The McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research is a research institute of the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

History

The institute was established in 1990 through a benefaction from the late Dr

Daniel McLean McDonald Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength"), ...

, a successful industrialist: the endowment totalled approximately £11 million. McDonald (1905 – 1991) was founder and chairman of the BSR Group, manufacturers of record turntables and record changers. The benefaction enabled the University to construct purpose-built premises for the Institute which include research rooms and laboratories, together with storage space, a seminar room and a modest library.

Mission and purpose

The Institute provides support for Cambridge-based researchers in the various branches of

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landsc ...

, with a particular interest in the archaeology of early

human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, cultu ...

cognition Cognition refers to "the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses". It encompasses all aspects of intellectual functions and processes such as: perception, attention, though ...

. The Institute emphasises the value of archaeological science, and contains laboratories for

geoarchaeology Geoarchaeology is a multi-disciplinary approach which uses the techniques and subject matter of geography, geology, geophysics and other Earth sciences to examine topics which inform archaeological knowledge and thought. Geoarchaeologists study ...

archaeozoology Zooarchaeology (sometimes called archaeozoology), also known as faunal analysis, is a branch of archaeology that studies remains of animals from archaeological sites. Faunal remains are the items left behind when an animal dies. These include bon ...

archaeobotany Paleoethnobotany (also spelled palaeoethnobotany), or archaeobotany, is the study of past human-plant interactions through the recovery and analysis of ancient plant remains. Both terms are synonymous, though paleoethnobotany (from the Greek words ...

, and artefact analysis. The extensive faunal remains collection of the Department of Archaeology is now based within the McDonald Institute and a corresponding reference collection of plant remains is being assembled. There are also research rooms for post-excavation work on major field projects. The institute is primarily a centre for post-doctoral research though it does provide facilities for a number of PhD students whose research fits within existing McDonald Institute themes. In addition to providing space for projects and researchers, the McDonald Institute also has an annual programme of grants for Cambridge-based projects, and an active publications division which produces the McDonald Institute Monograph series and the twice-yearly ''

Cambridge Archaeological Journal The ''Cambridge Archaeological Journal'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal for cognitive and symbolic archaeology published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. It was established in 19 ...

''.

Notable people

Roger Bland Roger Farrant Bland, (born 3 April 1955) is a British curator and numismatist. At the British Museum, he served as Keeper of the Department of Portable Antiquities and Treasure from 2005 to 2013, Keeper of the Department of Prehistory and Europ ...

, Senior Fellow since 2015 *

Cyprian Broodbank Cyprian Broodbank, (born 26 December 1964) is a British archaeologist and academic. Since October 2014, he has been Disney Professor of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge and director of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research ...

, Director since October 2014 *

Norman Hammond Norman Hammond (born 10 July 1944) is a British archaeologist, academic and Mesoamericanist scholar, noted for his publications and research on the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. Career Hammond was educated at Peterhouse, Cambridge. He held ac ...

, Senior Fellow * Mei Jianjun, Fellow * David Oates, Fellow from 1997 to 2004 *

Joan Oates Joan Louise Oates, FBA (''née'' Lines; born 6 May 1928) is an American archaeologist and academic, specialising in the Ancient Near East. From 1971 to 1995, she was a fellow and tutor of Girton College, Cambridge and a lecturer at the University ...

, Senior Research Fellow since 1995 *

Colin Renfrew Andrew Colin Renfrew, Baron Renfrew of Kaimsthorn, (born 25 July 1937) is a British archaeologist, paleolinguist and Conservative peer noted for his work on radiocarbon dating, the prehistory of languages, archaeogenetics, neuroarchaeology, ...

, Director from 1990 to 2004, Senior Fellow since 2004 * Jane Renfrew, Senior Fellow * Chris Scarre, Deputy Director from 1990 to 2005 *

Anthony Snodgrass Anthony McElrea Snodgrass FBA (born 7 July 1934) is an academic and archaeologist noted for his work on Archaic Greece. Biography Born to William McElrea and Kathleen (Owen) Snodgrass, he gained his M.A. and D.Phil in 1963. He is Emeritus Profes ...

, Senior Fellow *

Simon Stoddart Simon Stoddart, FSA is a British archaeologist, prehistorian, and academic. He is a Reader in Prehistory at the University of Cambridge, a Fellow of Magdalene College, Cambridge, and the acting Deputy Director of the McDonald Institute for Archa ...

, Acting Deputy Director from 2014 to 2017

References

External links

McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research website
{{authority control Educational institutions established in 1990 Archaeological Research, McDonald Institute for Archaeological research institutes Research institutes in Cambridge Research institutes established in 1990 1990 establishments in the United Kingdom