'Prehistoric Policies' research project secures £268k British Academy funding

A research project looking at how ideas of prehistory are used by policy makers in Britain and Ireland has been awarded substantial funding from the prestigious British Academy’s international Knowledge Frontiers programme.

The Orkney-based UHI Archaeology Institute will lead an international team of researchers on the 'Prehistoric Policies' project, with Dr Ben Elliott working in collaboration with Dr Alice Rudge of School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, and Professor Graeme Warren of University College Dublin.

The project focuses on Just Transition policy, which seeks to ensure that the benefits and costs of the move towards Net Zero are distributed equally across society.

These policies, and the sources used to support them, are guiding major decisions about our collective future, and often refer to ideas about shared aspects of human behaviours that emerged during prehistory.

'Prehistoric Policies' was awarded £268,937 by the British Academy. The two-year project aims to better understand the tendency to evoke a prehistoric past when Just Transitions are envisioned in Britain and Ireland.

It will:

• ​Look at the evidence used to support these ideas and plot the influence they have on Just Transition policies.
• Critically analyse the role of popular science within this process.​
• Provide guidance for policymakers wanting to access expert scholarship.​

Welcoming the funding, Dr Rudge described the project as:

“An amazing opportunity to explore in more depth how ideas about the deep past are shaping our environmental futures.”

Dr Elliott said:

“Prehistoric Policies is a fantastic opportunity for us to examine the power of prehistory, and the role that it is playing in shaping Just Transition policy. I can’t wait to work with this exciting team of researchers, who bring together expert knowledge on human societies in both the past and present, around an interest in the way our shared human heritage is understood within wider society."

Professor Graeme added:

“I’m delighted to be part of this team with two outstanding colleagues and excited to be exploring how ideas about the prehistoric past are shaping our present and future."

➕ To learn more about the work of the UHI Archaeology Institute, visit: www.uhi.ac.uk/archaeology.