Ruth Tringham (b. 1940) was seven feet tall with pale green skin, spiky brown hair and a tie-dyed shirt. Yet she did not particularly stand out, as her class included an animated squirrel, a tattooed woman with blank blue eyes and horns, and a man in a loincloth with a king’s crown and an enormous trowel. The venue for her class was Second Life, where she and a team from the University of California, Berkeley had reconstructed the Neolithic site of Catalhoyuk in the virtual world. In a long career marked by such creativity and innovation this virtual reconstruction was only one of Ruth’s experiments in interpretation in archaeology.
Ruth was born in Bedfordshire, England and attended the University of Edinburgh, where she eventually received her PhD in 1966. She taught at University College London, Harvard, and then at University of California, Berkeley. Ruth’s early work in experimental lithics use-wear studies were formative in the field, but it was her later work in household archaeology that would hold her attention for most of her research career. In Bulgaria and the former Yugoslavia Ruth became interested in the life-history of the house, forming the groundwork for much of the household archaeology that came after. When she realized that she had been imagining people in the past as “faceless blobs” instead of as active, gendered participants in their own stories, she began to question traditional forms of interpretation in archaeology.
Later, Ruth’s work at Çatalhöyük was marked by a number of innovations, including active digital video recording at excavations, experiments with burning, and interpretive video/audio walks wherein the user could choose their own path and storyline. She has published this work in a massive volume, Last House on the Hill.
After teaching for 45 years, Ruth has attained emeritus status from the University of California, Berkeley and is now the creative director of the Center for Digital Archaeology.
Learn more about experiments such as Okapi Island and Remixing Catalhoyuk.
Post submitted by C. L. Morgan @clmorgan
Edited by @brennawalks
Hi Ruth
I am Dorothy Griffiths an Archaeologist, and a naturalized Jamaica-American citizen presently living in the United States of America. I studied Archaeology in Jamaica as well as I worked there for over eight years at the Archaeology Division in Jamaica.I started out my career as a teacher I studied English Language and Library Science at Mico College University in Jamaica.
After completing five years as a teacher I decided to change my career, good fortune guided me to study History and Archaeology at the University of the West Indies. After working with artifacts for 8 years I always asked questions of the artifacts that they couldn’t answer. I was directed to pursue advanced study at University of Leicester by a visiting Professor from University of Leicester. I have never lived in a European country or ever travelled to one. I always loved a challenge.
I completed my program in MA Post- Excavation Skills at University of Leicester 1999-2000. I further set my prospects at further studies at Staffordshire University to pursue more advanced studies in History of Ceramics because that was my original thrust which was not fully realised at University of Leicester. However, financial misfortune stepped in and I was only able to complete the certificate level at the time.
I returned to Jamaica and unfortunately I wasn’t able to resume my post at my former place of employment. I later migrated to the United States of America. I have been in the USA for the last ten years. Over the years I have completed more than I can recall mountains of application for employment in Archaeology with negative or no responses. After attending the Current Archaeology Conference in London in 2019 I decided that I had had enough of the closed door.
I returned to the USA after my second conference in 2020 and decided to sign up for Field School in the USA instead of looking to the UK which was my first choice seeing America had ignored me over the years. Due to Covid-19 I was forced to stay grounded. I braved the virus, and on September 13-26 I decided to pursue Field School.
On my return I continued my pursuit of Archaeology job applications but to date no positive responses.
The bottom line of all this argument that confronts me is, “Why are the white dominated careers closing the doors to black applicants.?” I do believe beyond the shadow of a doubt that I am the only black female Archaeologist here in New York seeking employment in my field.
I have been submitting applications to the UK because there the posits advertised more befits my area of study and expertise than in reflected in America. But UK like America has been ignoring me. I recently attempted to apply for an open position in the UK, Finds Assistant. The application was soon closed to me because it asked if I had a work permit. The stark reality is I can’t get a work permit if I have not been given an offer. I see myself as a child of the Commonwealth and I urge you to consider assisting me to get to the UK to practice my craft, my skills are unique, and untapped.
This is very long, but do patiently read I have not been fortunate to lift another platform where I can register my concerns and frustration.
See my CV for a bird’s eye view – If you don’t mind.