معرفی
Benjamin Elliott is a Lecturer in Archaeology at the Archaeology Institute, Orkney College UHI (University of the Highlands and Islands), where he has been teaching since September 2021. He is an Early Prehistorian specializing in hunter-gatherer communities of Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Northern Europe.
His educational background includes a BA in Archaeology (2007) and an MA in Mesolithic Studies (2008), both from the University of York, followed by a PhD in 2012 on Antlerworking practices in Mesolithic Britain under Dr. Nicky Milner's supervision. His doctoral work involved traceological analysis of antler artifacts from Mesolithic sites across Britain, including participation in excavations at Star Carr in the Vale of Pickering.
Elliott's research spans multiple interconnected areas including traceological analysis of artifacts, Mesolithic soundscapes and sensory experiences, axe-making traditions of Northwest Europe, and critically examining colonial frameworks in Mesolithic archaeology. His work frequently employs interdisciplinary approaches, combining archaeological analysis with sound art, experimental methods, and critical theory.
His recent publications (2022-2025) reveal a strong trend toward decolonizing Mesolithic archaeology, with several influential papers challenging established frameworks and advocating for more ethical approaches to studying hunter-gatherer communities. His technical work on Mesolithic perforation technologies demonstrates continued engagement with material analysis and experimental methods.
- Government of Ireland IRC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (2017)
- AHRC funding for doctoral research on Antlerworking practices in Mesolithic Britain
Elliott currently serves as Principal Investigator for two major research projects: HEAR (Hunter-GathErer HeritAge in EuRope, 2023-2028) and Tarradale 2D Sampling (2023-2024). Previously, he was Co-Investigator on the Leverhulme-funded Unmasking Masks project (2019-2022) at Newcastle University. He actively collaborates with international scholars across Europe and has hosted numerous academic visitors. His professional activities include organizing workshops like Growing the MAGHR Group (2023) and participating in advisory committees such as the Sandhem Midden Excavation Advisory Committee.
Elliott maintains active involvement in both traditional archaeological research and innovative interdisciplinary projects exploring sensory experiences during the Mesolithic period, including his co-founding of the Sonic Horizons of the Mesolithic project.
