Dr Emily Gal

Tel. 01851 770 258

Research Interests

I am an archaeologist based at the Lews Castle College UHI learning centre in Benbecula. I’m a prehistorian with research interests in coastal archaeology and human-environment interactions in Scottish islands, particularly the role of windblown sand in the formation of archaeological sites and landscapes. After studying archaeology at Cardiff University, I worked as a commercial archaeologist before completing a PhD at the University of St Andrews funded by the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS). My broader research interests include the later prehistoric settlement and material culture of Atlantic Scotland, and coastal heritage management. More recently my work has been directed towards digital heritage and creative dissemination of archaeological data.

Research Projects

Alongside my teaching commitments, I am also Project Coordinator for the Uist Virtual Archaeology Project. UVAP is funded by the SNH/ERDF Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and Lews Castle College. It is developing an innovative app, Uist Unearthed, which contains augmented reality reconstructions of archaeological sites along the Hebridean Way in Uist, and complementary exhibitions.

Research Supervision

I supervise undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations, and am particularly interested in supervising students with interests in the following;

• Coastal and island archaeology in Scotland
• Environmental change in prehistory
• Digital heritage

Academic Responsibilities

Module Leader for Archaeology Project

Module Leader for Prehistory of the Highlands and Islands

Module Leader for Archaeology and Local Studies

External memberships and esteem

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

Publications

Gal, E. 2020. Archaeology Between Islands: past, present, and future. In: Macdonald, A. (ed.). Between Islands. Stornoway: Acair Books