Archaeology and Infectious Diseases with Jordan Pickett
Episode 20 - July 26, 2020
Jordan Pickett (University of Georgia) comes on the podcast to talk about archaeology. The first part of the interview covers archaeology, together with its different methodologies and its challenges. In the second part, Jordan suggests different ways in which archaeology might provide evidence for the effects of infectious diseases. Mass graves – in different sites – are discussed, as well as other potential indicators of infectious diseases and their effects. Additional topics include the problem of equifinality, as well as collaboration within and between disciplines.
Further Reading
BASICS ON ARCHAEOLOGY
- C. Renfrew and P. Bahn, Archaeology: Theories, Methods, and Practice (London: Thames and Hudson, 2016).
- C. Orton and M. Hughes, Pottery in Archaeology, Cambridge Manuals in Archaeology (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013).
- T. Waldron, Palaeopathology, Cambridge Manuals in Archaeology (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009).
MEDIEVAL PLAGUE ARCHAEOLOGY
- S. N. DeWitte, “Archaeological evidence of epidemics can inform future epidemics” in Annual Review of Anthropology 45 (2016): 63-77.
- C. Lewis, “Disaster recovery: new archaeological evidence for the long-term impact of the ‘calamitous’ fourteenth century” in Antiquity 90 (2016): 777-797
- F. C. Ljungqvist et al., “Linking European building activity with plague history” in Journal of Archaeological Science 98 (2018): 81-92
Our Guest
Jordan Pickett,
Assistant Professor, Department of Classics, University of Georgia.
