McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research
Encyclopedia
The McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research is a research institute of the University of Cambridge
in England
.
, with a particular interest in the archaeology of early human
cognition
. The Institute emphasises the value of archaeological science, and contains laboratories for geoarchaeology
, archaeozoology, archaeobotany, and artefact analysis. The extensive faunal remains collection of the Department of Archaeology is now based within the McDonald Institute and a corresponding reference collection of plant remains is being assembled. There are also research rooms for post-excavation work on major field projects.
The Institute is primarily a centre for post-doctoral research though it does provide facilities for a number of PhD students whose research fits within existing McDonald Institute themes. In addition to providing space for projects and researchers, the McDonald Institute also has an annual programme of grants for Cambridge-based projects, and an active publications division which produces the McDonald Institute Monograph series and the twice-yearly Cambridge Archaeological Journal
.
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History
The Institute was established in 1990 through a generous benefaction from the late Dr D. M. McDonald, a well-known and successful industrialist. The benefaction enabled the University to construct purpose-built premises for the Institute which include research rooms and laboratories, together with storage space, a seminar room and a modest library.Mission and purpose
The Institute provides support for Cambridge-based researchers in the various branches of archaeologyArchaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
, with a particular interest in the archaeology of early human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
cognition
Cognition
In science, cognition refers to mental processes. These processes include attention, remembering, producing and understanding language, solving problems, and making decisions. Cognition is studied in various disciplines such as psychology, philosophy, linguistics, and computer science...
. The Institute emphasises the value of archaeological science, and contains laboratories for geoarchaeology
Geoarchaeology
Geoarchaeology is a multi-disciplinary approach which uses the techniques and subject matter of geography, geology and other Earth sciences to examine topics which inform archaeological knowledge and thought...
, archaeozoology, archaeobotany, and artefact analysis. The extensive faunal remains collection of the Department of Archaeology is now based within the McDonald Institute and a corresponding reference collection of plant remains is being assembled. There are also research rooms for post-excavation work on major field projects.
The Institute is primarily a centre for post-doctoral research though it does provide facilities for a number of PhD students whose research fits within existing McDonald Institute themes. In addition to providing space for projects and researchers, the McDonald Institute also has an annual programme of grants for Cambridge-based projects, and an active publications division which produces the McDonald Institute Monograph series and the twice-yearly Cambridge Archaeological Journal
Cambridge Archaeological Journal
The Cambridge Archaeological Journal is a peer-reviewed academic journal for cognitive and symbolic archaeology published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. It was established in 1991 and is published triannually...
.