Celebrating The Women of Archaeology – 2017 Edition

Written by: Dani Bradford, Steph Halmhofer, and Nikki Martensen

*Authors and contributors listed in alphabetical order

**Featured image from Steph Halmhofer

***Originally posted on Bones, Stones, and Books

Celebration of femmes pic 3
Celebration of femmes pic 1

It all started with a suggestion on Twitter by @ArchyFantasies to start a “women of archaeology support group”. The support group began on Twitter and then quickly moved to Slack to allow for more people to join, as the response to the group was overwhelmingly positive. Initial conversation turned to the inclusion of women in round-up lists (i.e. top 10 archaeological discoveries, best Twitter accounts to follow, etc.), after Dani Bradford mentioned the disproportionately small representation of women included within these lists. The lack of women representation in archaeology is not a new problem (for examples, check out “Women in Archaeology” (Claassen, 1994) and “Excavating Women: A History of Women in European Archaeology” (Diaz-Andreu and Stig Sørensen, 1998)). It’s also not a problem limited to archaeology, as Brian Switek wrote of palaeontology for Wired. Today projects like those of TrowelblazersRaising Horizons and the Bearded Lady Project are working hard to change the stereotypes of women within a variety of fields and bring to light their important contributions both historically and today.

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Building off the idea of increasing representation and with our brains buzzing after the suggestion above from April Beisaw, the authors decided to round-up and celebrate the accomplishments of women in archaeology in 2017. We didn’t want to do a ranked round-up, we wanted to give everyone the chance to decide for themselves what they wanted to celebrate. We took to social media and asked the women of archaeology to share with us what they were proud to have worked on in 2017. From academic articles to blogs, to curating exhibits and opening dialogues on disability and accessibility, the women of archaeology were certainly busy through 2017! Join us in celebrating all of these incredible women and what they’re proud to have accomplished in thepast year!

Be sure to check out the 2017 Day of Archaeology contributions, which includes many, many wonderful woman (a project initially co-founded by @lornarichardson)

Make sure you give a listen to the Women in Archaeology podcast, hosted by and featuring several fantastic women!

NameType of AccomplishmentAccomplishment & Link (when possible)
Sarah AshbridgeProject member (Operation Nightingale)Exercise: Joan of Arc and Exercise: Magwich
Kelli BarnesJournal ArticleCompound-Specific Amino Acid δ 15 N Values in Archaeological Shell: Assessing Diagenetic Integrity and Potential for Isotopic Baseline Reconstruction
April BeisawBook ChapterChapter 6, “Ruined by the Thirst for Urban Prosperity: Contemporary Archaeology of City Water Systems”
Tyla BekeField Archaeologist“History unearthed in NOTL”
Katie BiittnerBlogAnthropology As
Alexis M. ChristensenBlog Post/Conference Presentation (1st Public Archaeology Twitter Conference)“Archaeology in Popular Comics and Graphic Novels” – My Contribution to the 1st Public Archaeology Twitter Conference
Benjamina DadzieMA Thesis“New Finds from Henry Townsend Letters”
Claire Ebert

 


Savannah Ebony

Journal Article

 


Undergraduate Thesis

“Regional response to drought during the formation and decline of Preclassic Maya societies”

 


“Decorated Females, Figurines & Fragments of Ancient Egypt”

Freya FentonConference Presentation (European Association of Archaeologists 2017)“Jade Dragons and Wooden Crosses: Changing Attitudes to Archaeological Artefacts Within the Tomb Raider Franchise”
Kate FitzpatrickMA Thesis“The integration of an established industry: glass in the early Roman Empire”
Alex FitzpatrickBlog Post“Keeper of the Archives: Sith Archaeology and Propaganda”
Sarah FoxleyReport“Results of the 2016 Content and Computing Survey for Historic Environment Records in England”
Rebecca GilmourPhD Thesis“Resilient Romans: Cross-Sectional Evidence for Long-Term Functional Consequences of Extremity Trauma”
Helen GoodchildJournal ArticleBorgring: the discovery of a Viking Age ring fortress
Alice GormanWebsite Article“Friday essay: trace fossils – the silence of Ediacara, the shadow of uranium”
Dorothy Graves MacEwanJournal ArticleMonuments and Landscape: Investigating a Prehistoric Monument Complex at Lochbrow, Dumfries and Galloway
Steph HalmhoferComic Book ReviewTomb Raider: Survivor’s Crusade #1 – An Archaeologist’s Take
Lesley HowseResearch projectAlarniq Archaeology Project
Leah IselmoeConference presentation (Canadian Archaeological Association 2017)“Women Within the Land: Salish Womens Puberty Landworks in the Archaeological Record”
Catrine JarmanWebsite Article“The truth about Easter Island: a sustainable society has been falsely blamed for its own demise”
Ilka Knüppel GrayMA Thesis“The Search for Jesus’ Final Steps: How Archaeological and Literary Evidence Reroutes the Via Dolorosa”
Robyn LacyBlogThe Spade and the Grave
Reecie LevinJournal Article“Breadfruit Fermentation in Pohnpei, Micronesia: Site Formation, Archaeological Visibility, and Interpretive Strategies”
Michelle LowConference Presentation (Tea With the Sphinx 2017)“Ancient Egypt Reception Studies – The Use of ‘Archaeogaming’ to Educate Digital Natives”
Nikki MartensenBlog Post“An introduction to User Experience for Archaeologists and Heritage Professional”
Laura MaryBlog Post“Sexism in the archaeological discipline: The situation in the French-speaking world”
Sarah McClureJournal Article“Farming with Animals: Domesticated Animals and Taxonomic Diversity in the Cardial Neolithic of the Western Mediterranean”
Lauren McIntyreJournal Article“The York 113: osteological analysis of 10 mass graves from Fishergate, York”
Kirsty MillicanJournal ArticleMonuments and Landscape: Investigating a Prehistoric Monument Complex at Lochbrow, Dumfries and Galloway
Diana MoreirasWebsite Article“Who did the Aztecs kill during their bloody sacrifices at Templo Mayor?”
Aisling NashProject Report (also published in British Archaeology, September/October)“Have you Found Anything Yet?”
Theresa O’MahoneyMA Thesis“Empowering Archaeology: What model of disability do people with dyslexia in university archaeology courses experience?”
Vanessa OakdenReport ChapterChapter 10, Section 2, ““Cheshire Past in 2014; Finds Reported under the Portable Antiquities Scheme”
Sara RichBlogShipwreck Hauntography
Lucy ShipleyBook“The Etruscans: Lost Civiizations”
Florence Smith NichollsBlog Post“Barriers to Entry in Archaeogaming”
Kisha SupernantJournal Article“Modeling Métis mobility? Evaluating least cost paths and indigenous landscapes in the Canadian west”
Becky SykesExhibition ManagerRaising Horizons
Michelle TurnerBlog Post“Legislative Attacks on Historic Preservation and Archaeological Research”
Annelies Van de VenExhibition Curation“(Re-)Producing Power”
Melandri VlokJournal Article“A New Application of the Bioarchaeology of Care Approach: A Case Study from the Metal Period, the Philippines”
Sarah WardBBC Interview (The Conversation)“Diving Into the Past”

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