Jennifer Harland

Dr. Jennifer Harland is a part-time academic at the Archaeology Institute, University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), specializing in zooarchaeology and biomolecular methods. She holds a BSc in Archaeological Science (2000) and an MSc in Archaeological Information Systems (2001) from the University of York, followed by a PhD (2000s) on Viking Age to Medieval Scottish zooarchaeology. Her research focuses on North Atlantic fish remains, combining traditional and biomolecular techniques. She has contributed to projects like the Leverhulme-funded 'Medieval Origins of Commercial Sea Fishing' and post-doctoral work on ZooMS (zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry). Her teaching includes modules on biomolecular archaeology, digital heritage, and North Atlantic studies. Her work bridges archaeological science with historical ecology and marine conservation.

• Education:
• BSc Archaeological Science, University of York (2000)
• MSc Archaeological Information Systems, University of York (2001)
• PhD in Viking Age/Scottish zooarchaeology (York, 2000s)
• Research Interests:
• Zooarchaeology of North Atlantic fish remains
• Biomolecular methods (ZooMS, isotope analysis)
• Historical ecology and marine conservation
• Digital heritage and archaeological informatics
• Key Contributions:
• Co-developed ZooMS methodology for fish bone identification
• Lead analyst on Quoygrew excavations (Orkney)
• Authored/co-authored over 14 peer-reviewed publications

Her recent publications (2019-2010) emphasize the origins of aquaculture, fish palaeopathology, and medieval cod trade networks. She collaborates with institutions like the McDonald Institute (Cambridge) and York’s BioArCh lab. Her part-time role at UHI allows her to balance academic work with family commitments.