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Gwendoline Maurer

Gwendoline Maurer

Teams and roles for Gwendoline Maurer

Overview

I am currently a Research Associate on the ENDURE project, working on the zooarchaeological and isotopic analysis of English Medieval animal bone assemblages.

Areas of interest:

  • Zooarchaeology
  • Isotope Ecogeochemistry
  • Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS)
  • Neolithic, Chalcolithic & Early Bronze Age of Southwest Asia

My research interests lie in the reconstruction of past subsistence and land-use strategies and thereby understand how past societies negotiated changes and challenges in their social, economic, and natural environment. For this, I extensively worked with and applied techniques such as Zooarchaeology, isotope analysis and ZooMS (Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry). 

My PhD research focused on the Kura-Araxes phenomena, which is an Early Bronze Age complex, spanning from the Caucasus, Eastern Anatolia, Northwestern Iran to the Levant. The presence of this phenomena in the Levant is thought to be the result of human migration and cross-cultural interaction. My project aimed to identify, characterise, and compare Kura-Araxes and Local Levantine animal-based subsistence strategies and thereby shed light on the nature of past cultural coexistence, mobility, and persistence in the Levant. 

By far the most enriching aspect of my research so far has been to be able to collaborate widely with researchers in the Levant, Caucasus, Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan and spend extensive time in the region carrying out fieldwork.

I have been awarded the Levant Summer Prize 2023 , Early Career Best Paper by the Council for British Research in the Levant (CBRL).

I am also the co-founder of the Caucasus Through Time Network (CTTN), an early career interdisciplinary network focused on organising monthly virtual seminars, panel discussions and managing an online literature repository. 

Publication

Research

  • Zooarchaeology, Biomarkers and Stable Isotope Analysis to address Human-Avian Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change in the Eastern Fertile Crescent (2024-Present).
    Collaborative research project between the Natural History Museum Tring (Judith White), the
    University of Reading (Prof Roger Matthews), Sulaimaniyah Antiquities Directorate in the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq (Kamal Rasheed Raheem) and University of Teheran (Prof
    Hassan Fazeli Nashli). This research focuses on the zooarchaeological & isotopic analysis of
    bird remains from the Neolithic transition in Iraqi Kurdistan & Iran. Contribution: Conceptualization, Data collection, Data analysis & Interpretation.
    • Establishing Kura-Araxes socio-economic practices in Azerbaijan: Continuity or Change?
    (2024-Present). Collaborative research project between The University of Oxford (Dr Narmin Ismayilova), Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit (Dr Rachel Wood), the National Environmental Isotope Facility (NEIF) and the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (Dr Safar Ashurov). This
    research focuses on creating a chronology for pastoral and architectural practices at the Early
    Bronze Age site of Maxta I, Nackhcivan. Contribution: Conceptualization, Data analysis,
    Data interpretation.
    • TRANSECArmenia Project (2023-Present). Collaborative research project between the Max
    Planck Institute of Geoanthropology (Dr Maryia Antonosyan). This research focuses on humananimal-environment interactions at Late Chalcolithic site of Yeghegis-1. Contribution: Data
    analysis, Visualization & Interpretation of the collagen and sequential stable isotope
    data.
    • Ash Tree Cave (2023-present). Collaborative research project between The Francis Crick
    Institute (Dr Helen Fewlass), Wogan Cavern (Dr Rob Dinnis) and UCL (Prof Rhiannon Stevens
    & Prof Louise Martin) and Sheffield Museum. This research focuses on the ZooMS analysis
    of the fragmented Palaeoloithic assemblage from Ash Tree Cave, UK. Contribution: Museum
    sampling, Sample selection for ZooMS & Taphonomic analysis.
    • Lowland Karabakh Research & Excavation Project (2022-Present). Collaborative research
    project between the German Archaeological Institute (Dr Mark Iserlis) and the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (Dr Khagani Almamedov). This project focuses on the Late Chalcotlihic Leylatepe phenomena of Janavartepe, Leylatepe and Sirinjeli in the Karabakh plain in
    Azerbaijan. Contribution: Fieldwork, Zooarchaeological analysis, Sequential stable isotope analysis (oxygen & carbon), Data analysis, Interpretation.
    • Maxta I Research & Excavation Project (2020-Present). Collaborative research project with
    Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (Dr Safar Ashurov). The research focuses on the
    Early Bronze Age site of Maxta I in Nackhcivan. Contribution: Zooarchaeological analysis,
    ZooMS analysis & Sequential stable isotope analysis.
  • Tel Qedesh Research & Excavation Project (2018-2024). Collaborative research project
    between the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Dr Uri Davidovitch) and the University of Durham
    (Dr Max Price). The research focuses on the development of Early Bronze Age urbanism in
    the Upper Galilee. Contribution: Fieldwork, Zooarchaeological analysis, Data analysis &
    Data interpretation.
    • Tel Yaqush Research & Excavation project (2018-Present).     Collaborative research project
    between the University of Pennsylvania (Dr Yael Rotem) and the German Archaeological Institute (Dr Mark Iserlis). The research focuses on Levantine urbanism and the Khirbet Kerak
    phenomena in the Levant. Contribution: Fieldwork, Zooarchaeological analysis, Data analysis & Data interpretation.
    • Tel Bet Yerah Research & Excavation Project (2016 - Present).     Collaborative research
    project between Tel Aviv University (Prof Rafi Greenberg). The research focuses on the Khirbet Kerak phenomena in the Levant. Contribution: Fieldwork, Zooarchaeological analysis,
    ZooMS, Sequential stable isotope analysis, Data analysis & Data interpretation.

Teaching

I am contributing to:

HST049 Biomolecular Archaeology

 

Biography

PhD (2018 – 2024)
University College London (UCL), UK
Funded by LAHP-AHRC
Thesis Title: Tracing 3rd Millennium BC Migrants to the Levant using Zooarchaeology, Stable Isotope Analysis, and ZooMS

MSc in Environmental Archaeology (2016 – 2017)
University College London (UCL), UK


BA in Archaeology & Anthropology (2013 – 2016)
University College London (UCL), UK

Academic positions

Research Associate, ENDURE Project
Cardiff University, UK
July 2024 – Present

Visiting Research Fellow
University of Reading, UK
May 2024 – Present

Postdoctoral Researcher, MENTICA Project
University of Reading, UK
September 2023 – May 2024

Contact Details

Email MaurerG@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone +44 29 2251 5017

Research themes

Specialisms

  • Zooarchaeology
  • Isotope Analysis
  • ZooMS