Dr Idoia Grau Sologestoa

School of History, Philosophy and Digital Humanities

Honorary Research Fellow

Dr Idoia Grau-Sologestoa
Profile picture of Dr Idoia Grau-Sologestoa
i.grau-sologestoa@sheffield.ac.uk
Profile

I am a zooarchaeologist working on the history of human-animal relationships during historical periods.

I have a first Bachelor degree in History (2006) and a D.E.A. in Medieval Archaeology (2009) from the University of the Basque Country, where I also did my PhD (2014), on the Zooarchaeology of northern Spain during the Middle Ages. I have been involved in fieldwork in Spain and Italy, in archaeological sites such as Zornoztegi, Zaballa, Aistra, Los Husos or Cugnano, spanning from the Calcolithic to the Modern period. I collaborate with various Basque archaeological companies as a freelance zooarchaeologist.

After completing my PhD at the University of the Basque Country and co-supervised by Umberto Albarella (from the University of Sheffield), I briefly worked at the University of Nottingham in 2014. From 2015-2017 I held a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Sheffield, funded by the Government of the Basque Country for working on a project investigating changes in animal husbandry between the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period in England and in the Basque Country.

Since 2018, I am Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at the Integrative Prähistorische und Naturwissenschaftliche Archäologie (IPNA) at the University of Basel (Switzerland), with the project: ‘Supplying ancient empires and medieval economies: Changes in animal husbandry between the Late Roman period and the Early Middle Ages in the Rhine Valley — ZooRoMed.

Qualifications
  • 2014- PhD in Zooarchaeology – University of the Basque Country
  • 2009- D.E.A. (Certificate of Advanced Studies, equivalent to a MSc) in Medieval Archaeology – University of the Basque Country
  • 2006- BA in History – University of the Basque Country
Research interests

My research is mainly focused on the history of human-animal relationships through archaeological evidence, and I mainly work on animal husbandry, social differentiation through diet and taphonomy of historical periods, from Roman to Contemporary times. So far, I have carried out my research in Spain, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.

My main areas of interest include:

  • Animal husbandry
  • Social differentiation through diet
  • Biometry
  • Exploitation of birds
  • Taphonomy
  • Worked bone and antler

I also love communicating archaeological research to the general public. I participate in public engagement activities whenever I have the chance, and I am very active in different forms of social media for myself and for the research groups and projects that I am part of.

Research Projects/Collaborations

  • 2015 – 2017- Postdoctoral fellow funded by the Basque Government at the Department of Geography, prehistory and Archaeology at the University of the Basque Country. 
  • 2014- Postdoctoral Research Affiliate at the AHRC funded project "Changing Scientific and Cultural Perspectives on Human-Chicken Interactions", Dpt. Of Archaeology, U. of Nottingham, United Kingdom.
  • “EICAM-Estudo Interdisciplinar sobre Comunidades Alto Medievais - séculos V a XI", funded by the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, and directed by C. Tente (Universidade Nova de Lisboa). http://www.eicam-iem.fcsh.unl.pt/
  • “Desigualdad en los paisajes medievales del norte peninsular: los marcadores arqueológicos”, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, directed by J.A. Quirós Castillo (U. País Vasco).
  • “La génesis del paisaje medieval en el Norte Peninsular: Arqueología de las aldeas de los siglos V al XII”, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, directed by J.A. Quirós Castillo (U. País Vasco).
  • “La formación de los paisajes medievales en el Norte Peninsular y en Europa: Agricultura y Ganadería, los siglos V al XII”, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, directed by J.A. Quirós Castillo (U. País Vasco
Grants

Grants and Fellowships

  • 2018 – Present- Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellow at the Integrative Prähistorische und Naturwissenschaftliche Archäologie (IPNA) at the University of Basel (Switzerland), with the project: ‘Supplying ancient empires and medieval economies: Changes in animal husbandry between the Late Roman period and the Early Middle Ages in the Rhine Valley — ZooRoMed
  • 2015- Postdoctoral fellow funded by the Basque Government at the Dpt. de Geografía, Prehistoria y Arqueología at the U. País Vasco, Spain.
  • October 2014- Runner-up award of the IX Premio de Historia Agraria given by the SEHA (Spanish Society for Agrarian History), in October 2014. This paper is an extract of the PhD thesis.
  • 01/09/2007 – 31/08/2011- Formación del Personal Investigador doctoral fellowship funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, Dpt. de Geografía, Prehistoria y Arqueología at the U. País Vasco, Spain.
  • 01/06/2007 – 30/06/2007- Personal Investigador en Formación doctoral fellowship funded by the University of the Basque Country, Dpt. de Geografía, Prehistoria y Arqueología at the U. País Vasco, Spain.
  • 01/01/2006 – 30/06/2006- Undergraduate collaboration fellowship, funded by the Basque Government, Departamento de Geografía, Prehistoria y Arqueología at the U. País Vasco, Spain
Professional activities and memberships
  • 2016 – Present- Member of the SPMA (Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology)
  • 2011 – Present- Member of the EAA (European Association of Archaeologists)
  • 2008 – Present- Member of the ICAZ (International Council for Archaeozoology)
  • 2008 – Present- Member of Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi 
Selected Publications
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I., Quirós Castillo, J.A., 2020. Arqueología de la Edad Moderna en el País Vasco y su entorno. Oxford: Archaeopress.
  • Quirós Castillo, J.A., Grau-Sologestoa, I., 2020. "Arqueología de la Edad Moderna en el País Vasco. Una arqueología en construcción, un patrimonio en expansión", in Grau-Sologestoa, I. and Quirós Castillo, J.A. (eds.) Arqueología de la Edad Moderna en el País Vasco y su entorno, pp. 1-22. Oxford: Archaeopress.
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I., 2020. "Livestock size change and animal husbandry between the Late Middle Ages and the Modern Era in the Basque Country and its surroundings", in Grau-Sologestoa, I. and Quirós Castillo, J.A. (eds.) Arqueología de la Edad Moderna en el País Vasco y su entorno, pp. 140-164. Oxford: Archaeopress.
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I., 2019. “Comprendre la gestion des déchets et les procédés de formation de leurs sites de traitement au sein des communautés rurales médiévales : quelques réflexions fondées sur des données archéozoologiques du Nord de la Péninsule Ibérique”, in Conesa, M. & Poirier, N. (eds.), Fumiers ! Ordures ! Gestion et usage des déchets dans les campagnes de l’Occident médiéval et moderne, Flaran XXXVIII, Toulouse: Presses Universitaires du Midi, pp. 191-210.
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I., 2019. “Estudio de los materiales faunísticos (mamíferos y aves) y de la industria ósea del yacimiento de Zornoztegi”, in Quirós Castillo, J.A. (ed.), Arqueología de una comunidad campesina medieval: Zornoztegi (Álava), Documentos de Arqueología Medieval 13, Bilbao: UPV/EHU, pp. 377-400.
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I., Albarella, U. 2019. “The ‘long’ sixteenth century: a key period of animal husbandry change in England”, Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 11:2781-2803.
  • Ricci, P., García-Collado, M.I., Narbarte Hernández, J., Grau Sologestoa, I., Quirós Castillo, J.A., Lubritto, C. 2018. “Chronological characterization of Medieval Villages in Northern Iberia: A multi-integrated approach”, The European Physical Journal Plus 133, p. 375.
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I. 2018. “Pots, chicken and building deposits: the archaeology of folk and official religion during the High Middle Ages in the Basque Country”, Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 49, 8-18.
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I., García-García, M. 2018. “Zooarqueología y Edad Media en la península ibérica”, in Quirós Castillo, J.A. (ed.) Treinta Años de Arqueología Medieval en España. Oxford: Archaeopress, pp. 341-364.
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I., Quirós Castillo, J.A. 2017. “Peasant economy in Late Roman Alava: Zooarchaeology of Zornoztegi”. Archaeofauna 26, pp. 87-102.
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I. 2017. "Socio-economic status and religious identity in medieval Iberia: the zooarchaeological evidence", Environmental Archaeology 22 (2), pp. 189-199.
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I. 2017. "La ganadería en el País Vasco entre los siglos VI y X: evidencia zooarqueológica", in Villar Mañas, S., García García M. (eds.) Ganadería y Arqueología Medieval, Granada: Alhulia, pp. 57-71.
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I. 2016. “Faunal remains and social inequality in the Basque Country during the Early Middle Ages”, in Quirós Castillo, J.A. (ed.), Social complexity in early medieval rural communities. The north-western Iberia archaeological record during the Early Middle Ages. Oxford: Archaeopress, pp. 47-58.
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I., Albarella, U., Quirós Castillo, J.A. 2016. “Urban medieval and post-medieval zooarchaeology in the Basque Country: meat supply and consumption, Quaternary International 399, pp. 1-12.
  • Jervis, B., Broderick, L., Grau-Sologestoa, I. (Eds) 2016. Objects, Environment, and Everyday Life in Medieval Europe, Turnhout: Brepols. ISBN: 978-2-503-55503-4.
  • Jervis, B., Broderick, L. and Grau-Sologestoa, I. 2016. “Introduction: everyday life in Medieval Europe”, in Jervis, B., Broderick, L., Grau-Sologestoa, I. (Eds), Objects, Environment, and Everyday Life in Medieval Europe, Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 1-15
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I. 2015. “Livestock management in Spain from Roman times to the post-medieval period: biometrical analysis of cattle, sheep/goat and pig”, Journal of Archaeological Science 54, pp. 123-13
  • Quirós Castillo, J.A., García Collado, M.I., Ricci, P., Grau-Sologestoa, I. and Lubritto, C. 2015. "A Bayesian approach to reconstruct occupational sequence of Northern Iberia Medieval villages", 1st International Conference on Metrology for Archaeology, Benevento, pp. 259-264
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I., 2015. The Zooarchaeology of Medieval Alava in its Iberian Context, BAR International Series. ISBN: 9781407314457
  • Jervis, B., Broderick, L. and Grau-Sologestoa, I. (Eds) 2015. Objects, Environment, and Everyday Life in Medieval Europe, Brepols: Turnhout. ISBN: 978-2-503-55503-4
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I., 2014. "La economía campesina a la luz del registro zooarqueológico: la ganadería medieval de la Península Ibérica". Took the runner-up award of the IX Premio de Historia Agraria given by the SEHA (Spanish Society for Agrarian History), in October 2014
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I. 2014. “Waste management at early medieval rural sites in northern Spain: taphonomic issues for interpreting faunal remains", Quaternary International 330, pp. 97-108
  • Sirignano, C., Grau-Sologestoa, I., Ricci, P., García-Collado, M.I., Altieri, S., Quirós Castillo, J.A., Lubritto, C., 2014. “Animal husbandry during Early and High Middle Ages in the Basque Country (Spain)”, Quaternary International 346, pp. 138-148
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I. & Valenzuela-Lamas, S. 2014: "Zooarchaeology today-Spain", ICAZ Newsletter 15 (1), spring 2014, pp. 5-6
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I. 2014. "Informe zooarqueológico de las termas de Arcaya", in Loza Lengaran, R., Loza Iriarte, M. & Niso Lorenzo, J., Las termas romanas de Arcaya / Suestatium (Arkaia. Vitoria-Gasteiz), Memoria de las intervenciones arqueológicas en Otazibarra (1976-1982), Memorias de yacimientos alaveses 13, Vitoria-Gasteiz: Diputación Foral de Álava, pp. 398-403
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I. 2013. “El registro faunístico de los asentamientos rurales altomedievales”, en Quirós Castillo, J.A. (ed.), El poblamiento rural de época visigoda en Hispania. Arqueología del campesinado en el interior peninsular, Documentos de Arqueología Medieval 6, Bilbao
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I. 2013. “Zooarqueología de las aldeas y villas vascas: actividad ganadera en la Edad Media”, Debates de Arqueología Medieval
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I. 2012. “Estudio zooarqueológico: los restos de mamíferos y aves”, en Quirós Castillo, J.A. (dir.), Arqueología del campesinado medieval: la aldea de Zaballa, Documentos de Arqueología Medieval 3, Bilbao: Universidad del País Vasco, pp. 419-452
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I. 2012. “¿El zooarqueólogo, una especie en vías de extinción? Los estudios de fauna en la universidad y en las empresas de Arqueología”, en las actas de las IV Jornadas de Jóvenes en Investigación Arqueológica – JIA 2011, celebradas en la Universidad de Algarve (Faro, Portugal), en mayo de 2011, pp. 299-304
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I., Hernández Beloqui, B. and Sopelana Salcedo, I. 2012. “Muestreo bioarqueológico para un equipo interdisciplinar”, en Castro Correa, A. et al. (ed.), Estudiar el pasado: aspectos metodológicos de la investigación en Ciencias de la Antigüedad y de la Edad Media, Proceedings of the First Postgraduate Conference on Studies of Antiquity and Middle Ages, U. Autònoma de Barcelona, 26-28th October 2010, BAR International Series, pp. 181-188
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I. 2012. “Agriculture and ironwork in the Middle Ages: new evidence of bone anvils in Spain”, Munibe Atropología-Arqueología 63, pp. 305-319
  • Grau-Sologestoa, I. 2009. “Ganadería en la Alta Edad Media. Estudio comparativo de los yacimientos alaveses de Zornoztegi, Zaballa y Salvatierra-Agurain”, en Munibe Atropología-Arqueología, 60, pp. 253-280.

Links

Academia  ResearchGate  Zooarchaeology Short Courses  Zoociedad-Zoociety  ZooRoMed