Robert M Chapple, Archaeologist

Radiocarbon and Palaeoenvironmental Reconstruction in Practice | Call for papers From Ben Gearey: We are organizing a session as part of “ The Radiocarbon and the Environment Conference ” which is being held at Queens University Belfast on the 18th-22nd August 2014.  The session is entitled “Radiocarbon and Palaeoenvironmental Reconstruction in Practice” and we invite papers on aspects of the theory and practice of radiocarbon dating of palaeoenvironmental sequences and deposits. Given the cost of radiocarbon dating and associated problems of ‘doing archaeology’ in the Age of Austerity , we are especially keen to focus on approaches to and issues concerning radiocarbon dating within commercial archaeology. We also hope to discuss and reflect on ‘best practice’, for example, how can we maximise cost benefit from radiocarbon dating programmes? The session is open to anyone with an interest in these and related issues. The full abstract is available at: http://www.qub.a...

[** If you like this post, please make a donation to the IR&DD project using the button at the end. If you think it is interesting or useful, please re-share via Facebook, Google+, Twitter etc. **] Preface I’m delighted to welcome back Aaron David McIntyre to the blog. He is an undergraduate student at The School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology, QUB. His research interests include Lisburn in the Gaelic period and the archaeology of the Plantation era. He is also involved in politics with the Alliance Party . Robert M Chapple *         *          * Source: The Scots Warning Fire In September, the first of the Ulster Archaeological Society ’s autumn series of lectures was delivered by Professor Audrey Horning , Queen’s University, Belfast. Professor Horning’s research interests are focused on comparative colonialism and the relationship between archaeology and con...

[** If you think the post is useful, please re-share via Facebook, Google+, Twitter etc. **] Preface: This is a slightly longer version of an article submitted to the Ulster Archaeology Society 's Newsletter, edited by Duncan Berryman ( @ArchaeologistD ). The on-line version is available to read: here . If you have an interest in the archaeology of Ulster, please consider joining the Society - it is a wonderful resource that deserves our support!  It doesn’t take me to tell the readers of this Newsletter that Billy Dunlop was for many years the energetic heart of the UAS. His long-term editorship of this Newsletter, while impressive, was but one of his achievements. He was involved in just about every aspect of UAS life, from committee work, to attending lectures and field-trips to, in 2000, holding the position of President of the Society. With his passing in September of last year, I lost a valued friend and a trusted mentor (read my tribute to Billy...

[**  If you like this post, please make a donation to the IR&DD project using the button at the end.  If you think the review is useful, please re-share via Facebook, Google+, Twitter etc. **] Preface: I am delighted to welcome back Rena Maguire to the blog. Rena is an undergraduate student at QUB, in her second year. She is currently working on her undergraduate thesis: Iron Age horse harness Y pieces: function, manufacture and typologies. This sounds like a fascinating lecture, and I'm sorry that I missed it. Unfortunately, I cannot agree with Carver's denigration of the Harris Matrix. For my part, I am of the opinion that Edward Harris' Principles of Archaeological Stratigraphy is the single most important archaeological book ever published. I do agree with his point that a thorough knowledge of its workings does not make an archaeologist, but it was never intended to! The Harris Matrix was only ever conceived of as one of a variety of rese...

[**  If you like this post, please make a donation to the IR&DD project using the button at the end.  If you think the review is useful, please re-share via Facebook, Google+, Twitter etc. **] Preface: I am very happy to introduce our third guest writer, Rena Maguire, to the blog. Rena is an undergraduate student at QUB, in her second year. She is currently working on her undergraduate thesis: Iron Age horse harness Y pieces: function, manufacture and typologies. Robert M Chapple Being an archaeology and paleoecology undergraduate in QUB Belfast has perks, one of the best being the PCC Lunchtime Seminars organised by our department. I’ve personally found them invaluable to gain insights into sometimes quite obscure areas of archaeology. The guest lecturers are, as one would expect, at the cutting edge of their respective fields. Not least of these is Dr Seren Griffiths of the University of Cardiff , who gave a talk (March 20 2012) on Scatter Matters: ...

[**  you like this post, please make a donation to the IR&DD project using the button at the end.  If you think the review is useful, please re-share via Facebook, Google+, Twitter etc. **] Preface: I am very pleased to introduce Duncan Berryman , our latest guest contributor to the blog. Duncan is a post-graduate student at QUB , and is currently working on his PhD: ‘A documentary and archaeological investigation of the buildings of manorial curiae.’ He is currently the editor of the Ulster Archaeological Society ’s Newsletter . You may also follow him on Twitter . Robert M Chapple Excavation in progress The February lecture of the Ulster Archaeological Society was given by Dr. Emily Murray .  Emily has worked for the Centre for Archaeological Fieldwork (CAF) at Queen’s University, Belfast for a number of yeas and has been involved in a large range of excavations.  She has specialised in zooarchaeology and has a wide range of publications....