Nicky Milner
Biographic Data
| ID | 74117 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Nicky Milner |
| GIVEN NAMES | Nicky |
| FAMILY NAME | Milner |
| SIGNATURE | MILNER N |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of York |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-6391-9127 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 38 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 497 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 36 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 2 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2001 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2022 |
| H-INDEX | 11 |
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
Excavations at Star Carr: Past and present
Star Carr is a world renowned site first excavated in the late 1940s by Grahame Clark. These excavations revealed organic remains which are incredibly rare, though there are some parallels with sites in Germany and Denmark. The evidence from Star Carr has been debated over the decades, but in 2004 new excavations commenced with the aim of answering some of the questions which had been posed about this important Mesolithic site. One of the alarmin…
Star Carr Volume I
Please note: these ebook files are very large. Users downloading to mobile devices, or with an internet connection with limited bandwidth, should view and download chapters individually using the dropdown menu below. Read online or download: free Purchase price for print volume (including shipping and handling fees): £50.66 Additional local taxes may be added to EU orders at point of delivery. This first volume of Star Carr provides an interpreta…
Star Carr Volume II
Please note: these ebook files are very large. Users downloading to mobile devices, or with an internet connection with limited bandwidth, should view and download chapters individually using the dropdown menu below. Read online or download: free Purchase price for print volume (including shipping and handling fees): £64.79 Additional local taxes may be added to EU orders at point of delivery. This second volume of Star Carr provides detail on sp…
Pine traces at Star Carr: Evidence from residues on stone tools
Misleading residues on lithics from Star Carr: Identification with Raman microspectroscopy
Resolving the Issue of Artefact Deposition at Star Carr
Since its publication in 1954 Star Carr has held an iconic status in British Mesolithic archaeology. The original excavations at the site recorded a large assemblage of bone and antler tools from a sequence of peat deposits at the edge of the Lake Flixton. Over 60 years later this remains the largest assemblage of bone and antler artefacts of its date in Britain and has been an invaluable source of information for life in the early Mesolithic. Ho…
Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values in freshwater, brackish and marine fish bone collagen from Mesolithic and Neolithic sites in central and northern Europe
The aim of this research is to examine the isotopic characterisation of archaeological fish species as it relates to freshwater, brackish and marine environments, trophic level and migration patterns, and to determine intraspecies variation within and between fish populations in different locations within central and northern Europe. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis was undertaken on collagen extracted from 72 fish bone samples from ei…
The Resettlement of the British Landscape: Towards a chronology of Early Mesolithic lithic assemblage types
During the Upper Palaeolithic Britain was visited intermittently, perhaps only on a seasonal basis, by groups often operating at the margins of their range. The Early Mesolithic, by contrast, witnessed the start of the permanent occupation of the British landscape, with certain key sites showing evidence for long-lasting occupation from the very start of the period. However, currently our understanding of the timing and tempo of the Mesolithic co…
Degradation of the wetland sediment archive at Star Carr: An assessment of current palynological preservation
Scales of analysis: Evidence of fish and fish processing at Star Carr
Finding Britain's last hunter-gatherers: A new biomolecular approach to ‘unidentifiable’ bone fragments utilising bone collagen
In the last decade, our knowledge of the transition from foraging, fishing, and hunting to agricultural food production has been transformed through the molecular analysis of human remains. In Britain, however, the lack of Late Mesolithic human remains has limited our understanding of this dietary transition. Here, we report the use of a novel strategy to analyse otherwise overlooked material to identify additional human remains from this period.…
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 …
The Resettlement of the British Landscape: Towards a chronology of Early Mesolithic lithic assemblage types
During the Upper Palaeolithic Britain was visited intermittently, perhaps only on a seasonal basis, by groups often operating at the margins of their range. The Early Mesolithic, by contrast, witnessed the start of the permanent occupation of the British landscape, with certain key sites showing evidence for long-lasting occupation from the very start of the period. However, currently our understanding of the timing and tempo of the Mesolithic co…
Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values in freshwater, brackish and marine fish bone collagen from Mesolithic and Neolithic sites in central and northern Europe
The aim of this research is to examine the isotopic characterisation of archaeological fish species as it relates to freshwater, brackish and marine environments, trophic level and migration patterns, and to determine intraspecies variation within and between fish populations in different locations within central and northern Europe. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis was undertaken on collagen extracted from 72 fish bone samples from ei…
Apatite for destruction: Investigating bone degradation due to high acidity at Star Carr
Substantial settlement in the European Early Mesolithic: New research at Star Carr
The authors rewrite the character of Early Mesolithic settlement in Europe with their new research at one of its most famous sites. The picture of small mobile pioneering groups colonising new land is thrown into contention: far from being a small hunter-gatherer camp, Star Carr in 9000 cal BC extended for nearly 2ha and involved the construction of an estimated 30m of lakeside waterfront and at least one post-built house. With some justice, they…
Burial practices at the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in Britain: Change or continuity
There is no doubt that the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition was a time of great change. It has been suggested that at this time people began to disarticulate their dead and use caves and monuments as ways of interacting with the ancestors. This paper looks at the transition from a Mesolithic perspective in order to identify evidence for change and continuity. It is suggested that certain practices such as disarticulation and the use of caves are m…
Amino acid racemization dating of marine shells: A mound of possibilities
Shell middens are one of the most important and widespread indicators for human exploitation of marine resources and occupation of coastal environments. Establishing an accurate and reliable chronology for these deposits has fundamental implications for understanding the patterns of human evolution and dispersal. This paper explores the potential application of a new methodology of amino acid racemization (AAR) dating of shell middens and describ…
Star Carr in a Postglacial Lakescape: 60 Years of Research
Star Carr has an international reputation in archaeology but it was just a small part of a former lakescape which has been systematically investigated at various periods over the last 60 years. The palaeo-lake and associated sites were first investigated by John W. Moore, a local amateur archaeologist and his findings led to the better known excavations of Grahame Clark. After a hiatus in research, survey and excavation resumed in the 1970s and h…
Geochemical indicators of preservation status and site deterioration at Star Carr
From riches to rags: Organic deterioration at Star Carr
Shell midden research in Atlantic Europe: State of the art, research problems and perspectives for the future
Coastal hunter-gatherers and social evolution: Marginal or Central
General accounts of global trends in world prehistory are dominated by narratives of conquest on land: scavenging and hunting of land mammals, migration over land bridges and colonisation of new continents, gathering of plants, domestication, cultivation, and ultimately sustained population growth founded on agricultural surplus. Marine and aquatic resources fit uneasily into this sequence of social and economic development, and societies strongl…
Shell midden research in Atlantic Europe: State of the art, research problems and perspectives for the future
Molecular and Isotopic Demonstration of the Processing of Aquatic Products in Northern European Prehistoric Pottery
A number of charred surface residues, adhering to ceramic containers, were obtained from various coastal and inland sites in north‐west Europe dating from the sixth to the fourth millennium cal bc . In order to investigate the use of these vessels and in particular to identify any marine products, the residues were subjected to carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis. Variation in carbon isotope ratios between different samples indicated that…
Focus: Sulphur isotope variation in archaeological marine fauna from northern Europe
Something fishy in the Neolithic? A re-evaluation of stable isotope analysis of Mesolithic and Neolithic coastal populations
The study of the proportions of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen which survive in ancient human and animal bones offers highly suggestive indications of ancient diets. Among the most remarkable results from such investigations is the dramatic change in diet which is thought to have occurred between the Mesolithic and the Neolithic when people turned from maritime to terrestrial \nfood, from fish to meat and vegetables. The three contributio…
Substantial settlement in the European Early Mesolithic: New research at Star Carr
The authors rewrite the character of Early Mesolithic settlement in Europe with their new research at one of its most famous sites. The picture of small mobile pioneering groups colonising new land is thrown into contention: far from being a small hunter-gatherer camp, Star Carr in 9000 cal BC extended for nearly 2ha and involved the construction of an estimated 30m of lakeside waterfront and at least one post-built house. With some justice, they…
Marine resource intensification in Viking Age Europe: The molluscan evidence from Quoygrew, Orkney
From riches to rags: Organic deterioration 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 …
Geochemical indicators of preservation status and site deterioration at Star Carr
At the Cutting Edge: Using Thin Sectioning to Determine Season of Death of the European Oyster
Finding Britain's last hunter-gatherers: A new biomolecular approach to ‘unidentifiable’ bone fragments utilising bone collagen
In the last decade, our knowledge of the transition from foraging, fishing, and hunting to agricultural food production has been transformed through the molecular analysis of human remains. In Britain, however, the lack of Late Mesolithic human remains has limited our understanding of this dietary transition. Here, we report the use of a novel strategy to analyse otherwise overlooked material to identify additional human remains from this period.…
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 …
Apatite for destruction: Investigating bone degradation due to high acidity at Star Carr
A response to Richards and Schulting
An abstract is not available for this content so a preview has been provided. Please use the Get access link above for information on how to access this content
The Resettlement of the British Landscape: Towards a chronology of Early Mesolithic lithic assemblage types
During the Upper Palaeolithic Britain was visited intermittently, perhaps only on a seasonal basis, by groups often operating at the margins of their range. The Early Mesolithic, by contrast, witnessed the start of the permanent occupation of the British landscape, with certain key sites showing evidence for long-lasting occupation from the very start of the period. However, currently our understanding of the timing and tempo of the Mesolithic co…
Star Carr in a Postglacial Lakescape: 60 Years of Research
Star Carr has an international reputation in archaeology but it was just a small part of a former lakescape which has been systematically investigated at various periods over the last 60 years. The palaeo-lake and associated sites were first investigated by John W. Moore, a local amateur archaeologist and his findings led to the better known excavations of Grahame Clark. After a hiatus in research, survey and excavation resumed in the 1970s and h…
Misleading residues on lithics from Star Carr: Identification with Raman microspectroscopy
Resolving the Issue of Artefact Deposition at Star Carr
Since its publication in 1954 Star Carr has held an iconic status in British Mesolithic archaeology. The original excavations at the site recorded a large assemblage of bone and antler tools from a sequence of peat deposits at the edge of the Lake Flixton. Over 60 years later this remains the largest assemblage of bone and antler artefacts of its date in Britain and has been an invaluable source of information for life in the early Mesolithic. Ho…
To Block Lift or Not to Block Lift? An Experiment at the Early Mesolithic Site of Star Carr, North-East Yorkshire, UK
As part of the excavations at Star Carr in the summer of 2007, a 'block' sample of peat from the archaeologically rich lake-edge deposits was removed for micro-excavation in the laboratory. The main aim was to compare on-site excavation and excavation in the laboratory. The techniques employed for the block were intended to maximise the chances of recovering fragile organic remains and provide an understanding of the spatial relationships between…
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…
Pine traces at Star Carr: Evidence from residues on stone tools
Degradation of the wetland sediment archive at Star Carr: An assessment of current palynological preservation
Scales of analysis: Evidence of fish and fish processing at Star Carr
Mesolithic consumption practices. Food for thought
The subsistence economy has always been one of the key areas of investigation in Mesolithic research and is considered to be important because it can shed light on the way people interacted with their environment. Grahame Clark championed the study of the Mesolithic economy and his work at Star Carr influenced the ways in which subsistence has been studied since. This paper will oudine the development of Mesolithic subsistence studies in Britain …
At the Cutting Edge: Using Thin Sectioning to Determine Season of Death of the European Oyster
Coastal hunter-gatherers and social evolution: Marginal or Central
General accounts of global trends in world prehistory are dominated by narratives of conquest on land: scavenging and hunting of land mammals, migration over land bridges and colonisation of new continents, gathering of plants, domestication, cultivation, and ultimately sustained population growth founded on agricultural surplus. Marine and aquatic resources fit uneasily into this sequence of social and economic development, and societies strongl…
Something fishy in the Neolithic? A re-evaluation of stable isotope analysis of Mesolithic and Neolithic coastal populations
The study of the proportions of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen which survive in ancient human and animal bones offers highly suggestive indications of ancient diets. Among the most remarkable results from such investigations is the dramatic change in diet which is thought to have occurred between the Mesolithic and the Neolithic when people turned from maritime to terrestrial \nfood, from fish to meat and vegetables. The three contributio…
A Bronze Age Cist Cemetery at Howick, Northumberland
This paper reports the results of the excavation of an Early Bronze Age cist cemetery on the mid-Northumberland coast at Howick. The Bronze Age site was discovered during the investigation of a Mesolithic hut site, the latter having been published separately as a monograph. A total of five cists were found with only one being adult-sized, the rest presumably for infants. Due to the acidic conditions on the site, only a few fragments of a small sk…
Focus: Sulphur isotope variation in archaeological marine fauna from northern Europe
A response to Richards and Schulting
An abstract is not available for this content so a preview has been provided. Please use the Get access link above for information on how to access this content
Marine resource intensification in Viking Age Europe: The molluscan evidence from Quoygrew, Orkney
Molecular and Isotopic Demonstration of the Processing of Aquatic Products in Northern European Prehistoric Pottery
A number of charred surface residues, adhering to ceramic containers, were obtained from various coastal and inland sites in north‐west Europe dating from the sixth to the fourth millennium cal bc . In order to investigate the use of these vessels and in particular to identify any marine products, the residues were subjected to carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis. Variation in carbon isotope ratios between different samples indicated that…
Hunter-Gatherers of the Mesolithic
The last Ice Age came to an end around 9600 bc. Tundra landscapes that supported reindeer herds were colonized by birch and soon became thick deciduous woodland with dispersed fauna including red deer and pine marten. Except in the far north, relative sealevels rose so that Britain, formerly a peninsula of Europe, became an island at some point around 7000-6000 bc. In this rapidly changing environment, people continued to live by hunting and gath…
Mesolithic consumption practices. Food for thought
The subsistence economy has always been one of the key areas of investigation in Mesolithic research and is considered to be important because it can shed light on the way people interacted with their environment. Grahame Clark championed the study of the Mesolithic economy and his work at Star Carr influenced the ways in which subsistence has been studied since. This paper will oudine the development of Mesolithic subsistence studies in Britain …
Making a Point: A Critical Review of the Barbed Point Manufacturing Process Practised at Star Carr
Star Carr, North Yorkshire, has the largest deposition of Mesolithic antler barbed points in the country; in fact it accounts for roughly 97% of all Early Mesolithic barbed points known in Britain. There has been much debate about whether barbed point manufacture occurred at the site or elsewhere within the landscape but the process of manufacturing has never been examined in great detail. This paper presents a new evaluation based on analysis of…
The Prehistory of Britain and Ireland
To Block Lift or Not to Block Lift? An Experiment at the Early Mesolithic Site of Star Carr, North-East Yorkshire, UK
As part of the excavations at Star Carr in the summer of 2007, a 'block' sample of peat from the archaeologically rich lake-edge deposits was removed for micro-excavation in the laboratory. The main aim was to compare on-site excavation and excavation in the laboratory. The techniques employed for the block were intended to maximise the chances of recovering fragile organic remains and provide an understanding of the spatial relationships between…
Burial practices at the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in Britain: Change or continuity
There is no doubt that the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition was a time of great change. It has been suggested that at this time people began to disarticulate their dead and use caves and monuments as ways of interacting with the ancestors. This paper looks at the transition from a Mesolithic perspective in order to identify evidence for change and continuity. It is suggested that certain practices such as disarticulation and the use of caves are m…
Amino acid racemization dating of marine shells: A mound of possibilities
Shell middens are one of the most important and widespread indicators for human exploitation of marine resources and occupation of coastal environments. Establishing an accurate and reliable chronology for these deposits has fundamental implications for understanding the patterns of human evolution and dispersal. This paper explores the potential application of a new methodology of amino acid racemization (AAR) dating of shell middens and describ…
Star Carr in a Postglacial Lakescape: 60 Years of Research
Star Carr has an international reputation in archaeology but it was just a small part of a former lakescape which has been systematically investigated at various periods over the last 60 years. The palaeo-lake and associated sites were first investigated by John W. Moore, a local amateur archaeologist and his findings led to the better known excavations of Grahame Clark. After a hiatus in research, survey and excavation resumed in the 1970s and h…
Geochemical indicators of preservation status and site deterioration at Star Carr
From riches to rags: Organic deterioration at Star Carr
Shell midden research in Atlantic Europe: State of the art, research problems and perspectives for the future
Substantial settlement in the European Early Mesolithic: New research at Star Carr
The authors rewrite the character of Early Mesolithic settlement in Europe with their new research at one of its most famous sites. The picture of small mobile pioneering groups colonising new land is thrown into contention: far from being a small hunter-gatherer camp, Star Carr in 9000 cal BC extended for nearly 2ha and involved the construction of an estimated 30m of lakeside waterfront and at least one post-built house. With some justice, they…
Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values in freshwater, brackish and marine fish bone collagen from Mesolithic and Neolithic sites in central and northern Europe
The aim of this research is to examine the isotopic characterisation of archaeological fish species as it relates to freshwater, brackish and marine environments, trophic level and migration patterns, and to determine intraspecies variation within and between fish populations in different locations within central and northern Europe. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis was undertaken on collagen extracted from 72 fish bone samples from ei…
Apatite for destruction: Investigating bone degradation due to high acidity at Star Carr
Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values in freshwater, brackish and marine fish bone collagen from Mesolithic and Neolithic sites in central and northern Europe
The aim of this research is to examine the isotopic characterisation of archaeological fish species as it relates to freshwater, brackish and marine environments, trophic level and migration patterns, and to determine intraspecies variation within and between fish populations in different locations within central and northern Europe. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis was undertaken on collagen extracted from 72 fish bone samples from ei…
The Resettlement of the British Landscape: Towards a chronology of Early Mesolithic lithic assemblage types
During the Upper Palaeolithic Britain was visited intermittently, perhaps only on a seasonal basis, by groups often operating at the margins of their range. The Early Mesolithic, by contrast, witnessed the start of the permanent occupation of the British landscape, with certain key sites showing evidence for long-lasting occupation from the very start of the period. However, currently our understanding of the timing and tempo of the Mesolithic co…
Degradation of the wetland sediment archive at Star Carr: An assessment of current palynological preservation
Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (33 works) · Archaeology (31 works) · Geography (31 works) · Mesolithic (22 works) · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology (21 works) · Ecology (19 works) · Biology (18 works) · Carr (17 works) · Geology (14 works) · History (14 works)