معرفی
Professor Karen Hardy is a leading scholar in prehistoric archaeology, specializing in early human interactions with plants, environments, and technologies. Currently based at the University of Glasgow, she previously held the ICREA Research Professorship (2008–2022) and was awarded an ERC Advanced Grant (2022) for her project on pre-agricultural plant use. Her research integrates archaeology, ethnography, and experimental methods to explore topics like Mesolithic coastal adaptations, dental calculus analysis, and Neanderthal diets.
Education: PhD in Archaeology (1993, UCL). Key roles include leading the Scotland’s First Settlers project (1998–2004) and co-editing volumes on coastal archaeology and plant use. Her work bridges prehistoric subsistence strategies, environmental change, and cultural innovation.
Research focuses on plant utilization (food, medicine, tools), Mesolithic subsistence, and submerged landscapes. Notable findings include evidence for medicinal plant use in Neanderthals and seaweed consumption in ancient Europe. Her ERC-funded project examines plants' social and genetic roles before agriculture.
Publications span 75+ articles, including landmark studies on dental calculus, shell middens, and starch analysis. Awards include the EU Marie Curie Fellowship (2005) and UKRI ERC replacement funding (2022). She collaborates globally, with fieldwork in Scotland, Senegal, and the Near East.
Grants: ERC Advanced Grant (€2.5m), UKRI funding, and Marie Curie Fellowship. Active in academic leadership, including journal editing and conference organization. Her work highlights interdisciplinary approaches to understanding human-environment interactions.
