Research interests
Zooarchaeology is an eclectic discipline, and as such, my research spans different approaches, time periods and geographical areas. Among my main current interests are the application of ancient DNA techniques in zooarchaeology and the use of zooarchaeological data to obtain insights about the role of the ‘central administration’ of ancient towns in their economy and subsistence.
Current projects in which I am involved include:
- The use of palaeogenomic data in the investigation of ancient equids, including their evolution, domestication, hybridization and use. This research is being carried out in collaboration with in the Centre for GeoGenetics in Copenhagen, Denmark.
- The analysis of the faunal remains from Amara West, an Egyptian administrative town in northern Sudan, dating to the New Kingdom. Excavations by the British Museum in recent years have recovered tens of thousands of animal bone remains, which we are using to explore economic, social and cultural aspects of the life in the town.
In previous projects: I have carried out research on the palaeobiology and extinction of large mammals towards the end of the last ice age - in particular through the use of palaeogenetics; this includes the study of the evolutionary history and extinction of equids, brown and cave bears, and South American camelids.
I have also undertaken more ‘traditional' zooarchaeological studies of faunal remains from Medieval sites in Britain and abroad, such as Tanners' Row (Pontefract), Scarborough Castle, Norwich, and Freiburg (Germany); Roman sites such as Castrop-Rauxel (Germany); and Neolithic enclosures such as Oberntudorf (Germany). I've been also involved in the study of animal remains from Troy (in today’s western Turkey) and Carthage (Tunisia).
PhD Supervision
y expertise in zooarchaeology enables me to supervise dissertations in a wide range of topics and time-periods within this field. I'd be interested in supervising postgraduate research on all aspects of the study of animal remains - including Pleistocene faunas – as well as topics involving palaeogenetic investigations (i.e. ‘ancient DNA').
I am currently co-supervising PhD dissertations on:
- The tradition of fishery and fishing gear in the island of Cyprus
- Changing Nature: Understanding Anthropogenic Influence On Nature Along The River Thames From The Early Neolithic To The Middle Bronze Age
Research group
Centre for the Archaeology of Human Origins
Affiliate research groups
Osteoarchaeology, Human Evolution, Chronology, Dispersals and Lifeways
Dr Jaco WeinstockFaculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Southampton
Avenue Campus, Highfield
Southampton
SO17 1BF
United Kingdom
Room Number : 65/2201