Aimée Little, Senior Lecturer, Department of Archaeology
Aimée is a Senior lecturer in early prehistory, material culture and experimental archaeology, in the Department of Archaeology.
She's a specialist in Northwest European hunter-gatherer material culture and funerary archaeology. She is also the Director of the York Experimental Archaeological Research (YEAR) Centre, which she founded in 2015.
email: aimee.little@york.ac.uk
Our 60-second interview with Aimée:
Could you tell us what work you do in the field of mental health?
Exploring the impact of outdoor learning and heritage crafts on health and wellbeing.
What do you find most rewarding and inspiring in this work?
The transformative effects that I have seen for students engaging with craft around the campfire and the breakdown of social barriers and the more engaged academic conversations.
What is the most challenging or complicated aspect of this work?
My lack of background in mental health makes it difficult for me to quantify the effects of this activity as a therapeutic tool beyond its pedagogical value for student experience and learning.
What impact do you hope your work is having - or can potentially have?
I hope that we can extend the benefits of outdoor heritage craftwork beyond archaeology students in the broader student cohort, and perhaps society more generally.
Could you share with us one piece of advice that you follow for your own mental health?
I’m trying to live more in the present - in the here and now - I’m trying not to rush through things and enjoy the moment!