Dissertation on Mesolithic man and boar interaction wins Prehistoric Society acclaim

The Department of Classics, Ancient History, Archaeology and Egyptology (CAHAE) is delighted to announce that recent Archaeology and Anthropology graduate Kate MacLachlan has been awarded runner-up in the Prehistoric Society’s Undergraduate Dissertation of the Year competition.

Supervised by Dr Nick Overton, this research explored British Mesolithic hunter-gatherers and wild boar, through a detailed synthesis of animal bone assemblages and a highly original exploration of human-animal interactions and relationships.

Kate's dissertation research was inspired by her pet pigs which led her to develop an interest in their Mesolithic relative, the wild boar. She noticed that there was a lack of information on Mesolithic wild boar and how humans would have interacted with this intelligent and often dangerous species.

Her research found that frequent interactions during this time between humans and wild boar would have made them highly aware of each other's behaviour and individuality. She also focused on how wild boar would have been difficult and often deadly to hunt, which has often been overlooked within archaeology.

Everyone in CAHAE extends their warmest congratulations to Kate - very well done!