Address:
Department of Archaeology and History, University of Exeter
Laver Building, North Park Road, Exeter, EX4 4QE, United Kingdom
Email:
Dr Alexander Pryor
I’m a Senior Lecturer in Prehistoric Archaeology Department of Archaeology, University of Exeter. I am a specialist in isotopic analysis of archaeological remains with a particular focus on the Palaeolithic and later prehistoric periods. My research uses isotope analysis of archaeological teeth and bones to investigate diet and seasonal mobility of past humans and animals (focusing on the elements carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, oxygen and strontium). I use this to explore human-animal interactions and how these have varied through time spanning from the Palaeolithic to the present-day, with a particular interest in woolly mammoth, horses and reindeer. I also use dental cementum analysis to reconstruct age and season of death of animal prey, and has previously studied charred remains of plants consumed for food (parencyma).
I lead the project elements using strontium and carbonate oxygen isotope analysis of tooth enamel to reconstruct seasonal mobility patterns of woolly mammoth. These analyses will reveal whether mammoth moved predictably on seasonal timescales along specific routes, or showed a more irregular and unpredictable mobility pattern. The project will particularly assess inter- and intra-site variability of mammoth mobility patterns, compare mammoth found in archaeological and purely palaeontological assemblages, as well as looking for any age and sex-specific patterning that may be present.
I supervise the PhD student Amy Horn who is also responsible for delivering this element of the MAMBA project.
I completed my undergraduate, masters and PhD research programmes at the University of Cambridge (UK) specialising in the application of stable isotopes to Palaeolithic faunal remains to reconstruct aspects of climate, as well as human and animal diets. After completing my PhD in 2011 I worked in several roles, including with the Access Cambridge Archaeology team led by Carenza Lewis, delivering test pitting experiences for school children across East Anglia, and a project investigating charred remains of Palaeolithic plant foods led by Prof. Martin Jones. Then I moved to the University of Southampton to take up a post-doctoral position with Prof. Clive Gamble and Prof. Alistair Pike looking for evidence of Palaeolithic food storage, before moving to the University of Exeter in 2017 to take up a Lectureship in Prehistoric Archaeology. Since joining Exeter I have continued to use isotope analysis to investigate diets and seasonal mobility patterns in humans and animals, and is involved in projects chronologically spanning from the Palaeolithic to medieval periods.