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Hardy, Karen
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ICREA Research Professor at UAB (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona). Humanities
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I joined ICREA in 2008. Following a PhD in the Institute of Archaeology, University College London I worked on projects based in Hungary, Scotland and Papua New Guinea. From 1997-2005 I co-directed the Scotland's First Settlers project which explored the early post glacial environment and human population around the Isle of Skye. In 2005 I was awarded a Marie Curie OIF to visit the University of Sydney where I set up an international project on the diagenesis of ancient starch. My return phase took place at the University of York where I remain a research associate.
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Research Interests
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My interest lies in human adaptations and diet in the pre-agricultural world, particular the use of plants and coastal resources. Plants are likely to have been as important in the past as they are today but detection of them is difficult. Dental calculus preserves biographical detail in the form of plant microfossils and chemical signatures which we can extract and identify. This is offering new insights into ancient diet at the individual level.
The use of coastal resources developed during the early post-glacial period. West coast Scotland is particularly significant, not only does it represent part of Europe’s westerly frontier, it also contains many shell middens and archaeological sites form this period. The middens preserve organic material which can be used for environmental and cultural reconstruction.
The Saloum Delta, Senegal is home to the Sereer-Niominka. Ethnoarchaeological work here offers insights into the workings of an almost entirely fisher/collectors society.
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KeyWords
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Prehistoric Europe, pre-agricultural diet, ethnoarchaeology, shell middens and coastal archaeology.
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