Quaternary Environments and Geoarchaeology (QEG)
RGS-IBG Conference 2006
MOBILITIES, CATCHMENTS, AND QUATERNARY LANDSCAPES: GEOGRAPHY, ARCHAEOLOGY, AND THE WORK OF E. S. HIGGS
The Quaternary has been a meeting point for geographers and archaeologists. This session explored the changing relationship between the disciplines over the last 50 years. In particular it assessed the contribution of Cambridge archaeologist E.S. Higgs. Higgs' innovative interdisciplinary work on the Palaeolithic record of Northwest Greece led to new ideas about prehistoric economy, human mobility and archaeological site catchments - with a strong appreciation of the need to consider the dynamics of the Quaternary landscape to provide an improved understanding of the human past. His fieldwork was conducted and published with geographers (Claudio Vita-Finzi) and in his excavation teams were students who would later revolutionise the study of the Quaternary (N.J. Shackleton). These joint approaches led to new research agendas and fresh perspectives on the value of a close relationship between the disciplines of geography and archaeology. Higgs' ideas have been expanded by the diaspora of students that he supervised and who now hold many academic positions both in the UK and around the world. Thirty years after his death, and as geography and archaeology move into new relationships through the scientific study of the Quaternary, this provided a timely moment to assess his legacy and see through current work how his ideas on mobilities, catchments and Quaternary landscapes have been developed and how a new agenda is being forged.
The Programme (pdf, 97KB)
Read a full list of papers and abstracts, (pdf, 41KB)
A report by Matt Grove
On the afternoon of Friday, September 1st a group of archaeologists and geographers gathered at the RGS-IBG Annual International Conference to honour the work of Cambridge Archaeologist Eric Higgs. The group, composed of Higgs' colleagues, students, and a number of other researchers whose work attests to his lasting influence, had convened to celebrate his legacy in the approach to the thirtieth anniversary of his death. The session began with a screening of the BBC's 1965 documentary 'The Springs of St. George', showing Higgs (and a number of those gathered) in the field in Epirus. This was followed by a total of ten papers covering aspects of Higgs' research and its modern applications. Geoff Bailey began by examining the expansion of the simple Red Deer-tracking transhumance model towards current multi-species, multi-site parallels. In a similar vein, Fiona Coward demonstrated the application of a GIS-based model of hunting paths from the site of Amalda, northern Spain. Clive Gamble traced the development of Higgs' palaeoeconomic approach through the New Geography of the 1960s, and Robin Dennell examined the use of site catchment analysis via a new synthesis of evidence from the early Palaeolithic of India. Methods developed from site catchment analysis were also employed by Graeme Barker in an analysis of rainforest exploitation at Niah Cave, Borneo; Matt Grove, in the reconstruction of hominin group sizes during the Oldowan and Acheulean phases at Olduvai; and John Bintliff, who suggested that a revitalized catchment analysis could, and should, survive the mauling afforded it by Post-Processualism.
Claudio Vita-Finzi treated us to some entertaining reminiscences about life on a Higgsian excavation and the development of the seminal Mount Carmel paper, whilst Jamie Woodward and Mike Morley outlined a method for reconstructing Quaternary change through techniques not available at those original excavations. Finally, David Harris examined another debate to which Higgs contributed greatly - that concerning the origins of agriculture - and concluded that criticisms raised by Higgs and Jarman of the hunter / agriculturalist dichotomy were well founded yet still often overlooked.
The opportunity to discuss Higgs' work in an informal academic setting was of profound value to all concerned, and was crowned by Helen Higgs' amusing explanation of the expedient genesis of site catchment analysis. There seems little doubt that Eric Higgs continues to influence many in the worlds of both archaeology and geography.
Session Speakers
- Graeme Barker
- Geoff Bailey
- John Bintliff
- Fiona Coward
- Robin Dennell
- Clive Gamble
- Matt Grove
- David Harris
- Mike Morley
- Claudio Vita-Finzi
- Jamie Woodward
Left to right: Neil Roberts, David Harris, Matt Grove, Clive Gamble, Graeme Barker, Helen Higgs, John Bintliff, Geoff Bailey, Jamie Woodward, Robin Dennell, Fiona Coward (Claudio Vita-Finzi missed the drinks!)
Clive Gamble and John Bintliff
Geoff Bailey and Helen Higgs
Fiona Coward and Matt Grove
David Harris and Neil Roberts
Helen Higgs and Robin Dennell
Geoff Bailey and Graeme Barker
Robin Dennell and Graeme Barker