From Soil to Sky: Using Earth's Ancient Past for a Modern Future

Given modern environmental challenges like climate change, archaeology may offer a deep appreciation of the natural world. Five thousand years ago, the a ceramics tradition called Grooved Ware appeared in the Orkne Islands and spread throughout Britain. Do the designs and motifs in the pottery capture their makers' perceptions of the natural world? The key to unlocking this question was found in the context of the Grooved Ware sites, reflecting the late Neolithic landscapes in which they were buried.

Beneath our feet lies a hidden archive of life’s past—ancient DNA preserved in sediments. From Ice Age megafauna to ancient humans, fragments of genetic material trapped in soil and cave floors offer a revolutionary way to reconstruct vanished ecosystems and answer fundamental questions about who we are and where we came from. In this talk, we’ll explore some of the secrets revealed by ancient DNA and delve into new research looking to unlock the mysteries behind the incredible preservation of this genetic material in sediments. Join us on our journey to decode the secrets buried in the earth!

Howdy! I'm Nathan, a 3rd Year PhD Student at the University of Manchester. I spend much of my time pursuing hobbies and skills that will assist me in becoming an Astronaut one day. Practical skills like gardening, active hobbies like martial arts and snowboarding, as well as training to be an Analogue Astronaut. My academic background is in physics but I shifted focus to palaeobiomimicry, or, in other words, fossil-inspired engineering. The talk I shall be presenting is all about how Pterosaurs, the first and largest vertebrates to fly, can help us design the next generation of aircraft.