Introduction
The PGIAR is planning to organize a workshop on understanding wetland palaeoecology/ environmental archaeology and integrated microscopy approaches in archaeobotany on 13th – 14th of December, 2018. This workshop will include lectures, discussions, and demonstrations on microscopic observations on the materials collected from the Horton Plains, Muthurajawella wetlands/Negombo Lagoon and Wilpattu. The workshop will be conducted by a team comprising of Dr. R. Premathilake from the PGIAR and Prof. C. O. Hunt, Professor of Cultural Palaeoecology, School of Natural Science and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom, Editor, the Journal of Archaeological Science-Report and Editorial Board Member, Journal of Archaeological Science. The objective of this workshop will be to understand the importance of wetland palaeoecology and sampling strategies used in environmental archaeology, e.g., understanding palaeo-climate, palaeo-vegetation, and human activities in the past. The lectures will be conducted in English and at the end of each lecture a summary will be given in Sinhala.
The targeted groups are final year archaeology special students, recent archaeology graduates, and Botany and Geology graduates who are interested in Environmental Archaeology.
Please register using the following registration form. Please scroll down for schedule.
Registration Form
Schedule
| 13th December 2018 | |
| Start time | 9.00 am |
| 9.00-9.15 | ARRIVAL OF PARTICIPANTS AND WELCOME ADDRESS
Dr. T. R. Premathilake |
| 9.15-10.15 | Keynote Lecture: Multi-method investigations of environmental change and human impact in the Tropics: lessons from Southeast Asia
Prof. C. O. Hunt |
| 10.15-10.30 | Discussion |
| 10.30-10.45 | TEA |
| 10.45-11.15 | Introduction to environmental archaeology of Sri Lanka
Dr. S. U. Deraniyagala |
| 11.15-12.00 | Experience on faunal remain analysis from citadel excavation in Anuradhapura
Prof. R. M. M. Chandraratne |
| 12.00-1.15 | LUNCH |
| 1.15-2.00 | Progress on environmental archaeology research in Sri Lanka
Dr. T. R. Premathilake |
| 2.00-2.30 | Micro-charcoal and pollen proxy inferred environmental changes during the mid-late Holocene from the Horton Plains Central Sri Lanka
Mrs. Nuvanprabha Kapugeekiyana Whittall (M. Sc) |
| 2.30-3.00 | Understanding phytolith Taphonomy on archaeological context: a case study from Fahien Rockshelter
Mrs. Sewwandhi Gunawardena (M. Sc) |
| 3.00-3.15 | TEA |
| 3.15-3.45 | Palaeo-environmental records from Rockshelters in Sri Lanka
Dr. Nimal Perera |
| 3.45-4.00 | Final Discussion |
| 14th December 2018 | |
| Start time | 9.00 am |
| 9.00-9.30 | Introduction to integrated microscopy approaches in archaeo-botany
Dr. T. R. Premathilake |
| 9.30-10.30 | A Video: on sample collection procedures in Muthurajawella wetland
(1) Stratigraphical coring (2) Understanding litho-, bio- and chrono-stratigraphy (3) Sampling and Sub-samplings (4) Laboratory protocols Prof. C. O. Hunt and Dr. T. R. Premathilake |
| 10.30-10.45 | TEA |
| 10.45-12.15 | Demonstration: microscope session for modern pollen/spores and fossil pollen, NPP and phytoliths
Prof. C. O. Hunt Dr. T. R. Premathilake + Discussion |
| 12.15-1.15 | LUNCH |
| 1.15-2.30 | Understanding issues related to micro fossil taphonomy (e.g. pollen, phytolith, NPP and micro-charcoal)
Prof. C. O. Hunt |
| 2.30-2.45 | TEA |
| 2.45-3.15 | Presenting microscopic data and final discussion on archaeo-botany
Prof. C. O. Hunt and Dr. T. R. Premathilake |
| 3.00-4.00 | Poster presentation by Master Students |