User:Clare Wilson

Clare Wilson
Lecturer in Soil Science

School of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA Telephone 44 (0)1786 467757 e-mail c.a.wilson@stir.ac.uk

Research Interests
My research is based around geoarchaeology (the application of earth science techniques to archaeological questions) current and recent research projects include:
 * Knowledge transfer of geoarchaeological techniques and methods to field archaeologists. NERC knowledge transfer grant.
 * Multi-element soil analysis to aid interpretation of space use on archaeological sites. NERC and Historic Scotland funded collaboration with University of York.
 * Development of soil quality indicators for cultural heritage preservation. DEFRA funded as part of UK Soil Indicators Consortium.
 * The application of soil micromorphology and micro-analytical techniques to archaeological soil thin sections.
 * Site formation processes at the Xeropolis-Lefkandi tell site, Greece. Collaboration with University of Oxford.
 * In-situ gamma spectrometry as a method of archaeological prospection.
 * Lead isotope ratios as tracers of anthropogenic inputs to archaeological soils. In collaboration with University of York and Macaulay Institute, Aberdeen.
 * Historic and Prehistoric agricultural soils and soil management practises.

Publications

 * Wilson, C.A., Simpson, I.A., and Currie E. (2002) Soil management in pre-Hispanic raised field systems: Micromorphological evidence from Hacienda Zuleta, Ecuador. Geoarchaeology, 17, 261-283.
 * Davidson, D.A., Bruneau, P.M.C., Grieve, I.C., and Wilson, C.A. (2004) Micromorphological assessment of the effect of liming on faunal excrement in an upland grassland soil. Applied Soil Ecology, 26, 169-177.
 * Wilson, C.A., Davidson, D.A., and Cresser, M.S. (2005) An evaluation of multi-element analysis of soil contamination to differentiate space use and former function in and around abandoned farms. The Holocene, 15, 1094-1099.
 * Wilson, C.A., Cresser, M.S., and Davidson, D.A. (2006) Sequential element extraction of soils from abandoned farms: an investigation of the partitioning of anthropogenic element inputs from historic land use. Journal of Environmental Monitoring, 8: 439-444.
 * Wilson, C.A., Bacon, J.R., Cresser, M.S., and Davidson, D.A. (2006) Lead isotope ratios as a means of sourcing anthropogenic lead in archaeological soils: a pilot study of an abandoned Shetland croft. Archaeometry, 48, 501-509.
 * Davidson, D.A., Wilson, C.A., Meharg, A., Stutter, C., Edwards, K.J. (2007) The legacy of past manuring practices on soil contamination in remote rural areas. Environment International, 33, 78-83.
 * Wilson, C.A., Davidson, D.A., Cresser, M.S. (in press) Multi-element soil analysis: an assessment of its potential as an aid to archaeological interpretation. Journal of Archaeological Science.

Peer reviewed Conference proceedings

 * Wilson, C.A., Davidson, D.A., and Cresser, M.S. (2006) Evaluating the use of multi-element soil analysis as an aid to archaeological interpretation. In (eds. R.E. Jones and L. Sharpe) Going over Old Ground: perspectives on archaeological geophysical and geochemical survey in Scotland. British Archaeological Reports, British Series, 416, 143-147.
 * Wilson, C.A., Cresser, M.S., and Davidson, D.A. (in press) Testing the use of soil contamination data in environmental archaeology. Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology, January 2005, New Orleans.
 * Tipping, R., Tisdall, E., Davies, A. and Wilson, C. (in press). Living with peat in the flow country: prehistoric farming communities and blanket peat spread at Oliclett, Caithness, northern Scotland. In Sheridan, A. (ed) Wetland Archaeology in the British Isles. Edinburgh: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Monograph Series.
 * Cowie, J., Cairns, D., Blunn, M., Wilson, C.A., and Davidson, D.A. (in press) Developing web-based mobile decision making tools to help field archaeologists. International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems.
 * Wilson, C.A., Davidson, D.A., and Cresser, M.S. (accepted) Evaluating the use of multi-element soil analysis in archaeology: a study of a post-Medieval croft (Olligarth) in Shetland. Proceedings of 2nd International Conference on Soils and Archaeology, May 2003, Pisa.

Book Chapters

 * Adderley, W.P., and Wilson, C.A., Davidson, D.A., Simpson, I.A., (in prep) The micromorphology of Anthrosols. In, (ed. G. Stoops) Interpretation of micromorphological features of soils and regoliths.

Book reviews

 * Wilson C.A. (2006) Review of Branch N., Canti, M., Clark, P. and Turney, C. (2005) Environmental Archaeology: theoretical and practical approaches. London, Hodder Arnold Press. Society of Archaeological Science Newsletter, 29(3).
 * Wilson C.A (2006) Review of Goldberg, P. and Macphail, R.I. (2006) Practical and theoretical archaeology. Oxford, Blackwell Publishing. European Journal of Soil Science, 57, p.926.

Other

 * Davidson, D.A., and Wilson, C.A. (2006) An assessment of potential soil indicators for the preservation of Cultural Heritage. Report to English Heritage. Available online at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/land/soil/research/indicators/consortium/research.htm
 * Davidson, D.A., Cairns, D.A., Cowie, J., Wilson, C.A., and Blunn, M. ‘SASSA: Soil analysis Support System for Archaeologists’. http://www.sassa.org.uk