Assoc ProfessorJessica Smyth

My research interests are firmly focused in piecing together daily life in prehistory. Early research focused on the settlement archaeology of the Irish Neolithic, in particular domestic architecture. To further explore aspects of daily life, I have moved into material culture studies and archaeological science, with my work at the University of Bristol yielding important data on early dairying and prehistoric farming in general. The success of this molecular-level approach has led to an interest in developing micro-analytical toolkits to tap the potential of low visibility, poorly-preserved archaeological sites, such as those along the Atlantic Façade. This is the focus of my current project 'Passage Tomb People: investigating the social drivers of passage tomb construction' (IRC Laureate 2018-2022). As editor of the Bend of the Boyne World Heritage Site Research Framework, I also remain deeply interested in the heritage-led regeneration of this area and of connected sites in Britain and Atlantic Europe.