Professor Matthew Collins FBA
- Fellow type
- UK Fellow
- Year elected
- 2014
- Subjects
- Archaeology
- Sections
- Archaeology
Summary
Matthew Collins was previously Professor of Archaeology at the University of York. He is the founder of BioArCh, a joint initiative between the Departments of Biology, Chemistry and Archaeology to further the use of biomolecular methods to tackle archaeological problems. His research focuses on the persistence of proteins in ancient samples, using modelling to explore the racemization of amino acids and thermal history to predict the survival of DNA and other molecules. In particular he is interested in developing technological solutions of direct practical application in the humanities. Using a combination of approaches (including immunology and protein mass spectrometry) his research detects and interprets protein remnants in archaeological and fossil remains. This includes using peptide fingerprinting to identify animal species in bones, manuscripts and other tissues, using protein mass spectroscopy to explore proteomes in ancient tissues, and to recovery dietary signals, and protein degradation as a tool to estimate the age of samples.
Current post
McDonald Professor in Palaeoproteomics, University of Cambridge
Publications
Other Fellows of the British Academy
Professor John Robb FBA
John Robb FBA is Professor in the Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge.
Professor Kristian Kristiansen FBA
The later prehistory of western Eurasia, especially the Bronze Age, including archaeogenetics and the theoretical implications of the aDNA revolution, critical heritage studies, as well as the history and politics of archaeology
Professor Marcella Frangipane FBA
Prehistory and Protohistory of the Near East, rise of inequality, early centralised political economy strategies, urbanisation, early bureaucracy and the origin of State, with particular reference to Anatolia and Mesopotamia
