Dr Lara González Carretero wins 2023 Trail-Crisp award.
Dr Lara González Carretero of the Department of Archaeology has been named as a recipient of a 2023 Trail-Crisp award from the Linnean Society of London.
Founded in 1788, the Linnean Society of London is the world’s oldest active society devoted to natural history. Each year, it awards a number of prizes to celebrate excellence in science, from zoology to botany, mycology and beyond.
It has a particular focus on evolution, microscopy and scientific illustration, and celebrates trailblazers in the study and appreciation of the natural world. The Trail-Crisp award is presented “in recognition of an outstanding contribution to microscopy, with preference given to early and mid-career researchers”.
Dr González Carretero’s work on charred cereal foods for her 2020 PhD provided a breakthrough for archaeobotany. The carbonised remains of food have proved stubbornly resistant to identification, but Dr González Carretero was able to establish clear and replicable criteria to identify cereal species under the microscope. Her best-known work concerns bread material from Jordan that represents the world’s oldest known to date.
She said: “I am deeply honoured to receive the prestigious Trail-Crisp Award from the Linnean Society of London. I am incredibly happy and grateful for this recognition of my work.”
Professor Nicky Milner is Head of Department in the Department of Archaeology at York. She said: “I’m absolutely delighted that Lara has won this award. Her research on carbonised food remains has revealed some very important results which change our understanding of the origins of bread making and I look forward to what other insights her research will lead to in the future.”