James H. Barrett

James H. Barrett is a Professor of Medieval and Environmental Archaeology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and a Senior Fellow at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge. His work bridges archaeology, environmental history, and biomolecular analysis.

• Key affiliations: NTNU (Professor), Cambridge (Senior Fellow)
• Research themes: Human Palaeoecology, Zooarchaeology, Biomolecular Archaeology
• Geographic focus: Britain, Europe, Arctic Norway, Iceland, Greenland

Barrett specializes in medieval trade networks, ecological globalization, and Norse colonization. His methodologies integrate ancient DNA, stable isotopes, and zooarchaeological analysis to study resource exploitation, animal burials, and climate impacts on human activity.

Recent publications (2020-2022) highlight walrus ivory trade in medieval Europe, Arctic cod sourcing for Viking Age settlements, and ice patch archaeology in Norway. Earlier work (2011-2015) examines fish trade globalization, butter economies, and prehistoric eel distribution.

His research has implications for sustainable fisheries, heritage conservation, and understanding resource depletion in historical contexts. Collaborations span institutions like the British Geological Survey, University of Aberdeen, and University of York.