Research by Catz alumni celebrated at international archaeology conference
Monday 5 December 2022
St Catharine’s was delighted that two alumni were celebrated during a recent international archaeology conference. The 22nd Congress of the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association (IPPA) took place on 6–12 November at Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Professor Charles Higham (1959, Archaeology & Anthropology; Honorary Fellow 2008) and Dr Sarah Paris (2015, Biological Anthropology) were singled out for recognition in different ways.
Dr Sarah Paris and Professor Charles Higham
A whole day of sessions was dedicated to “A Special Panel in Honour of Professor Charles F.W. Higham ONZM”. The IPPA organisers paid tribute to Professor Higham’s outstanding contribution as a driving force in Mainland Southeast Asian Holocene prehistory for over 50 years:
“Professor Higham’s career in Southeast Asia began in 1969 with surveys in Northeast Thailand and the excavation of Non Dua and Non Nong Chik, and continued with his zooarchaeological research at a number of important Thai sites during the 1970s. Professor Higham went on to co-direct major excavations at the settlement and/or cemetery sites of Ban Na Di (1981–82), Khok Phanom Di (1984–85), Nong Nor (1989–92), Ban Lum Khao (1995–96), Noen U-Loke (1999-2000), Ban Non Wat (2002-07) and Non Ban Jak (2011–17). This vast body of work has provided data for Professor Higham’s 100+ peer-reviewed articles, 100+ book chapters, 30+ books and monographs and countless public presentations. Of course, a great archaeologist is not measured by sites dug and pages written alone, but also by the achievements of their former students and their influence upon their colleagues.”
The conference organisers also selected Dr Paris to present during this special panel. She went on to win the prize for best student research presentation for her paper on the site of Khok Phanom Di, which had previously been excavated by Professor Higham. Commenting on her return to Cambridge after the conference, she said:
“My doctoral research focused on ochre use at Khok Phanom Di and it was always really important to me to go back and present my research in Thailand. When Charles and I met in 2018 I was working on ochre use in burials through taphonomic experiments and he asked whether I would like to look at the ochred burials at Khok Phanom Di – it was the opportunity of a lifetime. Two months later I found myself in Thailand, where I spent an exciting four-and-a-half months analysing the remains from Khok Phanom Di. Three weeks in I attended the 21st IPPA Congress in Vietnam, where I was introduced to Southeast Asian archaeology and the incredibly kind and welcoming research community who have since become colleagues and friends.
“In my recent presentation I jokingly described meeting Charles as completely derailing my research trajectory – for which I am truly grateful! I was both surprised and delighted to win a prize. I had many people to thank, but I ended with a Catz connection, remembering the late Dr Philip Oliver (1988) who had insisted on Charles and I meeting. The rest – one might say – is prehistory!”
Professor Higham explained why Khok Phanom Di was of such interest for him and Dr Paris:
“This quite remarkable site yielded human burials, successively interred over their ancestors over seven phases. Sarah analysed the incorporation of red ochre in each of the 155 graves. Her results clearly fascinated the packed audience for it was announced that she had won the prize for best student presentation. This should be considered in the light of the many students from all over the world who contributed on their research. It was a proud moment for St Catharine’s when Sarah went on stage to receive her award.”
