Profile

Biography

Oliver obtained his first degree in Biochemistry and Genetics (Nottingham), an MSc in Osteology, Palaeopathology and Funerary Archaeology (Sheffield), followed by a PhD with the Ancient Biomolecules group at Newcastle. He has also completed a Marie Curie Fellowship at the University of Rome II, 'Tor Vergata'.

Research

Overview

Oliver Craig specialises in biomolecular archaeology, i.e. the recovery of proteins, lipids and DNA from ancient skeletal remains and archaeological artefacts to provide insights into past human activities.

His particular interests lie in temporal transitions and variability in human diets and subsistence practices and the impact that dietary changes had on social evolution, health and the environment.

Oliver is interested in combining a broad range of analytical techniques to study palaeodiet but particularly stable isotope analysis of human bone and organic residue analysis of food remains on ceramics.

His research has focused on the analysis of materials from key prehistoric sites in Central and Eastern Europe and along the North East Atlantic and Baltic coastlines. More recently, he has developed an interest in Mediterranean prehistory. 

Current projects

• Feeding Stonehenge: provisioning henges and households in southern Britain in the 3rd millennium BC (AHRC) 2010-2013  
• Pottery use by late Foragers and early Farmers in the Baltic (AHRC, UK) 2007-2010
• Agricultural revolution in Southern Europe? (EU) 2007-2010
• LeCHE (Lactase persistence and the early Cultural History of Europe) (EU) 2009-2013
  

Previous projects

• Dietary variability and genetic origins of Ancient Italian Human Populations: a combined ancient biomolecular approach (PRIN, MUiR, IT) 2006-2008

Research group(s)

• Bioarchaeology
  1. Prehistory
  2. Coastal Prehistory
  3. Early pottery
     

Supervision

• Hayley Saul  - doctoral student (AHRC)
• Cynthianne Spiteri - doctoral student (NERC)
• Nienke van Doorn - doctoral student (EU)

Publications

Full publications list

Journals (peer reviewed)

• Craig, O. E., Steele, V., Fischer, A., Andersen, S., Donohoe, P., Glykou, A., Saul, H., Jones, M., Koch, E. & Heron, C. (2011) Ancient lipids reveal continuity in culinary practices across the transition to agriculture in Northern Europe. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA.
• Campos PF, Craig OE, Turner-Walker G, Peacock E, Willerslev E, Gilbert MTP (in press) DNA in ancient bone – where is it located and how should we extract it? Annals of Anatomy
• Chamberlain, P, Drewello, R, Korn, L, Bauer, W, Gough, T, Al-Fouzan, A, Collins, M, Van Doorn, N, Craig, O.E. & Heron, C 2011, Construction of the Khoja Zaynuddin Mosque: use of animal glue modified with urine, Archaeometry, 53, 4, 830-841.
• Craig, O.E., Biazzo B., Colonese, A.C., Di Giuseppec, Z.,  Martinez-Labarga, C.,  Lo Vetro, D.,  Lelli, R.,  Martini, F., Rickards, O. (2010). Stable isotope analysis of Late Upper Palaeolithic human and faunal remains from Grotta del Romito (Cosenza), Italy. Journal of Archaeological Science 37: 2504-2512
• Heron C., Nilsen N., Stern B., Craig O.E., Nordby C., (2010) Application of lipid biomarker analysis to evaluate the function of ‘slab-lined pits’ in Arctic Norway. Journal of Archaeological Science 37, 188-2197.
• Crowe,  F.,  Sperduti, A.,   O’Connell, T.C., Craig, O.E.,   Kirsanow, K.,  Germoni, P.,  Macchiarell, R.,  Garnsey, P.,   Bondioli., L. (2009) Diet and water-related occupations in two Roman coastal communities (Italy, I-III cent. AD). Correlation between stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values and  auricular exostosis prevalence. American Jounral of Physical Anthropology 142: 356-366
• Craig O.E. Biazzo M, O’Connell T.C., Garnsey P, Martinez-Labarga C, Lelli R, Salvadei L, Tartaglia G, Nava A, Renò L, Fiammenghi A, Rickards O, Bondioli L (2009) Stable isotopic evidence for diet at the Imperial Roman port of Velia (1st and 2nd centuries AD) in Southern Italy. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 139:  572-583
• Dobberstein R.C., Collins M. J., Craig O. E., Taylor G., Penkman K. E. H. and Ritz-Timme S. (2009) Archaeological collagen: Why worry about collagen diagenesis? Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 1,31-42.
• Ottoni C, Koon H.E.C, Collins M.J, Penkman K.E.H,, Rickards Om Craig O.E, (2009) Preservation of ancient DNA in thermally damaged archaeological bone. Naturwissenschaften 96: 267-278.
• Tafuri, M, Craig O.E., Canci, A. (2008) Stable isotope evidence for the consumption of millet and other plants in Bronze Age Italy. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 139: 146-153
• Craig, O.E., Forster, M., Andersen, S.H., Koch, E., Crombé, P., Milner, N., Stern, B., Bailey, G. and Heron, C. (2007) Molecular demonstration of marine and freshwater products in prehistoric pottery from Northern Europe, Archaeometry 49, 135-142.
• Craig, O.E., Biazzo, M., Tafuri, M. (2006) Palaeodietary records of coastal Mediterranean populations. Journal of Mediterranean Studies 16, 63-77.
• Craig, O.E., R. Ross, Milner, N., Bailey, G.N. (2006) Sulphur Isotope variation in Archaeological Marine Fauna from Northern Europe. Journal of Archaeological Science 33, 1642-1646.
• Milner, N., Craig, O.E., Bailey, G.N., Pedersen, K. & Andersen S.H. (2006) A Response to Richards and Schulting, Antiquity 308, 456-457.
• Dürrwächter, C., Craig, O.E., Collins, M.J., Burger, J., Alt, K.W. (2006) Beyond the grave: Variability in Neolithic diets in Southern Germany? Journal of Archaeological Science 33, 39-48.
• Craig, O.E., Chapman J., Heron, C.P., Willis, L.H., Taylor, G., Whittle, A., Collins, M.J. (2005) Did the first farmers of central and eastern Europe produce dairy foods? Antiquity 79, 882-894.
• Parker Pearson, M., A. Chamberlain, O.E. Craig, P. Marshall, J. Mulville, H. Smith, C. Chenery, M. Collins, G. Craig, J. Evans, J. Hiller, T. Wess, G. Taylor, J. Montgomery and J.-L. Schwenninger (2005) Evidence for mummification in prehistoric Britain. Antiquity 79, 529-546
• Craig, O.E., Taylor, G., Mulville, J., Parker Pearson, M., Collins, M.J. (2005) The identification of prehistoric dairying activities in the Western Isles of Scotland: an integrated biomolecular approach. Journal of Archaeological Science 32,91-103.
• Smith, C.I., Craig, O. E., Prigodich, R. V., Nielsen-Marsh, C. M., Jans, M. M. E., Vermeer, C., Collins, M.J., (2005) Digenesis and survival of Osteocalcin in archaeological bone. Journal of Archaeological Science 32,114-115.
• Milner, N., Craig, O.E, Bailey, G.N., Pedersen, K., Andersen S.H. (2004) Something fishy in the Neolithic? A re-evaluation of stable isotope analysis of Mesolithic and Neolithic coastal populations, Antiquity 78, 9-22.
• Craig, O.E., Chapman, J., Figler, A., Patay, P., Collins, M.J. (2004) “Milk jugs” and other myths of the Copper Age of Central Europe. European Journal of Archaeology 6, 249-263.
• Craig, O.E., Love, G.D. Isaksson, S., Taylor, G., Snape, C.E. (2004) Stable carbon isotopic characterisation of free and bound lipids in archaeological ceramic vessels released by solvent extraction, alkaline saponification and catalytic hydropyrolysis. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 7, 613-634.
• Craig, O.E. and Collins, M.J. (2002) The removal of protein from mineral surfaces: Implications for residue analysis of archaeological materials. Journal of Archaeological Science 29, 1077-1082.
• Craig O.E., Mulville J., Parker Pearson M., Sokol R.J., Gelsthorpe K., Stacey R., Collins M.J. (2000) Detecting milk in ancient pots. Nature 408, 312.
• Craig O.E., Collins M.J. (2000) An improved method for the immunological detection of mineral bound protein using hydrofluoric acid and direct capture. Journal of Immunological Methods 236, 89-97.
• Cattaneo, C., Dimartino, S., Scali, S., Craig, O.E., Grandi, M., Sokol, R.J. (1999) Determining the human origin of fragments of burnt bone: A comparative study of histological, immunological and DNA techniques. Forensic Science International 102, 181-191
• Waite, E.R., Child, A.M., Craig, O.E., Collins, M.J., Gelsthorpe, K., Brown, T.A. (1997) A preliminary investigation of DNA stability in bone during artificial diagenesis. Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France 168: 547-554.
• Cattaneo, C., Craig, O.E., James, N.T., Sokol, R.J. (1997) Comparison of three DNA extraction methods on bone and bloodstains up to 43 years old and amplification of three different gene sequences. Journal of Forensic Sciences 42(6):1126-1135.

Journals articles (other)

• Privat K., Schneeweiss, J, Benecke, N., Vasil’ev S.K., O’Connell, T., Hedges, R., Craig, O.E. Economy and diet at the Late Bronze Age-Iron Age site of ?i?a: Artefactual, archaeozoological and biochemical analysis (2005) Eurasia Antiqua Deutshes Archaeologishes Institut. Eurasien-Abteilung.
• Craig, O.E. (2004) Organic analysis of «food crusts» from sites in the Schelde valley, Belgium: a preliminary evaluation. Notae Praehistoricae 24, 209-217.
• Craig, O.E. (2002) The Development of Dairying in Europe: potential evidence from food residues on ceramics. Documenta Praehistorica 29, 97-107.
• Craig, O.E., Stacey, R.J., Collins, M.J. (2001) The Ancient Potsherd: A unique environment for protein survival? British Archaeology Reports (International Series) 939, 47-52.
• Dürrwächter, C., Craig, O.E., Taylor, G., Collins, M.J., Burger, J., Alt, K.W. (2003) Rekonstruktion der Ernährungsweise in der mittel- und frühneolithischen Bevölkerungen von Trebur/Hessen und Herheim/Pfalz anhand der Analyse Stabiler Isotope. Bulletin de la Société Suisse Anthropologie 9, 1-16.

Books / Book sections

• Heron, C. and Craig, O.E. (2011): Pottery use among late foragers and early farmers in the Baltic. New molecular and isotopic investigations. In: Early Pottery in the Baltic: Dating, Origin and Social Context, Eds. S. Hartz, S. Lüth, F. and Terberger, T. (Frankfurt, Bericht der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission). Pp. 11-26
• Milner, N. and Craig, O.E. (2009) Mysteries of the middens: change and continuity across the Mesolithic Neolithic transition. In Allen, M.J., Sharples, N. and O’Connor, T. (eds.) Land and People. Papers in Honour of John G. Evans, Prehistoric Society Research Paper No 2, , 169-180. Oxford: Oxbow
• Bailey, G., Barrett, J., Craig, O. & Milner N. (2008) Historical Ecology of the North Sea Basin: an archaeological perspective and some problems of methodology. In T. Rick and J. Erlandson (eds.) Human Impacts on Ancient Marine Ecosystems. Berkeley, Los Angeles and London: University of California Press, pp. 215–42
• Barnard, H, Shoemaker, L., Craig, O.E., Rider, M., Parr, R.E., Sutton, M.Q., Yohe II, R.M. (2007) Introduction to the analysis of protein residues in archaeological ceramics. In: Theroy and practice of archaeological residue analysis (eds. Barnard H., Erkens J.W.) British Archaeological Reports (International Series), Series 1650. 216-231.
• Milner, N., Craig, O.E., Bailey, G.N. (2007) Shell Middens in Atlantic Europe, Oxford: Oxbow.
• Heron, C.P., Craig, O.E., Forster, M., Stern, B. (2007) Residue analysis of ceramics from prehistoric shell middens: initial investigations at Norsminde and Bjørnsholm. In: Shell Middens in Atlantic Europe (eds. N. Milner, O.E. Craig, and G.N. Bailey) Oxford: Oxbow.
• Craig, O.E., Heron, C.P., Willis, Yusof, N.N.H.A., Taylor, G. (in press) Organic residue analysis of pottery vessels.In: The Early Neolithic on the Great Hungarian Plain: investigations of the Körös culture site of Ecsegfalva 23, Co. Békés (Ed. Whittle, A.) Monograph, University of Cardiff.
• Craig, O.E. (2005) The white stuff: milking in the Outer Scottish Isles. In: The Zooarchaeology of Fats, Oils, Milk and Dairying (eds. J. Mulville and A. Outram) Oxbow: Oxford, pp. 167-182
• Craig, O.E., (2003) Dairying, dairy products and milk residues. In: Food, culture and identity on the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age (Ed. M. Parker Pearson.) British Archaeological Reports (International Series), Series 117. 89-96.
• Gernaey A. M., Waite E. R., Collins M. J., Craig O. E. and Sokol., R. J. (2001) Survival and interpretation of archaeological proteins: Ancient proteins degradation and analysis. In: Handbook of Archaeological sciences (Eds. M. Pollard and D. Brothwell), Wiley,: Chichester , pp. 323-331.

Compositions

Teaching

Postgraduate

• MSc in Bioarchaeology
  

External activities

Memberships

• Member of the NERC Peer Review College, the European Association of Archaeologists and the Prehistoric Society
• Honorary Visiting Research Fellow at the Department of Archaeological Science, University of Bradford