The Centre exists to foster links between archaeology, biology, and environmental science, to enable the fully integrated study of the individual, population, and community ecology of past peoples. There is expertise in the following disciplines at York:

Archaeobotany - the study of plant remains (principally macrofossil . fruits, seeds, moss, wood and so on) as a route to understanding past environments and environmental change, human activity and man-plant interractions.

Geoarchaeology - the application of soil science and geomorphology to understanding the formation of archaeological deposits, and the role of past peoples as agents of geomorphic change.

Invertebrate zooarchaeology - reconstruction of past climate, ecology and human activity and living conditions, with an accent on insect remains.

Vertebrate zooarchaeology - the cross-cultural study . through remains such as bones and teeth, including those of humans - of past interactions between people and other vertebrates.

Current and recent major projects include Quoygrew, and the Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey.

• Viborg, Denmark: invertebrates from an early 11^th century lakeside occupation site (for Viborg Museum)
• Reviews of plant and invertebrate remains from the northern counties of England (for English Heritage)
• Kaupang, Norway: assessment of plant, invertebrate and vertebrate material from the 2002 excavations (for University of Oslo)
• Environment of Medieval Aberdeen: assessment and subsequent analysis of plant and invertebrate material from a wide range of excavations from the city (for Aberdeen Archaeological Unit, with funding from Heritage Lottery Fund).
• Synthesis of evidence from plant and animal remains for environments and human activity in Anglo-Scandinavian York (for York Archaeological Trust, with funding from English Heritage).

The following staff contribute to the work of the Centre:

• Oliver Craig

• Matthew Collins

• Allan Hall

• Harry Kenward

• Terry O'Connor

• Kevin Walsh

• and contributors to Fishlab

The CHP reports series puts on record preliminary results and data for work which may either not be published formally or for which publication is distant at the time of writing.

The residue of the former Environmental Archaeology Unit was absorbed into the CHP in January 2003, bringing with it nearly 30 years of experience in the investigation of and reconstruction of all aspects of the past human environment, with particular expertise in the study of urban environments. Follow this link for a list of reports and publications by EAU staff to the end of 2002.

last revised ARH 18.xii.2007