6th Meeting of the 187th Session (2007-2008)
In the Augustine United Church
41 George IV Bridge
Edinburgh, EH1 1EL
On Monday 24th March 2008, at 7pm
Recent discoveries, and the 'appliance of science', have caused us to re-think many of our ideas about the prehistoric inhabitants of Scotland. This lecture will summarise the results of several major national and international research projects that are currently underway and will include results of the lecturer's own research. Advances in radiocarbon dating mean that we have a much better idea of what happened when, and isotopic analyses of human remains are giving us new insights into prehistoric diet and patterns of mobility. Artefact analyses, and DNA and other studies of prehistoric animals, are helping to flesh out a fascinating picture telling us of long-distance movements of objects, people and animals, and of sophisticated and well-connected communities.
Dr Sheridan is Head of Early Prehistory at National Museums Scotland, a Vice-President of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, a member of the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel, Curatorial Adviser to Bute Museum, Secretary of the Implement Petrology Group, Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh and UK and Ireland Co-ordinator for 'Programme JADE'. She is also on the Editorial Committee for the Prehistoric Society, a member of the Editorial Advisory Group for the journal 'Antiquity', and External Examiner in Archaeology for Bradford University. Her work with NMS has included curatorial input into the Early People Gallery of the (formerly-named) Museum of Scotland, and she was Lead Curator of the Millennium exhibition 'Heaven and Hell - and Other Worlds of the Dead'. She is currently Lead Curator for the forthcoming 'Treasured' exhibition, opening 2008 in the National Museum of Scotland. She has published extensively on the Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Bronze Age of Scotland (and the rest of Britain) and Ireland.
The Royal Scottish Society of Arts is Registered Scottish Charity SC015549