Helen Thompson
Department of Archaeology
Research Student
Thesis- Investigating Spanish colonial impact: a social understanding of ceramic technological change in Argentina and Chile (1400 -1700 AD)
Full contact details
Department of Archaeology
Minalloy House
10-16 Regent Street
Sheffield
S1 3NJ
- Profile
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I graduated from McGill University with a BA in Art History and Anthropology and a minor in East Asian Studies. During my degree, I had the opportunity to participate in an archaeological field school on Rebun Island in Northern Japan and an independent study abroad with the University of Exeter in the Department of Archaeology. These experiences cemented my interest in archaeology.
I completed my MA in Cultural Materials from the University of Sheffield in 2019. My MA research focused on the relationship between colonial and Indigenous ceramics at Santa Fe la Vieja in Argentina (1573-1660), using ceramic petrography as my primary method of investigation. Following my master’s, I worked in commercial archaeology for two months, expanding my fieldwork knowledge and skillset. I also spent eight months working for a geological consulting company conducting archaeological research and putting together reports.
- Qualifications
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2019- MA Cultural Materials – University of Sheffield, UK
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2016- BA Art History & Anthropology – McGill University, Canada
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- Research interests
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Thesis- Investigating Spanish colonial impact: a social understanding of ceramic technological change in Argentina and Chile (1400 -1700 AD)
- Supervisors- Professor Caroline Jackson & Professor Peter Day
- with Dr. Jaume Buxeda i Garrigós (University of Barcelona)
My research focuses on the examination of colonialism through material culture studies. I’m particularly interested in how technological change, or lack thereof, and the movement of artifacts can shed light on colonial interactions. Presently, my focus is on ceramics in Argentina, Chile, and Spain during the period of Spanish colonization (1400-1700 AD). My main methods of examination include ceramic petrography, macroscopic study, and chemical analysis.
- Supervisors- Professor Caroline Jackson & Professor Peter Day
- Research group
- Grants
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Grants & Awards
- 2020 – Present- Faculty of Arts and Humanities Research Scholarship, University of Sheffield
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2019- Patricia Phillips Prize, University of Sheffield
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2019- European Meeting on Ancient Ceramics Student’s Award
- Professional activities and memberships
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2020 – Present- PetraScience Consultants Inc – Archaeological Consultant
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2020- PGR Year One student representative – University of Sheffield
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2018 – 2019- MA Cultural Materials student representative – University of Sheffield
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2018 – 2019- MA Department & Faculty student representative – University of Sheffield
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- Publications and Conferences
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Publications
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- Marks, Y., Groat, N., Lortie, L. O., Hughes, M., Thompson, H. F., Woodland, C. J., Adams T. MS., Thorpe, T., Tang, B., Kenyon R., Langhorne, B., and Fraser-Darling, J. 2020. Smelting Conditions and Smelting Products: Experimental Insights into the Development of Iron Bloomery Furnaces. EXARC Journal, 2020(2). pp. 1-10.
- Thompson, H. F., (2019). Navigating Spanish Colonialism: The relationship between colonial and Indigenous ceramics at Santa Fe la Vieja (1573-1660), Argentina. MA Dissertation, University of Sheffield
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Conference Presentations
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- Thompson, H. F., Day, P. M., Buxeda i Garrigós, J., Cocco, G., Campagnolo, L., Ots, M. J., Bárcena, R., (September 2019). Navigating Spanish Colonialism: The relationship between colonial and Indigenous ceramics at Santa Fe la Vieja (1573-1660), Argentina [poster]. In: European Meeting on Ancient Ceramics, Barcelona, Spain.
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