[Photo of Rachel Ballantyne]

Rachel Ballantyne

Research Associate, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research

Phone: +44 1223 333537 (Pitt-Rivers Laboratory)
Email: rmb51@cam.ac.uk

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Research interests

My research focuses on how archaeological plant remains represent lifestyles, economy, and the diversity of relationships between past cultures and their environments. In particular, I study patterns of biota and refuse across settlement areas to deduce the structuring of activities. The archaeology of Roman and early historic Europe provides a rich dataset to explore these interests and contrast the results with ancient historical sources. Other interests include experimental archaeology and ethnoarchaeology; the interplay between theory and practice; the relevancy of archaeobotany to present-day nature conservation; and participating in public archaeology.

Current research projects

I am a Research Associate for the project 'Ecological Correlates of Viking Age State Formation', funded jointly by the Newton Trust, Cambridge and the Kings Manor Project (Kongsgårdprosjektet Avaldsnes), Norway. The aim is to compare ecological signatures during early state formation in Norway and Scotland between AD600 and 1200, specifically, archaeobotanical evidence for changes in agricultural production. Two key datasets are from chiefly trading settlements at the Brough of Deerness (Orkney) and Avaldsnes (Norway). The PIs for this project are Dr James Barrett and Prof Martin Jones, in collaboration with Prof Dagfinn Skre and Dr Mari Østmo (University of Oslo).

Other ongoing archaeobotanical projects include: post-excavation analysis and publication for the Portus Project (with Prof Martin Jones and Dr Evi Margaritis), a small Roman farmhouse excavated at Thwing, North Yorkshire (directed by Prof Martin Millett), and various past excavations by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit.