Research Profile

Benjamin Gearey

Biography

 I studied for my first degree (BA in History with a special paper in archaeology) at the University of Leeds, after which I moved onto the Department of Archaeology at the University of Sheffield for an M.Sc. in Environmental Archaeology and Palaeoeconomy (1991-1992). Not content with moving across the disciplines sufficiently, I then studied for my Ph.D. (entitled 'Human-Environment Relations on Bodmin Moor During the Holocene) in the Department of Geographical Sciences at the University of Plymouth (1992-1996). Following that, I was fortunate to work in another geography department, in the University of Exeter, on a post-doctoral position on the now rather legendary Lisheen Mine Archaeology Project (1996-1998).

After that, I travelled back up north to the University of Hull and a job as palaeoenvironmentalist with the Humber Wetlands Project based in the Centre for Wetland Archaeology. The CWA subsequently morphed into the Wetland Archaeology and Environments Research Centre, where I worked on a range of commercial and research projects. I then headed to the Midlands and the University of Birmingham where I took up a post as a Project Manager and Research Fellow with Birmingham Archaeology, based in the Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity. This resulted in the establishment of Birmingham Archaeo-Environmental, a research and consultancy unit specialising in environmental and wetland archaeology. Finally, and following the effective demise of archaeology in the IAA (shortly after I took up a position as Lecturer...), I moved to my current post as Lecturer in Environmental Archaeology in the Department of Archaeology at UCC. 

I have a broad range of research interests in the areas of palaeoecology, wetland archaeology and alluvial geoarchaeology. Please see research section for further details.   

Research Interests

A)  Wetland archaeology and palaeoenvironments: with particular reference to the archaeo-environmental record of peatlands, especially raised mires.  I am co-author of the  book ‘The Hidden Landscape Archaeology of Hatfield and Thorne Moors: Modelling Archaeo-Environments in Raised Mires’ (Chapman and Gearey 2013) based on the results of an English Heritage funded project (2003-2006 and 2007-2008). I also have an interest in other 'hidden landscapes' and I am currently involved in the ERC funded project Lost Frontiers (https://www.bradford.ac.uk/archaeological-forensic-sciences/research/europes-lost-frontiers/).
B) Experimental Archaeology: I'm fortunate to have been involved in the Pallasboy Project (https://thepallasboyvessel.wordpress.com/), an ongoing exploration of creativity in the past and present, based on the recrafting of prehistoric wooden objects ranging from mysterious wooden vessels to Iron Age boats.
B)     Environmental archaeology: especially palynological approaches to sites and landscapes. I am particularly interested in the practical and theoretical issues of dating and correlating records of cultural and environmental change with especial reference to Bayesian approaches. I was a member of the AHRC funded 'Iconoclasms Network' which included scholars from the UK, France and the US and resulted in the publication of an edited volume to which I was a contributor (see Chapman and Gearey 2013) as well as an exhibition at the Tate Gallery, London (http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/art-under-attack-histories-british-iconoclas...). I was Co-Investigator on the INSTAR (Heritage Council) Project 'Landscapes and Settlement in Later Prehistoric Ireland', which began in May 2015.
C)   The geoarchaeology of alluvial landscapes: Most recently, in the form of research at Shardlow, The River Trent, UK (see https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322368582_Beside_the_River_Trent_archaeological_investigations_at_Shardlow_Quarry_Derbyshire). Previous projects include The Domuztepe Environments Project, a geoarchaeological investigation of a Halaf period tell site of in south-eastern Turkey (in collaboration with the British Museum, The Department of Archaeology, University of Manchester and the University of California, Los Angeles). funded by the University of Oxford Wainwright Trust. 
D)  Peatlands and Heritage policy: with particular respect to the interface between peatland conservation, the management of archaeological sites and landscapes and the implications of agendas such as 'ecosystem services' framework for the future heritage management of wetland environments. Current projects include WetFutures with colleagues in the UK and the Netherlands (http://www.wetfutures.eu/) and Wildscapes (https://projectwildscape.wordpress.com/). Recent transdisciplinary collaborations in the form of IRC funded projects have included the Creative Connections network (http://peatlands.ucc.ie/2019/09/19/creative-connections/) I was PI for thereview funded by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Irish government) assessing the effectiveness of archaeological mitigation policy for commercially extracted Irish peatlands since 2001. I was also PI for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature funded review 'Peatlands and the Historic Environment' (http://www.iucn-uk-peatlandprogramme.org/publications/commission-inquiry/work-commission/peatlands-a...

Research Grants

 ProjectFunding
Body
Start DateEnd DateAward
Pollen Taphonomy: an experimental approachUCC Strategic Research Fund€8,815.00
Pioneering new approaches to woodland ecology and human activity in medieval Ireland. An integrated investigation using archaeological charcoal analysis.Irish Research Council01-OCT-1330-JUN-16€47,050.00
A greater consideration of data from projects other than NRA schemes.Heritage Council01-APR-1528-FEB-18€144,961.00

Publications

Books

 YearPublication
(2013)Modelling Archaeology and Environments in a Wetland Landscape: The Hidden Landscape Archaeology of Hatfield and Thorne Moors.
H. Chapman and B.R. Gearey (2013) Modelling Archaeology and Environments in a Wetland Landscape: The Hidden Landscape Archaeology of Hatfield and Thorne Moors. Oxford: Oxbow. [DOI] [Details]

Book Chapters

 YearPublication
(2014)'Chapter 3: the paleontological record - data from fossils for biostratigraphy and palaeoenvironments'
Ben Gearey, Emma Hopla, Jim Innes, David Keen, Charlotte O' Brien, Richard Preece, Russell Coope, Mike Field, Emma Tetlow (2014) 'Chapter 3: the paleontological record - data from fossils for biostratigraphy and palaeoenvironments' In: D. Bridgland, A. Howard, M. White and T. White (eds). Quaternary of the Trent. Oxford: Oxbow. [Details]
(2015)'Palaeoenvironments, chronology and perception of landscape change in the Neolithic: a case study of Hatfield Moors, England'
H. Chapman and B. Gearey (2015) 'Palaeoenvironments, chronology and perception of landscape change in the Neolithic: a case study of Hatfield Moors, England' In: Living Landscapes: Neolithic Ireland and Beyond. Oxford: Oxbow. [Details]
(2013)'Iconoclasm in European Prehistory? Breaking Objects and Landscapes'
H. Chapman and B. R. Gearey (2013) 'Iconoclasm in European Prehistory? Breaking Objects and Landscapes' In: Striking Images, Iconoclasms Past and Present. Burlington, USA: Ashgate. [Details]
(2011)'Between the Lines: Enhancing methodologies for the exploration of extensive inundated palaeolandscapes'
S. Fitch, V. L. Gaffney, B. R .Gearey & E. Ramsey (2011) 'Between the Lines: Enhancing methodologies for the exploration of extensive inundated palaeolandscapes' In: Remote Sensing for Archaeological Heritage Management. Brussels: Europae Archaeologiae Occasional Publication of the Aerial Archaeology Research Group. [Details]
(2007)'Multi-proxy Approaches to Palaeohydrological Investigations of Raised Bogs in Ireland: A Case Study from Derryville, Co. Tipperary'
Caseldine, C.J. and Gearey, B.R. (2007) 'Multi-proxy Approaches to Palaeohydrological Investigations of Raised Bogs in Ireland: A Case Study from Derryville, Co. Tipperary' In: Environmental Archaeology in Ireland. Oxford: Oxbow. [Details]
(2007)'The Palaeoenvironment'
B. Gearey (2007) 'The Palaeoenvironment' In: Sutton Common: The excavation of an Iron Age Marsh Fort and Cemetery. York: CBA. [Details]
(2007)'The Potential of the Organic Archive for Environmental Reconstruction: An Assessment of Selected Borehole Sediments from the North Sea'
D. Smith, S. Fitch, B. R. Gearey, T. Hill, S. Holford, A. Howard, & C. Jolliffe (2007) 'The Potential of the Organic Archive for Environmental Reconstruction: An Assessment of Selected Borehole Sediments from the North Sea' In: Mapping Doggerland: The Mesolithic Landscapes of the Southern North Sea. Oxford: Archaeopress. [Details]
(2006)'Digital gardening: a method for simulating elements of palaeovegetation and its implications for the interpretation of prehistoric landscapes'
B. Gearey and H.Chapman (2006) 'Digital gardening: a method for simulating elements of palaeovegetation and its implications for the interpretation of prehistoric landscapes' In: Digital Archaeology: Bridging Method and Theory. London: Routledge. [Details]
(2005)'Pollen and Palaeohydrological Analyses'
C. Caseldine, J. Hatton and B. Gearey (2005) 'Pollen and Palaeohydrological Analyses' In: The Lisheen Mine Archaeological Project: 1996-1998. Co. Wicklow: Wordwell. [Details]
(2004)'Butterbump Barrow Cemetery, Lincolnshire Marsh: issues of investigation, interpretation and preservation in a wetland landscape'
B. Gearey and W. Fletcher (2004) 'Butterbump Barrow Cemetery, Lincolnshire Marsh: issues of investigation, interpretation and preservation in a wetland landscape' In: Modern Views: Ancient Lands. Glasgow: Archaeopress. [Details]
(2003)'Geoarchaeological Evidence for Holocene Landscape Evolution in the Hull Valley, Eastern England, UK'
M.C. Lillie, B. Gearey and H. Chapman (2003) 'Geoarchaeological Evidence for Holocene Landscape Evolution in the Hull Valley, Eastern England, UK' In: Alluvial Archaeology in Europe - Proceedings of the Alluvial Archaeology of North-West Europe and Mediterranean Conference, Leeds, 18-19 December 2000. Rotterdam: AA Balkema. [Details]
(2001)'rom the ‘Wet’ to the ‘Dry’ - Palaeoecological Studies at Derryville, Co.Tipperary'
C. Caseldine, B. R. Gearey, J. Hatton, E. Reilly, I. Stuijts & W. Casparie (2001) 'rom the ‘Wet’ to the ‘Dry’ - Palaeoecological Studies at Derryville, Co.Tipperary' In: Recent Developments in Wetland Research. Dublin: WARP/UCD. [Details]

Peer Reviewed Journals

 YearPublication
(2015)'Chronology and Palaeoenvironmental Reconstruction in the sub tidal zone: a case study from Hinkley Point'
S.Griffiths, F. Sturt, J. Dix, B. Gearey, M.Grant (2015) 'Chronology and Palaeoenvironmental Reconstruction in the sub tidal zone: a case study from Hinkley Point'. Journal of Archaeological Science, 54 :237-253   [Details]
(2014)'Assessing the changing condition of industrial archaeological remains on Alston Moor, UK, using multi sensor remote sensing'
M. Kincey, L. Batty, H. Chapman, B. Gearey, S.Ainsworth (2014) 'Assessing the changing condition of industrial archaeological remains on Alston Moor, UK, using multi sensor remote sensing'. Journal of Archaeological Science, 45 :36-51 [Details]
(2014)'Holocene Floodplain Palaeoecology of the Humberhead Levels: Implications for Regional Wetland Development'
Mansell, L., Whitehouse, N, Gearey, B.R. Roe, H. and Barrett, P. (2014) 'Holocene Floodplain Palaeoecology of the Humberhead Levels: Implications for Regional Wetland Development'. Quaternary International, [DOI] [Details]
(2013)'Centennial-scale climate change in Ireland during the Holocene'
Swindles, G. T., Lawson, I. T., Matthews, I. P., Blaauw, M., Daley, T. J., Charman, D. J., Roland, T. P., Plunkett, G., Schettler, G., Gearey, B. R., Turner, T. E., Rea, H. A., Roe, H. M., Amesbury, M. J., Chambers, F. M., Holmes, J., Mitchell, F. J.G., Blackford, J., Blundell, A., Branch, N., Holmes, J., Langdon, P., McCarroll, J., McDermott, F., Oksanen, P. O., Pritchard, O., Stastney, P., Stefanini, B., Young, D., Wheeler, J., Becker, K., Armit, I. (2013) 'Centennial-scale climate change in Ireland during the Holocene'. Earth-Science Reviews, 126 :300-320 [DOI] [Details]
(2012)'Mesolithic-Neolithic anthropogenic impacts on the upland environment of Bodmin Moor, south-west England: a re-investigation of the pollen record from Rough Tor south'
E. Hopla and B.R. Gearey (2012) 'Mesolithic-Neolithic anthropogenic impacts on the upland environment of Bodmin Moor, south-west England: a re-investigation of the pollen record from Rough Tor south'. Cornish Archaeology, 49 :253-264 [Details]
(2011)'From site to landscape: assessing the value of geoarchaeological data for understanding the archaeological record of Domuztepe, south-east Turkey'
B. R. Gearey, S. Fletcher, W. Fletcher, & S.C. Campbell (2011) 'From site to landscape: assessing the value of geoarchaeological data for understanding the archaeological record of Domuztepe, south-east Turkey'. The American Journal of Archaeology, 115 (3):465-482   [Details]
(2011)'Triple post alignments in the Waveney Valley, Suffolk: Excavations at Barsham Marshes'
K. Krawiec, B. R. Gearey, H. P. Chapman, M. Bamforth, E. Hopla & C. Griffiths (2011) 'Triple post alignments in the Waveney Valley, Suffolk: Excavations at Barsham Marshes'. Journal of Wetland Archaeology, 10 :46-71 [Details]
(2008)'Late-glacial vegetation change in East Yorkshire: A radiocarbon dated pollen diagram from Routh Quarry, Beverley'
Benjamin Gearey (2008) 'Late-glacial vegetation change in East Yorkshire: A radiocarbon dated pollen diagram from Routh Quarry, Beverley'. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society, 57 (2):45-54   [Details]
(2011)'The Beccles Triple Post Alignment, Beccles Marshes, Suffolk: Excavation and Palaeoenvironmental Analyses of an Iron Age Wetland Site'
B. R. Gearey, M. Bamforth, H. Chapman, W. Fletcher, T. Hill, A. Howard, K. Krawiec, P. Marshall, I. Tyers & E. Tetlow (2011) 'The Beccles Triple Post Alignment, Beccles Marshes, Suffolk: Excavation and Palaeoenvironmental Analyses of an Iron Age Wetland Site'. Proceedings of The Prehistoric Society, 115 :465-482 [Details]
(2011)'From site to landscape: assessing the value of geoarchaeological data for understanding the archaeological record of Domuztepe, south-east Turkey'
B. R. Gearey, S. Fletcher, W. Fletcher, & S.C. Campbell, with I. Boomer, D. Keen, J. Reed and E. Tetlow (2011) 'From site to landscape: assessing the value of geoarchaeological data for understanding the archaeological record of Domuztepe, south-east Turkey'. American Journal of Archaeology, 115 :465-482 [Details]
(2010)'Finding Bosworth Battlefield: A multi-proxy palaeoenvironmental investigation of lowland sediments from Dadlington, Leicestershire, England'
J. G. T. Wheeler, G. T. Swindles & B. R. Gearey (2010) 'Finding Bosworth Battlefield: A multi-proxy palaeoenvironmental investigation of lowland sediments from Dadlington, Leicestershire, England'. Journal of Archaeological Science, 37 :1579-1589 [Details]
(2010)'A new approach to recording and monitoring wet-preserved archaeological wood using three dimensional laser scanning'
M. Lobb, K. Krawiec, A. Howard, B. R. Gearey & H. Chapman (2010) 'A new approach to recording and monitoring wet-preserved archaeological wood using three dimensional laser scanning'. Journal of Archaeological Science, 37 :2995-2999 [Details]
(2010)'The occurrence of a new species of Gomphocythere (Ostracoda, Limnoctheridae) in the Holocene of south-east Turkey: the northernmost record for the genus'
I. Boomer & B. R. Gearey (2010) 'The occurrence of a new species of Gomphocythere (Ostracoda, Limnoctheridae) in the Holocene of south-east Turkey: the northernmost record for the genus'. Journal of Micropalaeontology, 29 :115-118 [Details]
(2009)'Correlating Archaeological and Palaeoenvironmental Records using a Bayesian Approach: A Case Study from Sutton Common, South Yorkshire, England'
B. R. Gearey, P. Marshall & D. Hamilton (2009) 'Correlating Archaeological and Palaeoenvironmental Records using a Bayesian Approach: A Case Study from Sutton Common, South Yorkshire, England'. Journal of Archaeological Science, 36 :1477-1487 [Details]
(2009)'Fluvial sediments, correlations and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction: the development of robust radiocarbon chronologies'
A. Howard, B. R. Gearey, W. Fletcher, T. Hill & P. Marshall (2009) 'Fluvial sediments, correlations and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction: the development of robust radiocarbon chronologies'. Journal of Archaeological Science, 36 :2680-2688 [Details]
(2006)'Evaluation of a multi-proxy approach to reconstructing surface wetness changes in a complex raised mire system at Derryville Bog, Co.Tipperary, Ireland: identification of responses to a series of prehistoric big bursts'
Caseldine, C.J. and Gearey, B.R. (2006) 'Evaluation of a multi-proxy approach to reconstructing surface wetness changes in a complex raised mire system at Derryville Bog, Co.Tipperary, Ireland: identification of responses to a series of prehistoric big bursts'. The Holocene, 15 (4):585-601 [Details]
(2004)'The social context of seafaring in the Bronze Age revisited'
Chapman, H.C. and Gearey, B.R. (2004) 'The social context of seafaring in the Bronze Age revisited'. World Archaeology, 36 (4):452-458 [Details]
(2000)'Palaeoecological Evidence for the Prehistoric Settlement of Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, South-West England: Part II - Land-Use Changes from the Neolithic to the Present'
B. R. Gearey, D. J. Charman & M. Kent (2000) 'Palaeoecological Evidence for the Prehistoric Settlement of Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, South-West England: Part II - Land-Use Changes from the Neolithic to the Present'. Journal of Archaeological Science, [Details]
(2000)'Palaeoecology and the perception of prehistoric landscapes: some comments on visual approaches to phenomenology'
H. Chapman and B. Gearey (2000) 'Palaeoecology and the perception of prehistoric landscapes: some comments on visual approaches to phenomenology'. Antiquity, 74 :316-319 [Details]
(2000)'Palaeoecological Evidence for the Prehistoric Settlement of Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, South-West England: Part I - The Status of Woodland and Early Human Impacts'
B. R. Gearey, D. J. Charman & M. Kent (2000) 'Palaeoecological Evidence for the Prehistoric Settlement of Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, South-West England: Part I - The Status of Woodland and Early Human Impacts'. Journal of Archaeological Science, 27 :493-508 [Details]

Conference Publications

 YearPublication
(2012)NCK-days 2012 : Crossing borders in coastal research., 13 March 2012 - 16 March 2012
Bakker, Marcel and Meekes, Sjef and Heteren van, Sytze and Maljers, Denise and Paap, Bob and Fitch, Simon and Gaffney, Vincent and Gearey, Ben ( (2012) Towards a three dimensional model of the North Sea subsurface NCK-days 2012 : Crossing borders in coastal research., 13 March 2012 - 16 March 2012 , pp.81-84 [DOI] [Details]
(2006)From ‘Space to Place’: 2nd International Conference on Remote Sensing in Archaeology
K. Challis, A. J. Howard, D. N. Smith, B. R. Gearey, D. Moscrop, C. Carey & A. Thompson (2006) Using airborne LiDAR intensity to predict the organic preservation of waterlogged deposits . In: S. Campana and M. Forte eds. From ‘Space to Place’: 2nd International Conference on Remote Sensing in Archaeology BAR International Series 1568, , pp.93-98 [Details]

Published Reports

 YearPublication
(2010)Peatlands and the Historic Environment.
Gearey, B., Bermingham, N., Chapman, H. Charman, D., Fletcher, W., Fyfe, R., Quartermaine, J. and Van de Noort, R. (2010) Peatlands and the Historic Environment. International Union for the Conservation of Nature, IUCN: Edinburgh.   [Details]

Magazine article

 YearPublication
(2009)Understanding Hidden Landscapes.
H. Chapman and B. Gearey (2009) Understanding Hidden Landscapes. The Archaeologist 71: Magazine article [Details]
(2009)Bayesian Chronologies: yet another radiocarbon revolution?.
P. Marshall and B. Gearey (2009) Bayesian Chronologies: yet another radiocarbon revolution?. The Archaeologist 71: Magazine article [Details]
(2006)The Henge That Went Straight.
H. Chapman and B. Gearey (2006) The Henge That Went Straight. British Archaeology 90: Magazine article [Details]

Review Articles

 YearPublication
(2002)Foule and Flabby Quagmires: The Archaeology of Wetlands.
B. Gearey (2002) Foule and Flabby Quagmires: The Archaeology of Wetlands. Antiquity 76: Review Articles [Details]

Professional Activities

Honours and Awards

 YearTitleAwarding Body
2014Distinguished Visitor Scheme - UCLAN University of Central Lancashire

Teaching Activities

Teaching Interests

My current undergraduate teaching is: Introduction to Environmental Archaeology (AR2037), Wetland Archaeology and Palaeoenvironments (AR3051), and Archaeo-Palynology/Landscape Palaeoecology and Palynology (Ar3050/GG3051)

I am Programme Co-ordinator for the new Geography-Archaeology BA Course (CK 107)

Modules Taught

 Term (ID))TitleLinkSubject
2021Introduction to Environmental Archaeology AR2037Introduction to Environmental Archaeology
2021Archaeo-palynology AR3050Archaeo-palynology
2021Geoarchaeology Field School AR2046Geoarchaeology Field School
2021Landscape Palaeoecology and Palynology GG3051Landscape Palaeoecology and Palynology

Research Information

Internal Collaborators

 NameInstituteCountry
Dr Henry Chapman University of BirminghamENGLAND
Dr Maria McNamara BEES, UCCIRELAND

External Collaborators

 NameOrganisation / InstituteCountry
Dr Nicki Whitehouse University of PlymouthENGLAND
Dr Alexandra Fletcher British MuseumENGLAND
Dr Seren Griffiths Manchester Metropolitan UniversityENGLAND
Dr Ralph Fyfe University of PlymouthENGLAND
Dr Andy Howard Independent ResearcherENGLAND

Contact details

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Department of Archaeology

Seandálaíocht

Connolly Building, Dyke Parade, University College Cork, Cork City, T12 CY82, Ireland

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