The next Department of History local history seminar will take place on Saturday 30 January at 10am-12.30pm, in A18/19, Lenton Grove, University Park.
Dr Naomi Sykes will speak on:
From local studies of ancient animals to global natural and cultural history
Very little of the fauna that we see around us today is ‘native’. Most of the animal species found in Britain arrived from elsewhere: some brought purposefully by migrating peoples, some arriving as stowaways, whilst others were sent as gifts from far-off lands. Whatever the case, each animal is a reflection of British cultural history. However, as many animals arrived in the long-forgotten past, reconstructing the timing, circumstances and impact of their introduction cannot be achieved through a single discipline, it requires the integration of different sources of evidence. This seminar will review the methods and results of recent research on animal introductions to Britain – it will consider when, how and, most importantly, why these animals were brought here.
Naomi is senior lecturer in zooarchaeology (the study of ancient animals) in the Department of Archaeology, University of Nottingham, also director of the AHRC-funded ‘Fallow Deer Project’ and co-director of the AHRC-funded ‘Chicken Project’.
For more details, email the co-ordinator Professor John Beckett or visit the 'Local history seminars' webpage here.