Research project

Supervisor Prof. Geoff Bailey

Research Associate in Coastal Archaeology

I am currently undertaking post-doctoral research as part of the DISPERSE project, investigating Holocene shell middens on the Farasan Islands in the Red Sea. As well as furthering knowledge in this field (following on from my PhD), these sites act as an analogy for earlier evidence of coastal exploitation, located on inundated coastlines.

Before this my PhD research focus was on the coastal archaeology of the Farasan Islands, working with Geoff Bailey as part of the Southern Red Sea Project we surveyed over 1000 shell mound sites (shell middens) on the main islands of the Archipelago. In addition we excavated two large shell mound sites, and test pitted numerous others. My thesis worked both on provenancing these deposits and developing an understanding of the formation processes at work within the shell mounds to reconstruct their temporal and spatial evolution. This was achieved through the interpretation of the excavations and analysis of samples taken from the sites. Lab work focused both on identifying the species present in the sites, and dating the sites through the use of amino-acid racemization (AAR) analysis, supported by radiocarbon dating.

Profile

My research interest is broadly coastal archaeology, with a specific interest in shell mound (shell midden) research. I have visited coastal sites in Scotland, France, Portugal and Senegal to build on this as part of my PhD. I also have strong interests in the Mesolithic and Neolithic both of Britain and Europe, and have worked on sites from these periods in a variety of settings; the pre-pottery Neolithic of the Arabian Peninsula is particularly relevant to my research. I enjoy diving, and have also taken part in underwater archaeology. Before starting my PhD I worked for the Museum of London Archaeology Service as a geoarchaeologist - my background is in Quaternary Science, which I studied at Cambridge and before that Leeds. Before starting a career in archaeology I tried a number of careers, including database management and magazines (including Cosmo, Men's Health and Good Housekeeping).

In my spare time I surf, continuing the coastal theme.

Publications

Demarchi, B., Williams, M.G.M, Milner, N., Russell, N., Bailey, B., Penkman, K. (2010) Amino acid racemisation dating of marine shells: a mound of possibilities. Quaternary International.

Williams, M.G.M. (2010) Shell mounds of the Farasan Islands, Saudi Arabia. Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies  40

Bailey, G. Williams, M., Al-Sharekh, A. (In prep) Shell middens and shell mounds above and below sea level in the southern Red Sea. In G. Bailey, K. Hardy, A. Camara (eds.) Shell energy: coastal resource strategies. Oxford: Oxbow.

Alsharekh, A., Bailey, G.N., Momber, G., Moran, L.J., Sinclair, A., Williams, M.G.M., Laurie, E., AlShaikh, N., AlMa’Mary, A.,  AlGhamdi, S. (In prep) Coastal archaeology in the Farasan Islands: report on the 2008 fieldwork of the joint Saudi-UK Southern Red Sea Project. Atlal: Journal of Saudi Arabian Archaeology.

Williams, M.G.M. (2009) Shell Middens in the Red Sea. Mesolithic Miscellany 19:2

Quaternary Research Association – Annual Discussion Abstracts 2009 and 2010

Presentations

All at Sea 2011 - Mid-Holocene Palaeocoastlines of the Red Sea - Evidence for Hydro-isostacy, Tectonics or both?

PALSEA 2010 - Palaeoshorelines in the Red Sea; Poster

ICAZ 2010 - Fisher-Gatherers of the Red Sea: Results of the Farasan Archipelago Shell Sites Project; Speaker

QRA Annual Discussion Meeting 2010 - Human Responses to Mid-Holocene Sea Level Fluctuations in the Southern Red Sea; Speaker   

Seminar for Arabian Studies 2009 - Shell mounds of the Farasan Islands, Saudi Arabia; Speaker   

Speaker    Gathering Our Thoughts, Mesolithic Postgrad Day 2009 - FArSSite- The Farasan Archipelago Shell Sites Project; Speaker

QRA Annual Discussion Meeting 2009 - Geoarchaeological Investigation of Shell Mound Evolution in the Farasan Islands; Speaker   

Prehistoric Europa Conference 2009 - FArSSite – The Farasan Archipelago Shell Sites Project, Saudi Arabia; Poster

University of Edinburgh Guest Speaker 2009 - An Evaluation of Shell Site Evolution; Speaker

Shell Energy Conference 2008 - Shell Mound Distribution on Dynamic Coastlines and the Composition of Mound Sediments; Speaker

Teaching

Associate of the UK Higher Education Academy (AHEA)

PFA (Preparing Future Academics) Qualification

Vice-Chancellor’s Teaching Award for Post Graduates Who Teach 2010


Lecturing

Prehistoric Coastal Archaeology    (Third year)

Computing for Archaeology (Second year)

Seminars

Prehistoric Coastal Archaeology    (Third year)

Palaeolithic Settlement and Economy (Second year)

Accessing Archaeology (First year)

Demonstrating

Computing for Archaeology (Second year)

Field School (First year)

Essay Marking

Accessing Archaeology (First year)

British Archaeology (First year)

Introduction to Archaeological Science (First Year)