Research Interests

My interests lie in temporal transitions and variability in human diets and subsistence practices in prehistory and the impact that dietary changes had on social evolution, health and the environment. More specifically, my research has focused on using molecular tools to investigate palaeodiet, including organic residue analysis of foodstuffs preserved on ceramics and stable isotope analysis of collagen extracted from human and faunal remains. I have used these to investigate key changes in prehistoric economies, such as the inception of secondary products such as milk and cheese and the changing exploitation of marine foods. Most of my work has focused on Europe; including the Eastern European Neolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic sites along the Atlantic façade and Baltic and more recently the Mediterranean.

Current Projects

Brief CV

Joined the group in February 2005 to commence a Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship after moving from the biomolecular archaeological group at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK (recently relocated to the University of York, UK- BioArCh). Originally trained as a biochemist (Nottingham) but undertook masters in Funerary Archaeology and Osteology (Sheffield/Bradford) in order to pursue a career in archaeological science. Received training specifically in the recovery and analysis of ancient biomolecules (proteins, lipids and DNA) from human bones and archaeological cooking vessels during PhD and two post-docs at the University of Newcastle. Lectured for two years at Newcastle university.

Publications

In Press

Craig, O.E., Biazzo, M., Tafuri, M, (in press) Palaeodietary records of coastal Mediterranean populations. Jounral of Mediterranean Studies

Milner, N., Craig, O.E. and Bailey, G.N. (in press) Shell middens in Atlantic Europe, Oxford: Oxbow

Heron, C.P., Craig, O.E., Forster, M., Stern, B. (in press) Residue analysis of ceramics from prehistoric shell middens: initial investigations at Norsminde and Bjørnsholm. In, N. Milner, O.E. Craig, and G.N. Bailey (eds.) Shell middens in Atlantic Europe, Oxford: Oxbow

Craig, O.E., Forster, M., Andersen, S.H., Koch, E., Crombé, P., Milner, N., Stern, B., Bailey, G. and Heron, C. (in press) Molecular demonstration of marine and freshwater products in prehistoric pottery from Northern Europe, Archaeometry

Craig, O.E., Heron, C.P., Willis, Yusof,  N.N.H.A.  Taylor, G. Organic residue analysis of pottery vessels. (in press) In: The Early Neolithic on the Great Hungarian Plain: investigations of the Körös culture site of Ecsegfalva 23, Co. Békés (Ed. Whittle, A.) Monograph, University of Cardiff.

2006

Craig , O.E., R. Ross, Milner, N., Bailey, G.N., (2006)  Sulphur Isotope variation in Archaeological Marine Fauna from Northern Europe. Journal of Archaeological Science 33, 1642-1646.

Milner, N., Craig, O.E., Bailey, G.N., Pedersen, K. & Andersen S.H (2006) A Response to Richards and Schulting, Antiquity 308, 456-457.

Dürrwächter, C., Craig, O.E., Collins, M.J., Burger, J., Alt, K.W. (2006) Beyond the Grave: Variability in Neolithic diets in Southern Germany? Journal of Archaeological Science 33, 39-48.

2005

Craig, O.E., Chapman J., Heron, C.P., Willis, L.H., Taylor, G., Whittle, A., Collins, M.J. (2005) Did the first farmers of central and eastern Europe produce dairy foods?  Antiquity  79, 882–894.

Parker Pearson, M.,  A. Chamberlain, O.E. Craig, P. Marshall, J. Mulville, H. Smith, C. Chenery, M. Collins, G. Craig, J. Evans, J. Hiller, T. Wess, G. Taylor,  J. Montgomery and J.-L. Schwenninger. (2005) Evidence for mummification in prehistoric Britain. Antiquity  79, 529–546

Craig, O.E. (2005) The White Stuff: milking in the Outer Scottish Isles. The Zooarchaeology of Fats, Oils, Milk and Dairying (eds J. Mulville and A. Outram) pp. 167–182 Oxbow: Oxford

Craig, O.E., (2004) Organic analysis of «food crusts» from sites in the Schelde valley, Belgium: a preliminary evaluation. Notae Praehistoricae 24, 209-217.

Craig,O.E., Taylor, G., Mulville, J., ParkerPearson, M., Collins, M.J. (2005) The Identification of Prehistoric Dairying Activities in the Scottish Atlantic Margins: an integrated biomolecular approach. Journal of Archaeological Science  32,91-103.

Smith, C.I.,  Craig, O. E., Prigodich, R. V., Nielsen-Marsh, C. M. Jans, M. M. E.., Vermeer, C., Collins, M.J.,  (2005) Digenesis and survival of Osteocalcin in Archaeological Bone. Journal of Archaeological Science 32,114-115.

2004

Milner, N., Craig, O.E, Bailey, G.N., Pedersen, K. & Andersen S.H. (2004) 'Something fishy in the Neolithic? A re-evaluation of stable isotope analysis of Mesolithic and Neolithic coastal populations', Antiquity. 78, 9-22.

Craig, O.E., Chapman, J., Figler, A., Patay, P. Collins, M.J. (2004) “Milk Jugs” And Other Myths of  the Copper Age of Central Europe. European Journal of Archaeology 6, 249-263.

Craig, O.E., Love, G.D. Isaksson, S., Taylor., G., Snape, C.E.  (2004) Stable carbon isotopic characterisation of free and bound lipids in archaeological ceramic vessels released by solvent extraction, alkaline saponification and catalytic hydropyrolysis. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 7, 613–634.

2003

Dürrwächter, C., Craig, O.E., Taylor, G., Collins, M.J., Burger, J., Alt, K.W. (2003) Rekonstruktion der Ernährungsweise in der mittel- und frühneolithischen Bevölkerungen von Trebur/Hessen und Herheim/Pfalz anhand der Analyse Stabiler Isotope. Bulletin de la Société Suisse d’Anthropologie:9, 1-16.

Craig, O.E., (2003) Dairying, dairy products and milk residues. In: Food, culture and identity on the Neolithic and
Early Bronze Age. (Ed. Parker Pearson, M.) British Archaeological Reports (International Series), Series 117.

2002

Craig, O.E., (2002) The Development of Dairying in Europe: potential evidence from food residues on ceramics. Documenta Praehistorica 29, 97-107.

Craig, O.E. and Collins, M.J. (2002) The removal of protein from mineral surfaces: Implications for residue analysis of archaeological materials. Journal of Archaeological Science 29, 1077-1082.

2001

Craig, O.E., Stacey, R.J., Collins, M.J., (2001) The Ancient Potsherd: A unique environment for protein survival? British Archaeology Reports (International Series) 939, 47-52.

Gernaey A. M., Waite E. R., Collins M. J., Craig O. E. and Sokol., R. J.  (2001) Survival and Interpretation of Archaeological Proteins. Ancient proteins degradation and analysis In  Archaeological Chemistry (Eds. Pollard M. & Brothwell D), 323-331.

2000

Craig O.E., Mulville J., Parker Pearson M., Sokol R.J., Gelsthorpe K., Stacey R., Collins M.J. (2000) Detecting milk in ancient pots. Nature 408, 312.

Craig O.E. and Collins M.J. (2000) An Improved Method for the Immunological Detection  of Mineral Bound Protein using Hydrofluoric Acid and Direct Capture Journal of Immunological Methods 236, 89-97.

Earlier  

Cattaneo, C.,  Dimartino, S., Scali, S., Craig, O.E., Grandi, M.,  Sokol, R.J. (1999) Determining the human origin of fragments of burnt bone: A comparative study of histological, immunological and DNA  techniques. Forensic Science International 102, 181-191 

Waite, E.R., Child, A.M., Craig, O.E., Collins, M.J., Gelsthorpe, K. & Brown, T.A. (1997) A preliminary investigation of DNA stability in bone during artificial diagenesis. Bulletin de la Societe Geologique  de France 168: 547-554.

Cattaneo, C. Craig, O.E., James, N.T., Sokol, R.J. (1997) Comparison of three DNA extraction methods on bone and bloodstains up to 43 years old and amplification of three different gene sequences. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 42(6):1126-1135.