Helen Thompson

School of History, Philosophy and Digital Humanities

PhD Student (Archaeology)

Thesis- Investigating Spanish colonial impact: a social understanding of ceramic technological change in Argentina and Chile (1400 -1700 AD)

Helen Thompson
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Thesis title:  Investigating Spanish colonial impact: a social understanding of ceramic technological change in Argentina and Chile (1400 -1700 AD)

Supervisors: 

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 91直播 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鈥檚, 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. 

My research focuses on the examination of colonialism through material culture studies. I鈥檓 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.

Qualifications
  • 2019- MA Cultural Materials 鈥 University of 91直播, UK  

  • 2016- BA Art History & Anthropology 鈥 McGill University, Canada

Research group
Grants

Grants & Awards

  • 2020 鈥 Present- Faculty of Arts and Humanities Research Scholarship, University of 91直播
  • 2019- Patricia Phillips Prize, University of 91直播 

  • 2019- European Meeting on Ancient Ceramics Student鈥檚 Award

Professional activities and memberships
  • 2020 鈥 Present-  PetraScience Consultants Inc 鈥 Archaeological Consultant 

  • 2020- PGR Year One student representative 鈥 University of 91直播

  • 2018 鈥 2019-  MA Cultural Materials student representative 鈥 University of 91直播 

  • 2018 鈥 2019- MA Department & Faculty student representative 鈥 University of 91直播 

Publications and Conferences

Publications

  • 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. . 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 91直播

Conference Presentations

  • Thompson, H. F., Day, P. M., Buxeda i Garrigo虂s, J., Cocco, G., Campagnolo, L., Ots, M. J., Ba虂rcena, 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.