Carolyn Barshay-Szmidt
Carolyn Barshay-Szmidt, Ph.D. (University of Cambridge)
Research Associate (Archaeology Centre) and IsoTrace Fellow
(416) 978-5209
c.szmidt "at" utoronto.ca
Office: MP 0014 (IsoTrace Laboratory, 60 St. George St.)
Field: Palaeolithic archaeology, human origins, radiometric dating, Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition, Neanderthal and modern human adaptations, bioarchaeology, regional-scale analysis, methodological issues in multi-site, comparative analysis, Europe (southern France).
Dr. Carolyn Barshay-Szmidt specializes in Palaeolithic Archaeology and Archaeometry, particularly Neanderthal and early modern human adaptations in Europe (i.e. the Middle and early Upper Palaeolithic periods, ca. 25 000-120 000 years ago). She is an Associate of the Archaeology Centre and a Consulting Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. She was a Hunt Postdoctoral Fellow (Wenner-Gren Foundation) in 2009-2010 and a SSHRC Postdoctoral Research Fellow prior to that, both at the University of Toronto. She earned her Ph.D. degree in Archaeology from the University of Cambridge (England).
Dr. Barshay-Szmidt is the Director of a multi-site, Wenner-Gren Foundation-funded, radiocarbon dating project aimed at the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in the larger southern France region (Mediterranean, Pyrenean and Southwestern France). She is also in charge of the radiocarbon dating of a number of Magdalenian sites (ca. 14 000-19 000 years ago) in Southwestern/Pyrenean France as part of a large re-assessment of these with colleagues (MAGDATIS project). She is a member of the international scientific research teams of three Early Upper Palaeolithic archaeological sites and one Late Palaeolithic site of France which are currently being excavated: Isturitz, Le Piage, Régismont-le-Haut and Grotte Tastet. As well, she is part of the re-assessment team of a number of Palaeolithic museum collections.
She has taught courses at the University of Cambridge and the University of Toronto, including Palaeolithic archaeology, Radiometric dating methods and Statistics/Quantitative methods. She has authored a B.A.R. monograph on the Mousterian of Mediterranean France, co-edited a book on the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition of the circum-Mediterranean region, as well as authored and co-authored papers in English or French on the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic periods and on radiocarbon dating.
Her research has been supported by, among others, grants and fellowships from the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, Association of Commonwealth Universities (Commonwealth Scholarships), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and Cambridge Commonwealth Trust.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Books
Camps, M. and Szmidt, C. (Editors) 2009. The Mediterranean from 50 000 to 25 000 BP: Turning points and new directions. Oxford: Oxbow Books (ISBN 978-1-84217-314-5), 354 p.
Reviewed by: Erin, M.I. 2010. PaleoAnthropology, 61-63
Straus, L.G. 2010, Journal of Anthropological Research 66, 535-537
Clark, J.L. 2011, American Journal of Archaeology 2 pp.
Szmidt, C. 2003. The Mousterian in Mediterranean France: A regional, integrative and comparative perspective. Oxford: British Archaeological Reports International Series, Volume 1147, 330 p.
Reviewed by: Moncel, M.-H. 2006. L’Anthropologie 110, 112
Steenhuyse, A. 2008. PaleoAnthropology, 253-255
Selected Articles
In press
Dibble, H.L., Aldeias, V., Jacobs, Z., Olszewski, D.I., Rezek, Z., Lin,
S., Alvarez-Fernandez, E., Barshay-Szmidt, C.C., Hallett-Desguez, E., Reed, D.,
Reed, K., Richter, D., Steele, T.E., Skinner, A., Blackwell, B., Doronicheva,
E., El-Hajraoui, M. (in press) On the industrial attributions of the Aterian
and Mousterian of the Maghreb. Journal of Human
Evolution. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.10.010).
2012
Barshay-Szmidt, C.C., Eizenberg, L., Deschamps, M. 2012. Radiocarbon (AMS) dating the Classic Aurignacian, Proto-Aurignacian and Vasconian Mousterian at Gatzarria Cave (Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France). Paléo 23, 11-38.
Boudadi-Maligne, M., Mallye, J.-B., Langlais, M., Barshay-Szmidt, C.C. 2012. Des restes de chiens magdaléniens à l’abri du Morin (Gironde, France). Implications socio-économiques d’une innovation zootechnique. Paléo 23, 39-54.
2011
Szmidt, C.C. 2011. Published comment on article, Moncel, M.-H., Moigne, A.-M., Youssef, S. and Combier, J. ‘The emergence of Neanderthal technical behaviour: New evidence from Orgnac 3 (Level 1, MIS 8) (Southeastern France). Current Anthropology 52 (1), 65-66.
2010
Langlais, M., Pétillon, J.-M, de Beaune, S.A., Cattelain, P., Chauvière, F.-X., Letourneux, C., Szmidt, C., Bellier, C., Beukens, R. and David, F. 2010. Une occupation de la fin du dernier maximum glaciaire dans les Pyrénées: le Magdalénien inférieur de la grotte des Scilles (Lespugue, Haute-Garonne). Bulletin de la Société Préhistorique Française 107 (1), 5-51.
Szmidt, C.C., Brou, L., Jaccottey, L. 2010a. Direct radiocarbon (AMS) dating of split-based points from the (Proto)Aurignacian of Trou de la Mère Clochette, Northeastern France. Implications for the characterization of the Aurignacian and the timing of technical innovations in Europe. Journal of Archaeological Science 37 (12), 3320-3337.
Szmidt, C.C., Moncel, M.-H., Daujeard, C. 2010b. New data on the late Mousterian in Mediterranean France: First radiocarbon (AMS) dates at Saint-Marcel Cave (Ardèche). Comptes Rendus Palevol 9(4), 185-199.
Szmidt, C.C., Normand, C., Burr, G., Hodgins, G. and LaMotta, S. 2010c. AMS 14C dating the Protoaurignacian/Early Aurignacian of Isturitz, France. Implications for Neanderthal-modern human interaction and the timing of technical and cultural innovations in Europe. Journal of Archaeological Science 37, 758-768.
2009
Brou, L., Floss, H. and Szmidt, C. 2009. Un témoin rare du Paléolithique supérieur ancien dans le Jura. Quand du Magdalénien devient de l’Aurignacien. In J.-L. Mordefroy (ed.) Les Recherches de Julien Feuvrier (1851-1936), Historien, Archéologue, Archiviste et Conservateur du Musée. Dole et sa Région, de la Préhistoire au 18e siècle, 65-71. Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dole, édition des Amis des Musées du Jura.
Pétillon, J.-M, Langlais, M. de Beaune, S.A., Beukens, R., Chauvière, F.-X., David, F., Letourneux, C. and Szmidt, C. 2009. Le Magdalénien de la grotte des Scilles (Lespugue, Haute-Garonne). Premiers résultats de l’étude pluridisciplinaire de la collection Saint-Périer. Antiquités Nationales 39, 57-71.
Szmidt, C. 2009. From regional patterns to behavioural interpretation: Assessing the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in Mediterranean France. In M. Camps and C. Szmidt (eds.) The Mediterranean from 50 000 to 25 000 BP: Turning Points and New Directions, 231-254. Oxford: Oxbow Books.
Szmidt, C., Laroulandie, V., Dachary, M., Langlais, M. and Costamagno, S. 2009a. Harfang, renne et cerf: nouvelles dates 14C par SMA du Magdalénien supérieur du Bassin aquitain au Morin (Gironde) et Bourrouilla (Pyrénées-Atlantiques). Bulletin de la Société Préhistorique Française, 583-587.
Szmidt, C., Pétillon, J.-M., Cattelain, P., Normand, C. and Schwab, C. 2009b. Premières dates radiocarbone pour le Magdalénien d’Isturitz (Pyrénées-Atlantiques). Bulletin de la Société Préhistorique Française, 588-592.
2007-2008
Bordes, J.-G., Le Brun-Ricalens, F., Castel, J.-C., Ducasse, S., Faivre, J.-P., Feruglio, V., Henri-Gambier, D., Lacrampe-Cuyaubère, F., Laroulandie, V., Lenoble, A., Martin, H., Maureille, B., Morala, A., Morin, E., Renard, C, Rendu, W., Rigaud, S., Rougier, H., Szmidt, C., Tartar, E., Teyssandier, N. and Texier, J.-P. 2008. Les débuts du Paléolithique supérieur dans le Sud-Ouest de la France: nouvelles fouilles au Piage (2004-2006). Problématique et premiers résultats. In J. Jaubert, J.-G. Bordes and I. Ortega (eds.) Les Sociétés du Paléolithique dans un Grand Sud-Ouest de la France: Nouveaux Gisements, Nouveaux Résultats, Nouvelles Méthodes. Paris: Société Préhistorique Française Mémoire 47.
Bon, F. and Mensan, R., with the collaboration of Araujo Igreja de, M., Costamagno, S., Gardère, P., Ménard, C., Sellami, F., Szmidt, C. and Théry-Parisot, I. 2007. Le site de plein air de Régismont-le-Haut: une halte aurignacienne dans les plaines du Languedoc. In Qui est l’Aurignacien ?, 53-71. Aurignac: Éditions Musée-forum cahier 3.
