CROW - CultuRal co-evOlution of corvids: Winged omens of the times
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Department Name: Archaeology
Abstract
Birds play vital roles in our ecosystems and our lives - and have done so since before the origins of society. Corvids - including ravens, crows and jackdaws - are among the most widespread, successful and intelligent birds in the world, leading to a myriad of human-corvid interactions over the millennia. Such interactions have led to behavioural and cultural co-evolution between people and corvids, wherein humans and crows have learned from and adapted to one another throughout history. Corvids have learnt to thrive in new anthropogenic niches following human agricultural and urban expansion, in some cases despite our best efforts in trying to dissuade them using a range of passive deterrents (e.g. scarecrows) or far more lethal methods.
Across many cultures, corvids have been seen as messengers of the gods, prophets, omens, psychopomps (guides of the dead), and heralds of battle; in the UK, it is said if the ravens were to leave the Tower of London, Britain would fall. Yet these black-winged birds that feature so prominently in mythologies and symbolism around the world have become vilified as 'unclean' pests to be eradicated, with persecution ongoing today. How this dichotomy in corvid perspectives arose and, crucially, when and why corvids became demonized, is little understood. Zooarchaeological investigations of human-corvid relationships will not only unveil how interaction dynamics have changed over time, but also lay foundations for better understanding modern conflicts in avian conservation.
This project will address how, when and why human-corvid relationships changed over time, as well as seeking archaeological evidence to explore cultural co-evolution. It will focus on true corvids (common raven, Corvus corax; carrion crow, Corvus corone; rook, Corvus frugilegus; western jackdaw, Corvus monedula) in Britain from the Mesolithic to the present. It will adopt a four-fold interdisciplinary approach - combining zooarchaeological analysis, iconographic and literary examination, isotopic investigation, and conservation perspectives - to answer the following questions, each one laying the foundation for the next:
1) How does corvid representation and the contexts of their deposition change through time?
2) How did the treatment of individual birds and species change through time?
3) How did changing religious beliefs impact human-corvid relations?
4) How have human-sculpted environments altered corvid behaviour?
5) How can this deep-time understanding of corvids be utilised to improve modern relationships and conservation efforts?
From the dawn of agriculture to Roman ornithomancy (divination of the future using birds), from Christian perspectives to modern conflicts, amidst changing landscapes and shifting cultures - the roles and relationships between humans and these winged omens of the times will be explored. This study includes collaborations with Historic England, the Cornish Jackdaw Project and Sigmund Oehrl; the research is funded by South, West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnership 2, and supervised by Professor Naomi Sykes (University of Exeter) and Dr Stuart Black (University of Reading).
Across many cultures, corvids have been seen as messengers of the gods, prophets, omens, psychopomps (guides of the dead), and heralds of battle; in the UK, it is said if the ravens were to leave the Tower of London, Britain would fall. Yet these black-winged birds that feature so prominently in mythologies and symbolism around the world have become vilified as 'unclean' pests to be eradicated, with persecution ongoing today. How this dichotomy in corvid perspectives arose and, crucially, when and why corvids became demonized, is little understood. Zooarchaeological investigations of human-corvid relationships will not only unveil how interaction dynamics have changed over time, but also lay foundations for better understanding modern conflicts in avian conservation.
This project will address how, when and why human-corvid relationships changed over time, as well as seeking archaeological evidence to explore cultural co-evolution. It will focus on true corvids (common raven, Corvus corax; carrion crow, Corvus corone; rook, Corvus frugilegus; western jackdaw, Corvus monedula) in Britain from the Mesolithic to the present. It will adopt a four-fold interdisciplinary approach - combining zooarchaeological analysis, iconographic and literary examination, isotopic investigation, and conservation perspectives - to answer the following questions, each one laying the foundation for the next:
1) How does corvid representation and the contexts of their deposition change through time?
2) How did the treatment of individual birds and species change through time?
3) How did changing religious beliefs impact human-corvid relations?
4) How have human-sculpted environments altered corvid behaviour?
5) How can this deep-time understanding of corvids be utilised to improve modern relationships and conservation efforts?
From the dawn of agriculture to Roman ornithomancy (divination of the future using birds), from Christian perspectives to modern conflicts, amidst changing landscapes and shifting cultures - the roles and relationships between humans and these winged omens of the times will be explored. This study includes collaborations with Historic England, the Cornish Jackdaw Project and Sigmund Oehrl; the research is funded by South, West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnership 2, and supervised by Professor Naomi Sykes (University of Exeter) and Dr Stuart Black (University of Reading).
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Riley Smallman (Student) |