The Society for Post-medieval archaeology is pleased to announce the most recent post-graduate dissertation prize award!
The award has been made to Hannah Lara Boyd of Glasgow University for her dissertation ‘An Archaeology of Trees. Suggestions for the Consideration of Arbori-culture in the Scottish Archaeological Record’.
Hannah writes,
‘Trees, like stone monuments, have the ability to influence and shape the spaces they inhabit. Their roots run deep into the fabric of the landscape as well as into the memories of their local communities, inspiring stories and legend.
‘This research evolved from an interest in the entanglement between humans and the natural landscape and a desire to shift how we view the creation and understanding of natural features within archaeology. In Scotland, trees have primarily been used as biological data for the mapping of physical environments as well as the study of forest management and agriculture, primarily viewing trees as part of collective woodlands. Trees had not necessarily been considered archaeological features in themselves despite the significance of the natural landscape on our cultural identities as well as the wealth of evidence in Scottish and Gaelic literature illustrating that trees carried more meaning and function to the people of Scotland beyond ecology and economics.
‘This dissertation discusses trees and their potential for study as living archaeology within Scotland. Using concepts of ‘abori-culture’ or the understanding that there should be no binary distinction between nature and culture, this study argues that trees are integral components of place and landscape and present a lively monumentality that is inherently archaeological. Through the exploration of two in depth case studies as well as various aspects of tree archaeology across Scotland, this approach seeks to understand the ways that trees have the ability to co-constitute and create place.
‘Overall, this research argues for the greater consideration of trees as monuments in their own right whilst seeking to understand the unique aspects, opportunities and challenges that accompany an archaeology of trees, suggesting a standardised methodology for their incorporation into the archaeological record.’
Find out more about SPMA grants and prizes.