Page 98 - BBC Focus - August 2017

MY LIFE SCIENTIFIC Dr Brenna Hassett

“Indiana Jones and I have different policies on artefact

acquisition. I try to avoid any sort of death trap”

Archaeologist Brenna Hassett talks to
Helen Pilcher about her adventures, and
wonders whether cities will be the
making – or the death – of us

What do you do?
I dig up dead people and study their teeth and bones so
I can work out what their lives were like.
An archaeologist, eh? How like Indiana Jones are you?
Indiana Jones and I have different policies on artefact
acquisition. I go with the systematic, planned scientific
excavation and generally try to avoid any sort of death trap.
The travel and the worrying choice of clothing are,
however, accurate. Hats are critical. I cannot stress how
important hats are.
Ever found a ‘Lost Ark’?
No, but I have found lots of cool stuff. I once found an
Aladdin-style, ceramic lamp on a remote Greek island. At
the time, I had no idea of its age or origins. I later learned it
was a pilgrim’s lamp that had been made in the Holy Land
during the 6th Century.

Where have you worked?
I’ve done archaeological surveys in Greece, which involves
walking in straight lines for unreasonable amounts of time
in unreasonable amounts of heat, staring at the ground
looking for artefacts. I worked on the workers who built the clothes and start biting. Shortly after that, I learned it’s
pyramids at Giza. I’ve studied the teeth of children who inappropriate to run screaming, taking off your clothes in
lived in London 500 years ago, and I’ve investigated the front of a Buddhist monastery.
remains of people who lived in early Turkish settlements
10,000 years ago. So can anyone do archaeology?
That’s a great thing about it. Archaeology surfaces any
Tell me something clever that you’ve learned… place where land is disturbed. Look in the flowerbeds in
We’ve made major changes to our species in the 15,000 St James’s Park in London, or anywhere people have lived
years since humans went from being hunter-gatherers to a in the last 300 years, and you’re highly likely to find
settled society. Our rapid evolution into an urban species artefacts, like little clay pipe stems. They’re the cigarette
has affected our bodies and health. Urban living has led to butts of the early modern era!
disease and dental decay. Cities created inequality because
when you get so many people living together, someone Dr Brenna Hassett is an Have you ever trashed a
always appoints themselves manager. City life is killing us. archaeologist. Her book Built On priceless artefact?
Bones: 15,000 Years Of Urban Life Yes, I have. I was working in
Should we ban cities? And Death (£14.99, Bloomsbury) Çatalhöyük, a Neolithic village
No. Cities create problems but they’re also the place where is out now. in Anatolia. My team was
solutions are born. Cities are bastions of progressive visiting part of the site where a
thought. I live in a city. I’m ‘Team City’. DISCOVER MORE student from Istanbul was
To listen to an episode of lovingly excavating a 9,000-
Has your work ever got you in trouble? The Life Scientific with year-old plastered wall. We had
I once did an archaeological survey in Thailand. I was top scientists visit to tread on it to get over it, but
walking through a banana plantation when I got attacked bit.ly/life_scientific when I stepped on it, it crumbled ILLUSTRATION: DAVID DESPAU
by fire ants. They drop out of the trees, get under your NEXT ISSUE: EMMA SHERLOCK to dust…

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