Mike Seager Thomas
Biographic Data
| ID | 4063704 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Mike Seager Thomas |
| GIVEN NAMES | Mike Seager |
| FAMILY NAME | Thomas |
| SIGNATURE | THOMAS M S |
| AFFILIATIONS | University College London |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4767-346X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 8 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 72 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 8 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2001 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2021 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Bronze Age Funerary and Later Prehistoric Activity at Badminston Farm, Fawley, Hampshire
Archaeological excavations were undertaken by Southern Archaeological Services Ltd. between 1999 and 2010 at Badminston Farm, Fawley, on the eastern edge of the New Forest, adjacent to Southampton Water. The excavations identified evidence of near- continuous human activity from the early prehistoric period to the present day. Mesolithic activity was followed by Early Bronze Age pits, containing 'placed' flint assemblages. Evidence of Bronze Age …
Imagining Polynesia
Rapa Nui’s prehistoric Polynesian heritage is iconic. From the later twentieth century the island’s economy has been dependent on the tourism its prehistory attracts. However, until recently there has been little link between the modern built environment of Rapa Nui and its prehistoric past. This article tracks how during the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the island’s traditional domestic architecture was supplanted first by colonial t…
Eroding Heritage
In the following we focus on, and briefly summarize, the work of the UCL Rapa Nui Landscapes of Construction Project (LOC) over the past two years, monitoring various aspects of erosion and weathering on the island (Table 1) and its impact on the Rapa Nui (Easter Island) heritage landscape. This work builds on and expands data collected during the British Academy (SG-47054) and AHRC (AH/1002596/1) funded phases of LOC (previously discussed and at…
Stone use and avoidance on Easter Island
The paper presents new observations on the use and avoidance of different red scoria rocks on Easter Island (Rapa Nui), made during fieldwork. It describes the different facies of the rock, their origins, their nature and their context of quarrying and use. From the latter, it is inferred that, for the prehistoric Rapanui, the meaning of red scoria transcended practical utility. A combination of stone context and ethnographic analogy suggests wha…
Say it with stone
By considering the stones of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) on a landscape scale, their sources, properties and elemental use in architecture during the statue production period and beyond – from modest ovens to immense statues, a case is made that stone and stones were an essential connective substance of Rapa Nui society. It is posited that stone connected understandings of the land and sea both directly and inversely, that it expressed through colou…
Potboilers Reheated
Finds of heated stone from prehistoric sites in England were for many years interpreted as ‘potboilers’, a view recommended for the south-east of the country in particular by the finding of pots – invariably of later Bronze Age date – filled with them. When exposed to stress, stone behaves in a predictable way. A comparison of stones from apparently in situ archaeological potboilings with those produced during experimental potboilings supports th…
Phenomenology in practice
The article deals with the practice of phenomenological archaeological fieldwork, which is concerned with sensory experience of landscapes and locales. Phenomenological approaches in archaeology have cast light on aspects of past human experience not addressed by traditional archaeological methods. So far, however, they have neither developed explicit methodologies nor a discussion of methodological practice and have laid themselves open to accus…
Two Early First Millennium BC Wells at Selsey, West Sussex and their Wider Significance
Two early first millennium BC assemblages from Selsey Bill are considered, one of Late Bronze Age date and one of Early Iron Age date. Detailed examination of two large features suggests both a common function for the features and a functional similarity between the sites to which they belong. Data from them are tested against a contemporary, regional database. In terms of site activity and settlement form, both belonged to the same cultural trad…
Phenomenology in practice
The article deals with the practice of phenomenological archaeological fieldwork, which is concerned with sensory experience of landscapes and locales. Phenomenological approaches in archaeology have cast light on aspects of past human experience not addressed by traditional archaeological methods. So far, however, they have neither developed explicit methodologies nor a discussion of methodological practice and have laid themselves open to accus…
Say it with stone
By considering the stones of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) on a landscape scale, their sources, properties and elemental use in architecture during the statue production period and beyond – from modest ovens to immense statues, a case is made that stone and stones were an essential connective substance of Rapa Nui society. It is posited that stone connected understandings of the land and sea both directly and inversely, that it expressed through colou…
Stone use and avoidance on Easter Island
The paper presents new observations on the use and avoidance of different red scoria rocks on Easter Island (Rapa Nui), made during fieldwork. It describes the different facies of the rock, their origins, their nature and their context of quarrying and use. From the latter, it is inferred that, for the prehistoric Rapanui, the meaning of red scoria transcended practical utility. A combination of stone context and ethnographic analogy suggests wha…
Potboilers Reheated
Finds of heated stone from prehistoric sites in England were for many years interpreted as ‘potboilers’, a view recommended for the south-east of the country in particular by the finding of pots – invariably of later Bronze Age date – filled with them. When exposed to stress, stone behaves in a predictable way. A comparison of stones from apparently in situ archaeological potboilings with those produced during experimental potboilings supports th…
Two Early First Millennium BC Wells at Selsey, West Sussex and their Wider Significance
Two early first millennium BC assemblages from Selsey Bill are considered, one of Late Bronze Age date and one of Early Iron Age date. Detailed examination of two large features suggests both a common function for the features and a functional similarity between the sites to which they belong. Data from them are tested against a contemporary, regional database. In terms of site activity and settlement form, both belonged to the same cultural trad…
Two Early First Millennium BC Wells at Selsey, West Sussex and their Wider Significance
Two early first millennium BC assemblages from Selsey Bill are considered, one of Late Bronze Age date and one of Early Iron Age date. Detailed examination of two large features suggests both a common function for the features and a functional similarity between the sites to which they belong. Data from them are tested against a contemporary, regional database. In terms of site activity and settlement form, both belonged to the same cultural trad…
Phenomenology in practice
The article deals with the practice of phenomenological archaeological fieldwork, which is concerned with sensory experience of landscapes and locales. Phenomenological approaches in archaeology have cast light on aspects of past human experience not addressed by traditional archaeological methods. So far, however, they have neither developed explicit methodologies nor a discussion of methodological practice and have laid themselves open to accus…
Potboilers Reheated
Finds of heated stone from prehistoric sites in England were for many years interpreted as ‘potboilers’, a view recommended for the south-east of the country in particular by the finding of pots – invariably of later Bronze Age date – filled with them. When exposed to stress, stone behaves in a predictable way. A comparison of stones from apparently in situ archaeological potboilings with those produced during experimental potboilings supports th…
Say it with stone
By considering the stones of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) on a landscape scale, their sources, properties and elemental use in architecture during the statue production period and beyond – from modest ovens to immense statues, a case is made that stone and stones were an essential connective substance of Rapa Nui society. It is posited that stone connected understandings of the land and sea both directly and inversely, that it expressed through colou…
Stone use and avoidance on Easter Island
The paper presents new observations on the use and avoidance of different red scoria rocks on Easter Island (Rapa Nui), made during fieldwork. It describes the different facies of the rock, their origins, their nature and their context of quarrying and use. From the latter, it is inferred that, for the prehistoric Rapanui, the meaning of red scoria transcended practical utility. A combination of stone context and ethnographic analogy suggests wha…
Eroding Heritage
In the following we focus on, and briefly summarize, the work of the UCL Rapa Nui Landscapes of Construction Project (LOC) over the past two years, monitoring various aspects of erosion and weathering on the island (Table 1) and its impact on the Rapa Nui (Easter Island) heritage landscape. This work builds on and expands data collected during the British Academy (SG-47054) and AHRC (AH/1002596/1) funded phases of LOC (previously discussed and at…
Bronze Age Funerary and Later Prehistoric Activity at Badminston Farm, Fawley, Hampshire
Archaeological excavations were undertaken by Southern Archaeological Services Ltd. between 1999 and 2010 at Badminston Farm, Fawley, on the eastern edge of the New Forest, adjacent to Southampton Water. The excavations identified evidence of near- continuous human activity from the early prehistoric period to the present day. Mesolithic activity was followed by Early Bronze Age pits, containing 'placed' flint assemblages. Evidence of Bronze Age …
Imagining Polynesia
Rapa Nui’s prehistoric Polynesian heritage is iconic. From the later twentieth century the island’s economy has been dependent on the tourism its prehistory attracts. However, until recently there has been little link between the modern built environment of Rapa Nui and its prehistoric past. This article tracks how during the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the island’s traditional domestic architecture was supplanted first by colonial t…
Archaeology (8 works) · History (8 works) · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (6 works) · History (5 works) · Prehistory (5 works) · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies (4 works) · Art (3 works) · Bronze Age (3 works) · Context (archaeology (3 works) · Geography (3 works)