Aimée Little
Biographic Data
| ID | 146381 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Aimée Little |
| GIVEN NAMES | Aimée |
| FAMILY NAME | Little |
| SIGNATURE | LITTLE A |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of York |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-4713-4260 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 26 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 69 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 26 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2009 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Identity, Gender, and Power: Life Histories of Personal Ornaments, Stone Tools, and Other Artefacts
The study of past material culture and related practices can be insightful for exploring the construction of past identities. Approaches employed to explore the production and negotiation of identity in the archaeological record rely on a broad range of cultural proxies. However, the funerary record is most commonly used to address questions of gender, identity, and to reconstruct social organization. In this chapter, recent conceptual, theoretic…
Craftwell: A feasibility and acceptability study of outdoor heritage crafting for wellbeing and mental health
Background: There has been increasing interest in creativity, heritage and nature to improve health-related outcomes. However, limited research has examined the intersection of heritage crafting in the context of natural spaces. This study aims to explore the feasibility and acceptability of an archaeologically informed outdoor heritage crafting intervention. Methods: A mixed-methods single group before and after feasibility study was conducted. …
Skaill knives from the Ness of Brodgar: An experimental pilot study exploring their potential for functional and technological analysis
This paper presents the results of a pilot study exploring the biographies of Skaill knives from the Neolithic site of Ness of Brodgar (UK). Skaill knives are large sandstone flakes made from beach cobbles. We present an experimental study in which we replicated and used Skaill knives. A selection of ten archaeological Skaill knives was subjected to a detailed technological and functional analysis. Functional analysis of the experimental and arch…
At the cutting edge: Biographies of Orcadian Neolithic axes
Polished stone axes are one of the most iconic types of tools of Europe’s first farmers. Despite their ubiquity, we know relatively little about how they were used. Here, the authors outline how macroscopic wear analysis is revealing diversity in the use and treatment of axe-heads from Neolithic Orkney
First stage in technological production of Stone Age animal teeth pendants: Evidence from Zvejnieki (Latvia) and wider social implications
Animal teeth were amongst the most common materials utilised for personal ornament production during the Stone Age, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. The hunter-gatherer cemetery site of Zvejnieki (Latvia) (7500-2500 cal. BC) is a clear example of this, with more than 2000 animal teeth excavated from grave contexts. Animal tooth pendants from the site have received significant scholarly attention, largely focusing on their faunal identificat…
Photogrammetric 3D modelling and experimental archaeology reveals new technological insights into engraved soapstone sinker production in Western Norway (6400-3300 cal. BC)
Potential and limitations of adhesive identification on museum curated metal objects
Potential to identify ancient adhesives on museum-curated metal objects. • Chemical identifications demonstrate exploitation of various adhesive materials. • Wax related conservation treatments may cause limitations in adhesive interpretation. • Iron age objects highlight combined material technologies or réseaux opératoires . In Europe, adhesives were produced and employed from the Middle Palaeolithic onwards. In the earlier periods, adhesives w…
Artefact Biographies from Mesolithic and Neolithic Europe and Beyond: Papers in Honour of Professor Annelou Van Gijn
Chemical analyses reveal dual functionality of Early Mesolithic birch tar at Krzyż Wielkopolski (Poland)
Birch bark tar played an important role as an adhesive in the European Middle Palaeolithic and Mesolithic with key practical functions. For the Mesolithic in northern Europe, tar is suggested to have a variety of functions, including decorative, on various artefacts such as amber beads, antler and bone objects. However, no chemical characterisation has been conducted to confirm the organic composition of such decorations. To address this gap, we …
What are lithic ontologies
Sentient beings? Rethinking the meaning of stone in mesolithic burials and beyond
Material and Sensory Experiences of Mesolithic Resinous Substances
Mesolithic resinous adhesives are well known for their role as hafting mastic within composite technologies, yet it is increasingly clear that their usage was more diverse than this. Birch-bark tar has been recovered from Mesolithic contexts as chewed lumps linked to medicinal treatment of toothache and oral diseases, and as a decorative element on ornaments and art objects; and an amorphous resinous substance possibly derived from pine or spruce…
An experimental study of wet-cooking in organic vessels: Implications for Understanding the Evolution of Cooking Technologies
The ability to control and direct fire is a major evolutionary step in the human story. The development of aceramic cooking technologies is less well understood as they rarely survive in the archaeological record. However, inferential evidence such as fire-cracked rocks, earthen pits and heated bones suggest a variety of cooking methods were used prior to the invention of ceramics. Yet there is a paucity of experimental evidence testing the effic…
Flint awls at the Mesolithic site of Star Carr: Understanding tool use through integrated methods
The form and macroscopic wear of Mesolithic awls has been used to infer function, which has become an aspect of established typologies. However, verification of form/function relationships are needed to ensure typologies are robust. This paper presents the results of GIS and microwear analysis of 54 flint awls excavated from the Early Mesolithic site of Star Carr, UK, in conjunction with results from experimental research on awl use. Results expa…
Understanding the bone and antler assemblages from Star Carr
No pottery at the western periphery of Europe: Why was the Final Mesolithic of Britain and Ireland aceramic
The past decade has witnessed an intensification of research into the use of pottery by hunter-gatherers. Long viewed by Western scholars as a marginal practice among these groups, pottery production is now known to have been widespread among prehistoric hunter-gatherers, many of whom practised no other activities associated with agriculture. In emphasising the centrality of ceramics to these communities, however, we risk marginalising those who …
H.a.r.p: Investigating Mesolithic landscapes of life and death at the western edge of Europe
Introduction: A Social History of the Irish and British Mesolithic
A Social History of the Irish and British Mesolithic, brings together a generation of researchers working on the Mesolithic of Ireland and Britain in a series of collaborative papers.The impetus for this was the Mesolithic Britain and Ireland: 10 Years On session, held at the 2014 Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference in Manchester, UK, and chaired by Chantal Conneller and Graeme Warren.The aim of the session was to reflect on 10 years o…
Being Ritual in Mesolithic Britain and Ireland: Identifying Ritual Behaviour Within an Ephemeral Material Record
Acceptance of ritual as a valid interpretation of Mesolithic behaviour has slowly emerged over the past decade; the ‘silly season’ heralded by Mellars (Antiquity 83:502–517, 2009) has not materialised, though in Ireland and Britain difficulties persist in defining what might constitute ‘ritual’ away from the graveside. New discoveries from both the development-led and academic sectors enable Mesolithic archaeologists to better establish which ele…
Stone Dead: Uncovering Early Mesolithic Mortuary Rites, Hermitage, Ireland
In Europe, cremation as a burial practice is often associated with the Bronze Age, but examples of cremated human remains are in fact known from the Palaeolithic onwards. Unlike conventional inhumation, cremation destroys most of the evidence we can use to reconstruct the biography of the buried individual. Remarkably, in Ireland, cremation is used for the earliest recorded human burial and grave assemblage (7530–7320 bc ) located on the banks of…
Tools, use wear and experimentation: Extracting Plants From Stone and Bone
Scales of analysis: Evidence of fish and fish processing at Star Carr
Lithic Residue Survival and Characterisation at Star Carr: A burial experiment
A modern burial experiment was devised to test microscopic residue survival in acidic peat and slightly acidic clay soils at the Early Mesolithic site of Star Carr (North Yorkshire, UK), and at nearby control location. The experiment addresses concerns regarding the applicability of residue analysis in varied burial environments, and particularly in highly acidic archaeological conditions. Flint flakes (n= 78, including blank controls) were used …
A Unique Engraved Shale Pendant from the Site of Star Carr: The oldest Mesolithic art in Britain
In 2015 an engraved shale pendant was found during excavations at the Early Mesolithic site of Star Carr, UK. Engraved motifs on Mesolithic pendants are extremely rare, with the exception of amber pendants from southern Scandinavia. The artwork on the pendant is the earliest known Mesolithic art in Britain; the 'barbed line' motif is comparable to styles on the Continent, particularly in Denmark. When it was first uncovered the lines were barely …
Clonava Island revisited: A story of cooking, plants and re-occupation during the Irish Late Mesolithic
Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy: Archaeology, Culture, History, Literature - Volume 114C, 2014
Lithic Residue Survival and Characterisation at Star Carr: A burial experiment
A modern burial experiment was devised to test microscopic residue survival in acidic peat and slightly acidic clay soils at the Early Mesolithic site of Star Carr (North Yorkshire, UK), and at nearby control location. The experiment addresses concerns regarding the applicability of residue analysis in varied burial environments, and particularly in highly acidic archaeological conditions. Flint flakes (n= 78, including blank controls) were used …
Being Ritual in Mesolithic Britain and Ireland: Identifying Ritual Behaviour Within an Ephemeral Material Record
Acceptance of ritual as a valid interpretation of Mesolithic behaviour has slowly emerged over the past decade; the ‘silly season’ heralded by Mellars (Antiquity 83:502–517, 2009) has not materialised, though in Ireland and Britain difficulties persist in defining what might constitute ‘ritual’ away from the graveside. New discoveries from both the development-led and academic sectors enable Mesolithic archaeologists to better establish which ele…
A Unique Engraved Shale Pendant from the Site of Star Carr: The oldest Mesolithic art in Britain
In 2015 an engraved shale pendant was found during excavations at the Early Mesolithic site of Star Carr, UK. Engraved motifs on Mesolithic pendants are extremely rare, with the exception of amber pendants from southern Scandinavia. The artwork on the pendant is the earliest known Mesolithic art in Britain; the 'barbed line' motif is comparable to styles on the Continent, particularly in Denmark. When it was first uncovered the lines were barely …
Stone Dead: Uncovering Early Mesolithic Mortuary Rites, Hermitage, Ireland
In Europe, cremation as a burial practice is often associated with the Bronze Age, but examples of cremated human remains are in fact known from the Palaeolithic onwards. Unlike conventional inhumation, cremation destroys most of the evidence we can use to reconstruct the biography of the buried individual. Remarkably, in Ireland, cremation is used for the earliest recorded human burial and grave assemblage (7530–7320 bc ) located on the banks of…
A late Mesolithic lithic scatter from Corralanna, Co. Westmeath, and its place in the Mesolithic landscape of the Irish Midlands
This report discusses a surface collection of late Mesolithic date from Corralanna, Co. Westmeath. The site, which was discovered after peat extraction in 1999, is characterised by a lithic assemblage comprised almost exclusively of chert, two axes, some coarse stone tools and a small range of organic finds including uncarbonised hazelnut shells. This discussion reviews the material from Corralanna, with an especial emphasis on the character of t…
Material and Sensory Experiences of Mesolithic Resinous Substances
Mesolithic resinous adhesives are well known for their role as hafting mastic within composite technologies, yet it is increasingly clear that their usage was more diverse than this. Birch-bark tar has been recovered from Mesolithic contexts as chewed lumps linked to medicinal treatment of toothache and oral diseases, and as a decorative element on ornaments and art objects; and an amorphous resinous substance possibly derived from pine or spruce…
No pottery at the western periphery of Europe: Why was the Final Mesolithic of Britain and Ireland aceramic
The past decade has witnessed an intensification of research into the use of pottery by hunter-gatherers. Long viewed by Western scholars as a marginal practice among these groups, pottery production is now known to have been widespread among prehistoric hunter-gatherers, many of whom practised no other activities associated with agriculture. In emphasising the centrality of ceramics to these communities, however, we risk marginalising those who …
An experimental study of wet-cooking in organic vessels: Implications for Understanding the Evolution of Cooking Technologies
The ability to control and direct fire is a major evolutionary step in the human story. The development of aceramic cooking technologies is less well understood as they rarely survive in the archaeological record. However, inferential evidence such as fire-cracked rocks, earthen pits and heated bones suggest a variety of cooking methods were used prior to the invention of ceramics. Yet there is a paucity of experimental evidence testing the effic…
Introduction: A Social History of the Irish and British Mesolithic
A Social History of the Irish and British Mesolithic, brings together a generation of researchers working on the Mesolithic of Ireland and Britain in a series of collaborative papers.The impetus for this was the Mesolithic Britain and Ireland: 10 Years On session, held at the 2014 Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference in Manchester, UK, and chaired by Chantal Conneller and Graeme Warren.The aim of the session was to reflect on 10 years o…
Chemical analyses reveal dual functionality of Early Mesolithic birch tar at Krzyż Wielkopolski (Poland)
Birch bark tar played an important role as an adhesive in the European Middle Palaeolithic and Mesolithic with key practical functions. For the Mesolithic in northern Europe, tar is suggested to have a variety of functions, including decorative, on various artefacts such as amber beads, antler and bone objects. However, no chemical characterisation has been conducted to confirm the organic composition of such decorations. To address this gap, we …
What are lithic ontologies
Sentient beings? Rethinking the meaning of stone in mesolithic burials and beyond
Flint awls at the Mesolithic site of Star Carr: Understanding tool use through integrated methods
The form and macroscopic wear of Mesolithic awls has been used to infer function, which has become an aspect of established typologies. However, verification of form/function relationships are needed to ensure typologies are robust. This paper presents the results of GIS and microwear analysis of 54 flint awls excavated from the Early Mesolithic site of Star Carr, UK, in conjunction with results from experimental research on awl use. Results expa…
Scales of analysis: Evidence of fish and fish processing at Star Carr
A late Mesolithic lithic scatter from Corralanna, Co. Westmeath, and its place in the Mesolithic landscape of the Irish Midlands
This report discusses a surface collection of late Mesolithic date from Corralanna, Co. Westmeath. The site, which was discovered after peat extraction in 1999, is characterised by a lithic assemblage comprised almost exclusively of chert, two axes, some coarse stone tools and a small range of organic finds including uncarbonised hazelnut shells. This discussion reviews the material from Corralanna, with an especial emphasis on the character of t…
Clonava Island revisited: A story of cooking, plants and re-occupation during the Irish Late Mesolithic
Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy: Archaeology, Culture, History, Literature - Volume 114C, 2014
Tools, use wear and experimentation: Extracting Plants From Stone and Bone
Scales of analysis: Evidence of fish and fish processing at Star Carr
Lithic Residue Survival and Characterisation at Star Carr: A burial experiment
A modern burial experiment was devised to test microscopic residue survival in acidic peat and slightly acidic clay soils at the Early Mesolithic site of Star Carr (North Yorkshire, UK), and at nearby control location. The experiment addresses concerns regarding the applicability of residue analysis in varied burial environments, and particularly in highly acidic archaeological conditions. Flint flakes (n= 78, including blank controls) were used …
A Unique Engraved Shale Pendant from the Site of Star Carr: The oldest Mesolithic art in Britain
In 2015 an engraved shale pendant was found during excavations at the Early Mesolithic site of Star Carr, UK. Engraved motifs on Mesolithic pendants are extremely rare, with the exception of amber pendants from southern Scandinavia. The artwork on the pendant is the earliest known Mesolithic art in Britain; the 'barbed line' motif is comparable to styles on the Continent, particularly in Denmark. When it was first uncovered the lines were barely …
Stone Dead: Uncovering Early Mesolithic Mortuary Rites, Hermitage, Ireland
In Europe, cremation as a burial practice is often associated with the Bronze Age, but examples of cremated human remains are in fact known from the Palaeolithic onwards. Unlike conventional inhumation, cremation destroys most of the evidence we can use to reconstruct the biography of the buried individual. Remarkably, in Ireland, cremation is used for the earliest recorded human burial and grave assemblage (7530–7320 bc ) located on the banks of…
Introduction: A Social History of the Irish and British Mesolithic
A Social History of the Irish and British Mesolithic, brings together a generation of researchers working on the Mesolithic of Ireland and Britain in a series of collaborative papers.The impetus for this was the Mesolithic Britain and Ireland: 10 Years On session, held at the 2014 Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference in Manchester, UK, and chaired by Chantal Conneller and Graeme Warren.The aim of the session was to reflect on 10 years o…
Being Ritual in Mesolithic Britain and Ireland: Identifying Ritual Behaviour Within an Ephemeral Material Record
Acceptance of ritual as a valid interpretation of Mesolithic behaviour has slowly emerged over the past decade; the ‘silly season’ heralded by Mellars (Antiquity 83:502–517, 2009) has not materialised, though in Ireland and Britain difficulties persist in defining what might constitute ‘ritual’ away from the graveside. New discoveries from both the development-led and academic sectors enable Mesolithic archaeologists to better establish which ele…
H.a.r.p: Investigating Mesolithic landscapes of life and death at the western edge of Europe
Understanding the bone and antler assemblages from Star Carr
No pottery at the western periphery of Europe: Why was the Final Mesolithic of Britain and Ireland aceramic
The past decade has witnessed an intensification of research into the use of pottery by hunter-gatherers. Long viewed by Western scholars as a marginal practice among these groups, pottery production is now known to have been widespread among prehistoric hunter-gatherers, many of whom practised no other activities associated with agriculture. In emphasising the centrality of ceramics to these communities, however, we risk marginalising those who …
Flint awls at the Mesolithic site of Star Carr: Understanding tool use through integrated methods
The form and macroscopic wear of Mesolithic awls has been used to infer function, which has become an aspect of established typologies. However, verification of form/function relationships are needed to ensure typologies are robust. This paper presents the results of GIS and microwear analysis of 54 flint awls excavated from the Early Mesolithic site of Star Carr, UK, in conjunction with results from experimental research on awl use. Results expa…
Material and Sensory Experiences of Mesolithic Resinous Substances
Mesolithic resinous adhesives are well known for their role as hafting mastic within composite technologies, yet it is increasingly clear that their usage was more diverse than this. Birch-bark tar has been recovered from Mesolithic contexts as chewed lumps linked to medicinal treatment of toothache and oral diseases, and as a decorative element on ornaments and art objects; and an amorphous resinous substance possibly derived from pine or spruce…
An experimental study of wet-cooking in organic vessels: Implications for Understanding the Evolution of Cooking Technologies
The ability to control and direct fire is a major evolutionary step in the human story. The development of aceramic cooking technologies is less well understood as they rarely survive in the archaeological record. However, inferential evidence such as fire-cracked rocks, earthen pits and heated bones suggest a variety of cooking methods were used prior to the invention of ceramics. Yet there is a paucity of experimental evidence testing the effic…
Artefact Biographies from Mesolithic and Neolithic Europe and Beyond: Papers in Honour of Professor Annelou Van Gijn
Chemical analyses reveal dual functionality of Early Mesolithic birch tar at Krzyż Wielkopolski (Poland)
Birch bark tar played an important role as an adhesive in the European Middle Palaeolithic and Mesolithic with key practical functions. For the Mesolithic in northern Europe, tar is suggested to have a variety of functions, including decorative, on various artefacts such as amber beads, antler and bone objects. However, no chemical characterisation has been conducted to confirm the organic composition of such decorations. To address this gap, we …
What are lithic ontologies
Sentient beings? Rethinking the meaning of stone in mesolithic burials and beyond
Identity, Gender, and Power: Life Histories of Personal Ornaments, Stone Tools, and Other Artefacts
The study of past material culture and related practices can be insightful for exploring the construction of past identities. Approaches employed to explore the production and negotiation of identity in the archaeological record rely on a broad range of cultural proxies. However, the funerary record is most commonly used to address questions of gender, identity, and to reconstruct social organization. In this chapter, recent conceptual, theoretic…
Craftwell: A feasibility and acceptability study of outdoor heritage crafting for wellbeing and mental health
Background: There has been increasing interest in creativity, heritage and nature to improve health-related outcomes. However, limited research has examined the intersection of heritage crafting in the context of natural spaces. This study aims to explore the feasibility and acceptability of an archaeologically informed outdoor heritage crafting intervention. Methods: A mixed-methods single group before and after feasibility study was conducted. …
Skaill knives from the Ness of Brodgar: An experimental pilot study exploring their potential for functional and technological analysis
This paper presents the results of a pilot study exploring the biographies of Skaill knives from the Neolithic site of Ness of Brodgar (UK). Skaill knives are large sandstone flakes made from beach cobbles. We present an experimental study in which we replicated and used Skaill knives. A selection of ten archaeological Skaill knives was subjected to a detailed technological and functional analysis. Functional analysis of the experimental and arch…
At the cutting edge: Biographies of Orcadian Neolithic axes
Polished stone axes are one of the most iconic types of tools of Europe’s first farmers. Despite their ubiquity, we know relatively little about how they were used. Here, the authors outline how macroscopic wear analysis is revealing diversity in the use and treatment of axe-heads from Neolithic Orkney
First stage in technological production of Stone Age animal teeth pendants: Evidence from Zvejnieki (Latvia) and wider social implications
Animal teeth were amongst the most common materials utilised for personal ornament production during the Stone Age, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. The hunter-gatherer cemetery site of Zvejnieki (Latvia) (7500-2500 cal. BC) is a clear example of this, with more than 2000 animal teeth excavated from grave contexts. Animal tooth pendants from the site have received significant scholarly attention, largely focusing on their faunal identificat…
Photogrammetric 3D modelling and experimental archaeology reveals new technological insights into engraved soapstone sinker production in Western Norway (6400-3300 cal. BC)
Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (20 works) · Archaeology (19 works) · Geography (17 works) · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology (17 works) · Mesolithic (13 works) · History (9 works) · Biology (7 works) · Art (6 works) · Ecology (6 works) · History (6 works)