Sophie Firth

I decided to undertake my BA in Archaeology at the University of Sheffield in 2018 due to the variety of modules and experiences that they had available for undergraduate students. At the time, I was interested in Egyptology and Osteology, and I was not expecting to gain enthusiasm for Palaeoanthropology. My knowledge of human evolution was minimal at the time, other than what I was taught in school. It was a module in my first year, on the Origins of Humanity run by my now supervisor Dr Kevin Kuykendall, that caught my interest. I was particularly interested in the hominin occupation of Europe, particularly Neanderthals. It was in my third year that I solidified my interest and conducted my dissertation in the study of Neanderthal and modern human migration patterns in Britain and Doggerland.  

It was during my undergraduate dissertation that I decide to apply for my Masters so I could continue my research and gain further knowledge in the field. My Masters also allowed me to incorporate my passion for Osteology into a Palaeoanthropological setting. It was during my Masters that I gained field experience at the Palaeoanthropological site of Creswell Crags, which was my first time excavating a site that had previously found evidence of hominin occupation. The knowledge I gained during my Masters confirmed I had selected the correct route of study, so much so I almost changed my research direction into the study of the species Paranthropus in Africa. However, after learning QGIS and reviewing my undergraduate dissertation results, I wanted to continue my work in Neanderthal and modern human migration and settlement patterns during the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic in Europe. My Masters dissertation became the basis for my PhD thesis and through this research I hope to contribute to the wider understanding of these two species and why they chose to migrate through Europe.