Oliver Craig
Deputy Head of Department, Professor of Archaeological Science

Research

Overview

Oliver Craig specialises in biomolecular archaeology, i.e. the recovery of proteins, lipids and DNA from ancient skeletal remains and archaeological artefacts to provide insights into past human activities.

His particular interests lie in temporal transitions and variability in human diets, cuisine and subsistence practices and the impact that dietary changes had on social evolution, health and the environment.

Oliver is interested in combining a broad range of analytical techniques to study palaeodiet but particularly stable isotope analysis of human bone and organic residue analysis of food remains on ceramics.

His research has focused on the analysis of materials from key prehistoric sites in the UK,  Central and Eastern Europe and along the Atlantic, Baltic and Mediterranean coastlines.

Oliver is also interested in Roman diet and particularly the issue of marine consumption. 

Oliver has an interest in the earliest use of pottery from North America, Eastern Baltic, Siberia, Russian Far East and Japan. 

Projects

Early Pottery Research 

Other Projects

• Plantcult: Investigating the Food Cultures of Ancient Europe 2016-2021
• Sicily in Transition (European Research Council) 2016-2021
• Melting Pot: Food and Identity in the Age of the Vikings (AHRC) 2016-2018
• Cultural and Scientific Perceptions of Human- Chicken Interactions (AHRC) 2014-2017
• Human adaption to diet and infectious diesease (Wellcome Trust) 2014-2017

Previous projects

• Feeding Stonehenge: provisioning henges and households in southern Britain in the 3rd millennium BC (AHRC) 2010-2013 
• CERES,  Ceramic Residues to the economic and social context of early pottery use in North Eastern North America (EU) 2011-2013
• Ritual Food in Japanese Antiquity (JSPS) 2011-2014
• COREBRAS: Coastal Resources and South American Hunter-Gatheres: Biochemical Perspectives from the  Brazilian Samaqui (EU) 2011-2013

• Dietary variability and genetic origins of Ancient Italian Human Populations: a combined ancient biomolecular approach (PRIN, MUiR, IT) 2006-2008
• Pottery use by late Foragers and early Farmers in the Baltic (AHRC, UK) 2007-2010
• Agricultural revolution in Southern Europe? (EU) 2007-2010
• LeCHE (Lactase persistence and the early Cultural History of Europe) (EU) 2009-2013

Supervision

Curret PhD Students

• Manon Bondetti (EU)
• Özge Demirc (EU)
• Marjolein Admiraal (with University of Groningen)
• Rachelle Martyn (NERC)

Past PhD Students

• Harry Robson – primary supervisor, current
• Sophy Charlton – joint supervisor, current
• Rachel Smith – joint supervisor, current
• Helen Williams – primary supervisor, current
• Tom Farrell (University of Groningen/York) – co-supervisor, current.
• Hayley Saul  - doctoral student (AHRC)
• Cynthianne Spiteri - doctoral student (NERC)
• Nienke van Doorn - doctoral student (EU)

Teaching

Postgraduate

MSc in Bioarchaeology

External activities

Memberships

• Academic Assoicate (Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures, University of East Anglia)
• Honorary fellow (Aix-Marseille Université)