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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hfthompson2@sheffield.ac.uk
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Thesis title:  Spanish colonial impact: investigating Spanish-Indigenous dynamics in Panamá, Argentina, and Chile through ceramic technology and exchange (1400-1700 CE)

Supervisors: 

I graduated from McGill ϳԹ 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 ϳԹ of Exeter in the Department of Archaeology. These experiences cemented my interest in archaeology. 

I completed my MA in Cultural Materials from the ϳԹ of Sheffield 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’s, 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’m 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 – ϳԹ of Sheffield, UK 
  • 2016- BA Art History & Anthropology – McGill ϳԹ, Canada
Research group
Grants

Grants & Awards

  • 2020 – Present- Faculty of Arts and Humanities Research Scholarship, ϳԹ of Sheffield
  • 2019- Patricia Phillips Prize, ϳԹ of Sheffield
  • 2019- European Meeting on Ancient Ceramics Student’s Award
Professional activities and memberships
  • 2020 – Present-  PetraScience Consultants Inc – Archaeological Consultant
  • 2020- PGR Year One student representative – ϳԹ of Sheffield
  • 2018 – 2019-  MA Cultural Materials student representative – ϳԹ of Sheffield
  • 2018 – 2019- MA Department & Faculty student representative – ϳԹ of Sheffield 
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, ϳԹ of Sheffield

Conference Presentations

  • Thompson, H. F., Day, P. M., Buxeda i Garrigós, J., Cocco, G., Campagnolo, L., Ots, M. J., Bárcena, 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.

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