis of 'environmental' samples. The department has strengths in a wide range of bioarchaeological approaches, from analytical chemistry to zooarchaeology and the course gives students the opportunity to work alongside members of staff in their laboratories in a series of short projects, as well as to follow taught modules introducing the key themes, concepts and practical skills used by Bioarchaeologists. You will not get training in advanced laboratory methods, as you would on the Ancient Biomolecules course at Sheffield, but you will be exposed to them.
York is fortunate to have incorporated staff from the former English Heritage-funded Environmental Archaeology Unit (which was based in the Department of Biology at York between 1975 and 2003), as well as six other academic staff who are specialists in different fields of bioarchaeology.
- Harry Kenward: arguably the foremost entomologist in the UK studying the use of insects in archaeological remains. Harry was formerly head of the Environmental Archaeology Unit.
- Allan Hall: One of the UK's leading archaeobotanists. Allan, like Harry, was a member of the Environmental Archaeology Unit. He specialises in the use of macrofossil botanical remains to understand site formation processes and identify activities occurring on site. Harry and Allan often combine their expertise to identify what was happening on a site using their forensic skills. For instance, 'indicator groups' of remains such as sheep ticks and dyeplant macrofossils may indicate that wool processing and dyeing was probably occurring on site.
- Terry O'Connor: was also formerly a member of the Environmental Archaeology Unit, before posts at Bradford University and then a Chair at York. Terry is passionate about animal bones. York has a large reference collection to help identify animal bones, although Matthew Collins will try and convince you, that a mass-spectrometer is even better than a reference collection. Terry can counter that he also works on mollusc shells and taphonomic processes, which are not the purview of analytical instrumentation. Terry is director of the £1M Palaeo center, to which all the staff that teach on the course are allied
- Geoff Bailey:used to teach zooarchaeology at Cambridge, but his interests are now increasingly turning towards coastal routes to human dispersal.
- Matthew Collins: heads BioArCh which shares, with the Functional Morphology and Evolution group of the Hull-York Medical School, a Portakabin on campus. Matthew and his research group specialize in the use of biomolecular methods to recover information from the past.
- Nicky Milner: is trying to convince everyone that she does not work on shells anymore, but we know better. Nicky has developed new methods to analyse the seasonality of oysters and patellids.
- Oliver Craig: Oliver specializes in ancient nutrition, and is especially interested in how residues found on pottery can help explain the transition to farming.
- Sarah Elton: is a biological anthropologist who works on primate ecology & morphology and palaeoenvironments.
Research Fellows, Honorary Fellows and Emeritus
In addition to the staff members listed above there are a number of researchers at York, whose research you may be interested in. These are:
- Don Brothwell (Emeritus) osteology, palaeopathology
- [Katherine Selby (Environment) palynology]
- Kirsty Penkman (Chemistry) geochronology
- Stephen Buckley: (Research Fellow) Analytical Chemistry and Egyptology
- Karen Hardy: (Research Fellow) Starch
- Hannah Koon: (Research Fellow) Osteology, bone chemistry, pathology
The MSc is designed for those with a background in archaeology, who are interested in extending their experience of the analysis of bioarchaeological remains. Like other courses, such as the MSc in Zooarchaeology, it is structured around core modules which explain the range of and application of bioarchaeological remains. Students then choose from a wide range of optional modules that reflect the research interests of the staff within the Department, and which may be drawn from other masters programmes, which in addition to Zooarchaeology, include Field Archaeology, Early Prehistory, Mesolithic Archaeology and Archaeological Information Systems. The teaching is conducted in small groups, seminars and tutorials, giving each student the opportunity to develop within a supportive and friendly environment.
York probably has one of the few dense concentrations of working bioarchaeologists in the UK and has a long history of exploiting and investigating the rich archaeological remains in York. For the period 2007-2012, the 75ha excavation at Hungate, run by York Archaeological Trust, offers a local opportunity to be involved in a large-scale excavation in the city.
Last updated by ARH, May 2008
