Dr. Corrie Hyland has begun working as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Stable Isotopes at the University of York for the Seeing the Dead project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council of UK Research and Innovation.
The Seeing the Dead project investigates the funerary custom, attested in Roman Yorkshire in the 3rd and 4th centuries CE, of pouring liquid gypsum over the bodies of adults and children in coffins of wood, stone, or lead before burial. The gypsum casing creates a cast of the body that preserves the individual’s imprint and can be reconstructed using 3D scanning.
During this 1-year post, she is analysing human remains from the gypsum burials of Roman Yorkshire to reconstruct detailed dietary patterns and identify past mobility. Corrie is using a comprehensive suite of isotopic techniques, including stable carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, oxygen, and strontium isotope analysis, plus amino acid compound specific stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis.
This research, alongside osteological and aDNA analyses, will help to uncover the identities and lived experiences of these ancient Romans to understand who was buried in this unique way.
Congratulations, Corrie! All the best!