Sam Walsh - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Sam Walsh

Research paper thumbnail of The early Neolithic of Iraqi Kurdistan: current research at Bestansur, Shahrizor Plain Article Accepted Version

Human communities made the transition from hunter-foraging to more sedentary agriculture and herd... more Human communities made the transition from hunter-foraging to more sedentary agriculture and herding at multiple locations across Southwest Asia through the Early Neolithic period (ca. 10,000-7000 cal. BC). Societies explored strategies involving increasing management and development of plants, animals, materials, technologies, and ideologies specific to each region whilst sharing some common attributes. Current research in the Eastern Fertile Crescent is contributing new insights into the Early Neolithic transition and the critical role that this region played. The Central Zagros Archaeological Project (CZAP) is investigating this transition in Iraqi Kurdistan, including at the earliest Neolithic settlement so far excavated in the region. In this article, we focus on results from ongoing excavations at the Early Neolithic site of Bestansur on the Shahrizor Plain, Sulaimaniyah province, in order to address key themes in the Neolithic transition.

Research paper thumbnail of Chapter 19. Human remains from Bestansur: demography, diet and health

The early Neolithic of the eastern fertile crescent: Excavations at Bestansur and Shimshara, Iraqi Kurdistan, 2020

In this chapter the Bestansur assemblage is analysed within the context of Early Neolithic human ... more In this chapter the Bestansur assemblage is analysed within the context of Early Neolithic human remains assemblages of the region, focusing on burial practices, demography and palaeopathology. The Bestansur human assemblage is important due to the limited number of recently excavated burial sites of this nature and period in Iraq, the Zagros region, and the Eastern Fertile Crescent
(EFC).

Research paper thumbnail of Appendix 2. Analysis of the cremated human bone from Monument B. In, Reid et al. 2014. Once a Sacred and Secluded Place: Early Bronze Age Monuments at Church Lawton, near Alsager, Cheshire. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, 80

Research paper thumbnail of Once a Sacred and Secluded Place: Early Bronze Age Monuments at Church Lawton, near Alsager, Cheshire

Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, 2014

ABSTRACT

Research paper thumbnail of Walsh, S. 2015. Green Howe: Burial process and identity in Early Bronze Age Yorkshire. Prehistoric Yorkshire 52

Research paper thumbnail of Walsh, S. 2014. Appendix 2. Analysis of the cremated human bone from Monument B

Malcolm Reid, Ian Brooks, Jim Innes, Stuart Needham, Fiona Roe, Ian Smith, Sam Walsh and Ann Wood... more Malcolm Reid, Ian Brooks, Jim Innes, Stuart Needham, Fiona Roe, Ian Smith, Sam Walsh and Ann Woodward (2014). Once a Sacred and Secluded Place: Early Bronze Age Monuments at Church Lawton, near Alsager, Cheshire. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, 80, pp 237-277 doi:10.1017/ppr.2014.12

Research paper thumbnail of Walsh, S. 2014. Is it possible to access identity from the osteoarchaeological record? Hindlow: a Bronze Age case study, in R.Crozier, V.Ginn and R.Erlander (eds) Exploring prehistoric identity in Northwest Europe: our construct or theirs? Oxford: Oxbow Books.

Different forms of identity have often been understood in terms of binary oppositions. Within arc... more Different forms of identity have often been understood in terms of binary oppositions. Within archaeology this can be seen in studies which attempt to differentiate between identities using similarity and difference. This is particularly noticeable in studies of burial sequences within round barrows (Last 1998; Mizoguchi 1993) where later burials over time are thought to be referencing earlier burials which were used as a symbolic resource. This is inferred from the similarities or differences in aspects of the mortuary process such as position, direction of the body and grave-goods. A case study of a British Bronze Age mortuary site is used to question how we might examine aspects of identity through burial process and osteology.

Research paper thumbnail of A re-appraisal of the early Neolithic human remains excavated at Sumburgh, Shetland in 1977

Proceedings of the Society of Antiquarians of Scotland

This paper presents the results of a re-analysis of the Early Neolithic human remains recovered i... more This paper presents the results of a re-analysis of the Early Neolithic human remains recovered in 1977 at Sumburgh, Shetland. The original publication of the site (Hedges & Parry 1980) proposed excarnation as the dominant mortuary rite. However, analysis of fracture morphology in combination with patination has demonstrated that the majority of damage to the bones is due to post-depositional disturbance. Evidence of palaeopathological conditions within the assemblage enamel hypoplasia and a nutritional disorder. THE MULTIPLE BURIAL AT SUMBURGH: DISCOVERY AND PAST WORK

Research paper thumbnail of Is it possible to access identity from the osteoarchaeological record? Hindlow: a Bronze Age case study (Poster)

Different forms of identity have often been understood in terms of binary oppositions; within arc... more Different forms of identity have often been understood in terms of binary oppositions; within archaeology this can be seen in studies which attempt to differentiate between identities, using similarity and difference. This is particularly noticeable in studies of burial sequences within round barrows (Mizoguchi 1993; Last 1998) where later burials over time are thought to be referencing earlier burials which were used as a symbolic resource. This is inferred from the similarities or differences in aspects of the mortuary process such as position, direction of the body and grave-goods. It may be debatable whether we, as archaeologists or osteologists, can access enough information to do more than this.
This poster will use a case study of a British Bronze Age mortuary site to question how we might examine aspects of identity through burial process and osteology.
Hindlow round barrow in Derbyshire, contained a minimum of 21 individuals of all ages. The mourners seem to have returned to one area and disturbed earlier burials with later ones. This could indicate remembrance of the earliest dead, either in a positive way, to re-affirm group/individual identity; alternatively the oldest burials may have been purposefully disturbed as a way of asserting a different identity. This may be made visible from the sequence and practice of barrow burial and construction and osteological indications of life history. These ideas could be interpreted with barrow building as a visible construction of group identity.

Talks by Sam Walsh

Research paper thumbnail of Articulating the disarticulated: human remains from the Early Neolithic of the eastern Fertile Crescent (Iraqi Kurdistan)

The eastern Fertile Crescent was one of the first regions on earth to host the transition from hu... more The eastern Fertile Crescent was one of the first regions on earth to host the transition from hunter/forager to sedentary farmer/herder, from approximately 8000 BC. As part of this fundamental transformation in the human condition, new practices of disposal of the dead are attested at many archaeological sites of the region. In this paper we present recently excavated evidence from the site of Bestansur, Iraqi Kurdistan, dating to ca. 7800 BC, which consists of multiple human bodies deposited below the floors of a special building. The bodies are mainly in disarticulated states, with some co-mingling of individuals. A high proportion of the human remains were infants and young children, these were often layered over one another.
We will discuss the modes of deposition, demography, health and artefacts associated with the human remains. We will situate the burials within the broader social and cultic contexts of the earliest stages in sedentarisation of human communities of the eastern Fertile Crescent during this episode of dramatic change.

Research paper thumbnail of Finding social age and gender in Early Bronze Age northern England

Research paper thumbnail of Bronze Age burials: results of the analysis of the human remains from Brackenber burial site in context

Research paper thumbnail of What can burial evidence tell us about Bronze Age society in northern England: a contextual approach, in session: How Can We Model Bronze Age Society in Britain?’

Research paper thumbnail of Recent work on the Bronze Age in Lancashire

Thesis by Sam Walsh

Other by Sam Walsh

Research paper thumbnail of Identity as process: an archaeological and osteological study of Early Bronze Age burials in northern England

Osteological and archaeological approaches are brought together to investigate questions on the m... more Osteological and archaeological approaches are brought together to investigate questions on the mortuary practices, health, demography, identities, and chronology of Early Bronze Age burials in northern England. Processes of life, death and burial are identified as a way of evaluating the lifecourse and burial processes of Early Bronze Age individuals. Different burial practices have similar themes of the wrapping and enclosing of the dead which are carried out using both temporary and permanent materials.
The results of the PhD refute previous assumptions on the status of men, women and different age groups while revealing new aspects of identity seen through health and burial. Although the burials of adult men are greater in number, the burials of adult women are more commonly associated with artefacts. Men and women suffered from different health problems. Even though women were more likely to live to a greater age, they were also more likely to suffer malnutrition which was seen osteologically through cribra orbitalia. Burial patterns demonstrate a continuum of events from the preparation of the body, through to sequences of burial and closure.
Case studies are used to investigate identities over individual and site levels in different areas of northern England. New radiocarbon dates reveal differences in site histories which contributed to the formation of group identities. Individual case studies are used to evoke the life history and identities of individuals, whilst bringing forth the humanness of these past people.
Identities of men, women and children in the Early Bronze Age are explored. Different possible identities based on occupations, family structures and relations, and, social age groups are revealed. Male and female differences in burials and grave-goods may indicate the local ties of men and more fluid object-related identities among women.

Research paper thumbnail of The early Neolithic of Iraqi Kurdistan: current research at Bestansur, Shahrizor Plain Article Accepted Version

Human communities made the transition from hunter-foraging to more sedentary agriculture and herd... more Human communities made the transition from hunter-foraging to more sedentary agriculture and herding at multiple locations across Southwest Asia through the Early Neolithic period (ca. 10,000-7000 cal. BC). Societies explored strategies involving increasing management and development of plants, animals, materials, technologies, and ideologies specific to each region whilst sharing some common attributes. Current research in the Eastern Fertile Crescent is contributing new insights into the Early Neolithic transition and the critical role that this region played. The Central Zagros Archaeological Project (CZAP) is investigating this transition in Iraqi Kurdistan, including at the earliest Neolithic settlement so far excavated in the region. In this article, we focus on results from ongoing excavations at the Early Neolithic site of Bestansur on the Shahrizor Plain, Sulaimaniyah province, in order to address key themes in the Neolithic transition.

Research paper thumbnail of Chapter 19. Human remains from Bestansur: demography, diet and health

The early Neolithic of the eastern fertile crescent: Excavations at Bestansur and Shimshara, Iraqi Kurdistan, 2020

In this chapter the Bestansur assemblage is analysed within the context of Early Neolithic human ... more In this chapter the Bestansur assemblage is analysed within the context of Early Neolithic human remains assemblages of the region, focusing on burial practices, demography and palaeopathology. The Bestansur human assemblage is important due to the limited number of recently excavated burial sites of this nature and period in Iraq, the Zagros region, and the Eastern Fertile Crescent
(EFC).

Research paper thumbnail of Appendix 2. Analysis of the cremated human bone from Monument B. In, Reid et al. 2014. Once a Sacred and Secluded Place: Early Bronze Age Monuments at Church Lawton, near Alsager, Cheshire. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, 80

Research paper thumbnail of Once a Sacred and Secluded Place: Early Bronze Age Monuments at Church Lawton, near Alsager, Cheshire

Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, 2014

ABSTRACT

Research paper thumbnail of Walsh, S. 2015. Green Howe: Burial process and identity in Early Bronze Age Yorkshire. Prehistoric Yorkshire 52

Research paper thumbnail of Walsh, S. 2014. Appendix 2. Analysis of the cremated human bone from Monument B

Malcolm Reid, Ian Brooks, Jim Innes, Stuart Needham, Fiona Roe, Ian Smith, Sam Walsh and Ann Wood... more Malcolm Reid, Ian Brooks, Jim Innes, Stuart Needham, Fiona Roe, Ian Smith, Sam Walsh and Ann Woodward (2014). Once a Sacred and Secluded Place: Early Bronze Age Monuments at Church Lawton, near Alsager, Cheshire. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, 80, pp 237-277 doi:10.1017/ppr.2014.12

Research paper thumbnail of Walsh, S. 2014. Is it possible to access identity from the osteoarchaeological record? Hindlow: a Bronze Age case study, in R.Crozier, V.Ginn and R.Erlander (eds) Exploring prehistoric identity in Northwest Europe: our construct or theirs? Oxford: Oxbow Books.

Different forms of identity have often been understood in terms of binary oppositions. Within arc... more Different forms of identity have often been understood in terms of binary oppositions. Within archaeology this can be seen in studies which attempt to differentiate between identities using similarity and difference. This is particularly noticeable in studies of burial sequences within round barrows (Last 1998; Mizoguchi 1993) where later burials over time are thought to be referencing earlier burials which were used as a symbolic resource. This is inferred from the similarities or differences in aspects of the mortuary process such as position, direction of the body and grave-goods. A case study of a British Bronze Age mortuary site is used to question how we might examine aspects of identity through burial process and osteology.

Research paper thumbnail of A re-appraisal of the early Neolithic human remains excavated at Sumburgh, Shetland in 1977

Proceedings of the Society of Antiquarians of Scotland

This paper presents the results of a re-analysis of the Early Neolithic human remains recovered i... more This paper presents the results of a re-analysis of the Early Neolithic human remains recovered in 1977 at Sumburgh, Shetland. The original publication of the site (Hedges & Parry 1980) proposed excarnation as the dominant mortuary rite. However, analysis of fracture morphology in combination with patination has demonstrated that the majority of damage to the bones is due to post-depositional disturbance. Evidence of palaeopathological conditions within the assemblage enamel hypoplasia and a nutritional disorder. THE MULTIPLE BURIAL AT SUMBURGH: DISCOVERY AND PAST WORK

Research paper thumbnail of Is it possible to access identity from the osteoarchaeological record? Hindlow: a Bronze Age case study (Poster)

Different forms of identity have often been understood in terms of binary oppositions; within arc... more Different forms of identity have often been understood in terms of binary oppositions; within archaeology this can be seen in studies which attempt to differentiate between identities, using similarity and difference. This is particularly noticeable in studies of burial sequences within round barrows (Mizoguchi 1993; Last 1998) where later burials over time are thought to be referencing earlier burials which were used as a symbolic resource. This is inferred from the similarities or differences in aspects of the mortuary process such as position, direction of the body and grave-goods. It may be debatable whether we, as archaeologists or osteologists, can access enough information to do more than this.
This poster will use a case study of a British Bronze Age mortuary site to question how we might examine aspects of identity through burial process and osteology.
Hindlow round barrow in Derbyshire, contained a minimum of 21 individuals of all ages. The mourners seem to have returned to one area and disturbed earlier burials with later ones. This could indicate remembrance of the earliest dead, either in a positive way, to re-affirm group/individual identity; alternatively the oldest burials may have been purposefully disturbed as a way of asserting a different identity. This may be made visible from the sequence and practice of barrow burial and construction and osteological indications of life history. These ideas could be interpreted with barrow building as a visible construction of group identity.

Research paper thumbnail of Articulating the disarticulated: human remains from the Early Neolithic of the eastern Fertile Crescent (Iraqi Kurdistan)

The eastern Fertile Crescent was one of the first regions on earth to host the transition from hu... more The eastern Fertile Crescent was one of the first regions on earth to host the transition from hunter/forager to sedentary farmer/herder, from approximately 8000 BC. As part of this fundamental transformation in the human condition, new practices of disposal of the dead are attested at many archaeological sites of the region. In this paper we present recently excavated evidence from the site of Bestansur, Iraqi Kurdistan, dating to ca. 7800 BC, which consists of multiple human bodies deposited below the floors of a special building. The bodies are mainly in disarticulated states, with some co-mingling of individuals. A high proportion of the human remains were infants and young children, these were often layered over one another.
We will discuss the modes of deposition, demography, health and artefacts associated with the human remains. We will situate the burials within the broader social and cultic contexts of the earliest stages in sedentarisation of human communities of the eastern Fertile Crescent during this episode of dramatic change.

Research paper thumbnail of Finding social age and gender in Early Bronze Age northern England

Research paper thumbnail of Bronze Age burials: results of the analysis of the human remains from Brackenber burial site in context

Research paper thumbnail of What can burial evidence tell us about Bronze Age society in northern England: a contextual approach, in session: How Can We Model Bronze Age Society in Britain?’

Research paper thumbnail of Recent work on the Bronze Age in Lancashire

Research paper thumbnail of Identity as process: an archaeological and osteological study of Early Bronze Age burials in northern England

Osteological and archaeological approaches are brought together to investigate questions on the m... more Osteological and archaeological approaches are brought together to investigate questions on the mortuary practices, health, demography, identities, and chronology of Early Bronze Age burials in northern England. Processes of life, death and burial are identified as a way of evaluating the lifecourse and burial processes of Early Bronze Age individuals. Different burial practices have similar themes of the wrapping and enclosing of the dead which are carried out using both temporary and permanent materials.
The results of the PhD refute previous assumptions on the status of men, women and different age groups while revealing new aspects of identity seen through health and burial. Although the burials of adult men are greater in number, the burials of adult women are more commonly associated with artefacts. Men and women suffered from different health problems. Even though women were more likely to live to a greater age, they were also more likely to suffer malnutrition which was seen osteologically through cribra orbitalia. Burial patterns demonstrate a continuum of events from the preparation of the body, through to sequences of burial and closure.
Case studies are used to investigate identities over individual and site levels in different areas of northern England. New radiocarbon dates reveal differences in site histories which contributed to the formation of group identities. Individual case studies are used to evoke the life history and identities of individuals, whilst bringing forth the humanness of these past people.
Identities of men, women and children in the Early Bronze Age are explored. Different possible identities based on occupations, family structures and relations, and, social age groups are revealed. Male and female differences in burials and grave-goods may indicate the local ties of men and more fluid object-related identities among women.