Michelle Comber

(MENAFN- The Conversation)

• Lecturer in Archaeology, School of Geography, Archaeology and Irish Studies, University of Galway

Profile Articles

Dr. Michelle Comber's research interests lie mainly in the archaeology of Ireland's Early Medieval period, especially its fine metalwork, economy, and settlement. Michelle is a graduate of the Department of Archaeology, University of Galway (then NUI Galway), having completed her primary degree in 1994 (in English and Archaeology), Masters degree in 1996 as an NUI Galway fellow (examining the production of fine metalwork in Early Medieval Ireland), and PhD in 2000 as one of the first IRCHSS scholars (exploring the economy of native Early Medieval settlement in Ireland).

She then held a one-year post-doctoral research post at the Centre for the Study of Human Settlement and Historical Change (now the Moore Institute) at University of Galway, and has over 30 years excavation experience. She has been tutoring and lecturing with the Archaeology department at University of Galway since 1994, initially directing the department's part-time diplomas in archaeology. She also served, until 2014, as Academic Co-ordinator of the Irish Studies Online programme, a series of web-based courses in Irish Studies developed by (then) NUI, Galway in conjunction with Regis University, Denver, Colorado, and - in addition -directed the university's diploma in Irish Studies until 2023.

Undergraduate and postgraduate lecturing and supervision concentrates on the archaeology of Ireland and Europe's Early Medieval and Medieval periods, artefact studies, and archaeological excavation and post-excavation. Modules include, for example, Archaeology and Irish Identity, Introduction to Archaeological Excavation, and Archaeological Post-excavation.

Michelle is currently writing up the results of a major research project examining the archaeological landscape of the Burren, Co. Clare, involving over a decade of excavations at Caherconnell in the heart of the Burren (where she was director of an international field school: the Caherconnell Archaeological Field School). A new research project on the Maree peninsula, Co. Galway is designed to examine land-use through time, and is partnering with other ENLIGHT universities and Ireland's Discovery Programme.

Experience

• –present Lecturer, School of Geography, Archaeology and Irish Studies, University of Galway

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