Julia Lee-Thorp

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Julia Lee-Thorp
Born (1951-04-20) 20 April 1951 (age 73)
Alma mater University of Cape Town
Known for Stable Light Isotope
Scientific career
FieldsArchaeological science
Institutions

Julia Anne Lee-Thorp, FBA (born 20 April 1951) is a South African archaeologist and academic. She is Head of the Stable Light Isotope Laboratory and Professor of Archaeological Science and Bioarchaeology at the University of Oxford. [1] Lee-Thorp is most well known for her work on dietary ecology and human origins, using stable isotope chemistry to study fossil bones and teeth. [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Lee-Thorp was born on 20 April 1951 in Cape Town, South Africa. [3] Studying at the University of Cape Town, she graduated with Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc) with a major in chemistry, and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees. [3] [4] Her doctoral thesis, titled "Stable carbon isotopes in deep time: the diets of fossil fauna and hominids," was completed in 1989 and demonstrated a method by which to significantly increase the applicable time-span of carbon isotopic analysis by using the mineral form of calcified animal tissue (apatite) as the sample material instead of traditionally used collagen. [5]

Academic career

Lee-Thorp remained at her alma mater, working as a senior research officer at the University of Cape Town's Archaeometry Research Unit (1991 to 1997). She was a senior lecturer in its Faculty of Science from 1998 to 2000 and an associate professor from 2001 to 2004. She was appointed Professor of Archaeology in 2005. [3]

In 2005, she moved to the United Kingdom to take up the post of research director of Archaeological, Geographical and Environmental Sciences at the University of Bradford. [3] She joined the University of Oxford in 2010 as Professor of Archaeological Science and a Fellow of St Cross College, Oxford. [4] [6] She has served as Vice-Head of the School of Archaeology from 2014 to 2016, [6] and was its Head from 2016. [3] She retired from full-time academia in 2019, and was appointed Emeritus Professor of Archaeological Science by Oxford. [7] [8] [9]

Research

Lee-Thorp has been involved in a number of projects in Africa, South America, and Europe. [10] In addition to diet, her more recent research has focused on the role of changing environment, climate, and farming techniques on ancient human societies. [10] Currently, she is involved in the Paleodeserts Project, [11] The Agricultural Origins of Urban Civilization (AGRICURB), [12] and Building a Better Eggtimer. [13]

Honours

In 2013, Lee-Thorp was elected a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA), the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and social sciences. [6]

She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa. [14]

Selected works

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. ↑ "Professor Julia Lee-Thorp". St Cross College. 6 August 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  2. ↑ "Professor Julia Lee-Thorp | The British Academy". The British Academy. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Lee-Thorp, Prof. Julia Anne". Who's Who 2018 . Oxford University Press. 1 December 2017. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U267093. ISBN   978-0-19-954088-4.
  4. 1 2 "Professor Julia Lee-Thorp". St Cross College. University of Oxford. 6 August 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  5. ↑ Lee-Thorp, Julia Anne (1989). Stable carbon isotopes in deep time: the diets of fossil fauna and hominids. Open UCT (Doctoral Thesis). University of Cape Town.
  6. 1 2 3 "Professor Julia Lee-Thorp". The British Academy. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  7. ↑ Lee-Thorp, Prof. Julia Anne. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2023. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U267093. ISBN   978-0-19-954088-4 . Retrieved 6 December 2023.{{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  8. ↑ "Lee-Thorp, Prof. Julia Anne, (born 20 April 1951), Professor of Archaeological Science, 2010–19, now Emeritus, and Head, School of Archaeology, 2016–19, University of Oxford; Fellow, St Cross College, Oxford, now Emerita". Who's Who 2024 . Oxford University Press. 1 December 2023.
  9. ↑ "Professor Julia Lee Thorp". School of Archaeology. University of Oxford. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Prof Julia Lee-Thorp – Palaeodeserts". www.palaeodeserts.com. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  11. ↑ "Palaeodeserts - Climate Change and Hominin Evolution in the Arabian Desert". www.palaeodeserts.com. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  12. ↑ "AGRICURB - School of Archaeology - University of Oxford". www.arch.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  13. ↑ "Eggtimer". sites.google.com. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  14. ↑ "Fellows (FRSSAf)". Royal Society of South Africa. December 2017. Archived from the original on 5 September 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
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