BA (Vassar), M.Phil (Cambridge), Ph.D. (Harvard)
Senior Lecturer
- Email Address
- joshua.wright@abdn.ac.uk
- Telephone Number
- +44 (0)1224 272322
- School/Department
- School of Geosciences
Biography
Wright is a landscape archaeologist with a research focus on East Asia. He studies the monumentality and movement, settlement patterns, mobile pastoralist economies, political landscapes, and the spatial structure of communities in many contexts. Currently he carries out research in Mongolia and China using primarily archaeological survey and other spatial data sources. His scholarly interests include the anthropology of mobility, the history of archaeology, the application of the archaeological perspective to the modern human experience of the past, studying the way that archaeological and other material remains of the past are interpreted as they are discovered and transformed into public presentations.
Previously, Wright was one of the directors of the first intensive archaeological surveys in Eastern Eurasia, the Egiin Gol Survey (1997-2002) and the Baga Gazaryn Chuluu Project (2004-2008) in Mongolia and key member of the Chengdu Plain Archaeological Survey (2007-2010). He was also a participant in field research on the origins of rice agriculture, and the foundations of the Bronze Age Erlitou and Shang states. He received his Ph.D. in Anthropology from Harvard University (2006, Anthropology) where he studied the adoption of nomadic pastoralism and the dynamics of subsistence and landscape in Northern Mongolia and before that an M.Phil. from Cambridge University (East Asia Archaeology 1995) with a thesis on Neolithic Dawenkou culture mortuary ritual. In addition to China and Mongolia, he has carried out fieldwork in Greece,Turkey, China, Egypt, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Greece, Mexico, India, Pakistan Jordan and Belize.
Internal Memberships
Convener of the Northern Archaeology Research Seminar Series
Member of the Geosciences IT working group and Virtual Learning Environment Teaching and Learning Group
Director of Education for the School of Geosciences
Research Areas
Accepting PhDs
I am currently accepting PhDs in Archaeology.
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your research ideas further.
Research Specialisms
- Landscape Studies
- Asian Studies
- Geographical Information Systems
- Social Sciences
- Bronze Age
Our research specialisms are based on the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS) which is HESA open data, published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
Current Research
Khitan-Liao Archaeological Survey and History Project, Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, China
Dornod Mongol Survey, Mongolia
Keros-Naxos Seaways Project , Greece
Say Kah Archaeological Project, Belize
Available to supervise PhD Students in topics involving Eurasia, Asia, Landscape Archaeology, Monuments, Mobility, Archaeological GIS and Databases.
Supervision
My current supervision areas are: Archaeology.
I supervise Ph.D.s focused on regional landscape archaeology and its contexts as well as topics focused on East Asia and Eurasia.
Programmes
- Undergraduate, 4 year, September start
- Undergraduate, 4 year, September start
- Undergraduate, 4 year, September start
- Undergraduate, 4 year, September start
- Undergraduate, 4 year, September start
- Undergraduate, 4 year, September start
Teaching Responsibilities
Course Coordinator
Caves to Kingdoms: An Introduction to Prehistoric Archaeology (AY1503)
Past Lives (AY2508)
Archaeological Research Project Design (AY3512)
The Archaeology of East Asia:Rice, Rites and Sacrifice (AY4519)
Eurasian Archaeology (AY5513)
Contributing Lecturer
Archaeology in Action (AY1003)
Creating the Anthropocene (GG1010)
Prehistoric Britain (AY2009)
Practical Archaeology I (AY3010)
Advanced Archaeological Science (AY3021)
Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems (GG3069)
Archaeologies of Landscape (AY3504)
Northern Peoples and Cultures (AY5501)
Current Issues in Archaeology (AY4510)
Archaeological Methods (AY5002)
Advanced Archaeological Approaches (AY5504)
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An ensemble machine learning bioavailable strontium isoscape for Eastern Canada
Le Corre, M., Dargent, F., Grimes, V., Wright, J., Côté, S. D., Reich, M. S., Candau, J., Miller, M., Holmes, B., Bataille, C. P., Britton, K.FACETS, vol. 10, pp. 1-17Contributions to Journals: ArticlesMongolian Archaeology Tomorrow
Wright, J.Non-textual Forms: Web Publications and Websites- [ONLINE] Link to blog
[Re]Integrating a dispersed agenda: advancing archaeological research in Central Eurasia
Rouse, L. M., Doumani Dupuy, P. N., Abdykanova, A., Brite, E. b., Hermes, T. R., Kidd, F., Luneau, E., Miller, B. k., Radivojević, M., Shnaider, S., Tabaldyev, K., Ventresca-Miller, A., Wright, J.Antiquity, vol. 98, no. 400, pp. 1088–1096Contributions to Journals: Comments and DebatesMultiresource Pastoralism, Dynamic Foodways, and Ancient Statecraft in Mongolia
Honeychurch, W., Amartuvshin, C., Wright, J., Carolus, C., Hrivnyak, M.Land, vol. 12, no. 9, 1715Contributions to Journals: ArticlesApproaches to Archaeological Surface Survey
Wright, J.Handbook of Archaeological Sciences. Pollard, A. M., Armitage, R. A., Makarewicz, C. (eds.). 2nd edition. Wiley, 16 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: ChaptersThe sanctuary at Keros in the Aegean Early Bronze Age: from centre of congregation to centre of power
Renfrew, C., Boyd, M. J., Athanasoulis, D., Brodie, N., Carter, T., Dellaporta, K., Floquet, M., Gavalas, G., Georgakopoulou, M., Gkouma, M., Hilditch, J., Krijnen, A., Legaki, I., Margaritis, E., Marthari, M., Moutafi, I., Philaniotou, O., Sotirakopoulou, P., Wright, J.Journal of Greek Archaeology, vol. 7, pp. 1-36Contributions to Journals: ArticlesRadiocarbon dating and cultural dynamics across Mongolia’s early pastoral transition
Taylor, W., Wilkin, S., Wright, J., Dee, M., Erdene, M., Clark, J., Tuvshinjargal, T., Bayarsaikhan, J., Fitzhugh, W., Boivin, N.PloS ONE, vol. 14, no. 11, e0224241Contributions to Journals: ArticlesAgainst the Mane: How Barbaric Was the ‘The Golden Age of Barbarians’?
Wright, J.Cambridge Archaeological Journal, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 712-714Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959774319000428
‘All those Rocks….were Talking to Each Other’: Three Scenes of Archaeologists at Work
Jackson, S. E., Wright, J., Brown, L. A.Norwegian Archaeological Review, vol. 52, no. 2, pp. 144-147Contributions to Journals: Comments and Debates- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00293652.2019.1705890
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Proto-Urban Establishments in Inner Asia: Surveys of an Iron Age Walled Site in Eastern Mongolia
Miller, B. K., Furholt, M., Bayarsaikhan, J., Tüvshinjargal, T., Brandtstätter, L., Wright, J., Ayush, T., Wunderlich, T.Journal of Field Archaeology, vol. 44, no. 4, pp. 267-286Contributions to Journals: ArticlesThe earliest Bronze Age culture of the south-eastern Gobi Desert, Mongolia
Wright, J., Ganbaatar, G., Honeychurch, W., Byambatseren, B., Rosen, A. M.Antiquity, vol. 93, no. 368, pp. 393-411Contributions to Journals: ArticlesCountermapping the Past: Reenvisioning Ancient Maya Spaces at Say Kah, Belize
Jackson, S. E., Wright, J., Brown, L. A.Norwegian Archaeological Review, vol. 52, no. 2, pp. 109-136Contributions to Journals: Articles蒙古东南部的宏观纪念碑和考古景观
Wright, J. S. C.The Archaeology of Northern Ethnicity, vol. 6Contributions to Journals: ArticlesBronze Age population dynamics and the rise of dairy pastoralism on the eastern Eurasian steppe
Jeong, C., Wilkin, S., Amgalantugs, T., Bouwman, A., Taylor, W., Hagan, R., Bromage, S., Tsolmon, S., Trachsel, C., Grossmann, J., Littleton, J., Makarewicz, C., Krigbaum, J., Burri, M., Scott, A., Davaasambuu, G., Wright, J., Irmer, F., Myagmar, E., Boivin, N., Robbeets, M., Rühli, F., Krause, J., Frohlich, B., Hendy, J., Warinner, C.PNAS, vol. 115, no. 48, pp. 11248-11255Contributions to Journals: ArticlesArcheology of the Lu City: Place memory and urban foundation in Early China
Li, M., Fang, H., Zheng, T., Rosen, A., Wright, H., Wright, J., Wang, Y.Archaeological Research in Asia, vol. 14, pp. 151-160Contributions to Journals: ArticlesHouseholds without Houses: Mobility and Moorings on the Eurasian Steppe
Wright, J.Journal of Anthropological Research, vol. 72, no. 2, pp. 133-157Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/686297
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/8411/1/686297.pdf
Describing Microenvironments used for Nomadic Pastoralist Habitation Sites: Explanatory tools for Surfaces, Places and Networks.
Wright, J. S. C.The Archaeology of Human-Environment Interactions. Contreras, D. (ed.). Routledge, pp. 211-228, 18 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: ChaptersPerceptions of pasture: The Role of Skills and Networks in Maintaining Stable Pastoral Nomadic Systems in Inner Asia: Climate and Ancient Societies
Wright, J., Makarewicz, C.Climate and Ancient Societies. Kerner, S., Bangsgaard, P. (eds.). Museum Tusculanum Press, pp. 267-288, 22 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: ChaptersInequality on the Surface: Horses, power, and practice in the Eurasian Bronze Age
Wright, J.Animals and Inequality in the Ancient World. Arbuckle, B., McCarty, S. (eds.). University Press of ColoradoChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: ChaptersA Possible Archaeological Case for the Taxation of Medieval Eurasian Nomads
Wright, J.The Journal of Economic and Social History of the Orient, vol. 58, no. 3, pp. 267-292Contributions to Journals: ArticlesThe Archaeology of Power and Politics in Eurasia, Regimes and Revolutions
Wright, J.Cambridge Archaeological Journal, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 318-320Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S095977431400033X
The Work of Monuments: Reflections on Spatial, Temporal and Social Orientations in Mongolia and the Maya Lowlands
Jackson, S. E., Wright, J.Cambridge Archaeological Journal, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 117-140Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959774314000018
Grammars of Design: Tools for Reading Khirigsuurs
Wright, J.Studia Archaeologica, vol. XXXIV, pp. 142-163Contributions to Journals: ArticlesLand ownership and landscape belief
Wright, J.The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Death and Burial. Nilsson Stutz, L., Tarlow, S. (eds.). Oxford University Press, pp. 405-420, 16 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters (Peer-Reviewed)- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199569069.013.0022
Settlement Patterns in the Chifeng Region
Wright, J. S. C.Journal of Anthropological Research, vol. 69, no. 2, pp. 270-271Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesThe younger Dryas in arid Northeast Asia
Wright, J., Janz, L.Hunter-Gatherer Behavior: Human Response during the Younger Dryas. Eren, M. (ed.). Left Coast Press, pp. 231-247, 17 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: ChaptersLandscapes of Inequality? A Critique of Monumental Hierarchy in the Mongolian Bronze Age
Wright, J.Asian Perspectives, vol. 51, no. 2, pp. 139-163Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/asi.2014.0008
Message from the Far Eastern Neolithic: The Session ‘Pottery and Neolithisation in East Asiaʼ of the Society for East Asian Archaeology Conference in Fukuoka, Japan
Wright, J. S. C.NEO-LITHICS: The Newsletter of Southwest Asian Neolithic Research, vol. 2012, no. 1, pp. 41-42Contributions to Journals: LettersTemporal Perspectives on the Monumental Constellations of Inner Asia
Wright, J. S. C.“As time goes by?” Monumentality, Landscapes and the Temporal Perspective. Rudolf HabeltChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: ChaptersThe Gobi Region During the Younger Dryas
Wright, J. S. C.Hunter-Gatherer Transitions Through the Younger Dryas: A global perspective. Left Coast Press IncChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters (Peer-Reviewed)The Xiongnu Settlements of Egiin Gol, Mongolia
Wright, J., Honeychurch, W., Amartuvshin, C.Antiquity, vol. 83, no. 320, pp. 372–387Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003598X00098495
Re-Writing Monumental Landscapes as Inner Asian Political Process: Monuments, Metals, and Mobility: Trajectories of Complexity in the Late Prehistory of the Eurasian Steppe
Honeychurch, W., Wright, J., Amartuvshin, C.Monuments, Metals, and Mobility: Trajectories of Complexity in the Late Prehistory of the Eurasian Steppe. Hanks, B., Linduff, K. (eds.). Cambridge University Press, pp. 330-357, 28 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters“Unseen by Eye, Unheard by Ear”: The Archaeology of the Early Türks at Baga Gazrynn Chuluu, Mongolia
Wright, J., Amartuvshin, C.Current Archaeological Research in Mongolia: Papers from the First International Conference on “Archaeological Research in Mongolia” held in Ulaanbaatar, August 19th–23rd, 2007. Bemmann, J., Parzinger, H., Pohl, E., Tseveendorzh, D. (eds.). Vor- und Frühgeschichtliche Archäologie Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, pp. 349-363, 15 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters