I am Co-Director of Southern Pacific Archaeological Research (SPAR). SPAR is a research unit and consultancy in the Archaeology Programme, School of Social Sciences, at the University of Otago. SPAR is one of the leading archaeological and heritage consultancies in New Zealand, and promotes best practice in archaeological, historic and cultural heritage management. My work in this area draws on over twenty years of experience working in the heritage sector.
Contact
Room 2C20
Tel +64 3 479 8739
Email karen.greig@otago.ac.nz
Research interests
I am a Pacific archaeologist with a research interest in the colonisation of Oceania and the emergence of distinct Pacific cultures. I am particularly interested in how human-animal relationships have influenced the development of Pacific societies.
My research approach is based on archaeological and anthropological theories and methods, which I combine with ancient DNA and molecular genetic approaches to generate new data to address archaeological research questions. Drawing together two disciplines in this way enables me to gain a fresh perspective on research topics that would not be possible from a single disciplinary standpoint.
I have a regional focus on New Zealand, particularly around how the first East Polynesian migrants’ interactions with wild and domesticated animals formed part of colonisation and adaptation processes. I am also interested in colonisation more broadly, including the role of trade and exchange. I often work in multi-disciplinary teams, combining archaeology with biological anthropology, molecular genetics and computer science.
I am also a member of the Coastal People: Southern Skies collaboration that connects communities with world-leading, cross-discipline research to rebuild coastal ecosystems.
Coastal People: Southern Skies
Courses
ARCH204 Pacific Archaeology
ARCH302 Archaeozoology
Publications
Greig, K., & Walter, R. (2019). Core-hinterland dynamics in New Zealand archaeology. Proceedings of the Society for American Archaeology (SAA) 84th Annual Meeting. (pp. 291). Washington, DC: Society for American Archaeology. Retrieved from http://www.saa.org
Greig, K., Gosling, A., Collins, C. J., Boocock, J., McDonald, K., Addison, D. J., … Higham, C. F. W., … Walter, R., & Matisoo-Smith, E. (2018). Complex history of dog (Canis familiaris) origins and translocations in the Pacific revealed by ancient mitogenomes. Scientific Reports, 8, 9130. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-27363-8
Walter, R., Brooks, E., Greig, K., & Hurford, J. (2018). Excavations at Kahukura, Murihiku. Journal of Pacific Archaeology, 9(2), 59-82.
Seersholm, F. V., Cole, T. L., Grealy, A., Rawlence, N. J., Greig, K., Knapp, M., … Easton, L. J., … Walter, R., & Bunce, M. (2018). Subsistence practices, past biodiversity, and anthropogenic impacts revealed by New Zealand-wide ancient DNA survey. PNAS. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1803573115
Greig, K., Boocock, J., Allen, M. S., Matisoo-Smith, E., & Walter, R. (2018). Ancient DNA evidence for the introduction and dispersal of dogs (Canis familiaris) in New Zealand. Journal of Pacific Archaeology, 9(1), 1-10.
Chapter in Book - Research
Greig, K., Walter, R., & Matisoo-Smith, E. A. (2016). Dogs and people in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. In M. Oxenham & H. Buckley (Eds.), Routledge handbook of bioarchaeology in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. (pp. 462-482). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Journal - Research Article
Greig, K., Gosling, A., Collins, C. J., Boocock, J., McDonald, K., Addison, D. J., … Higham, C. F. W., … Walter, R., & Matisoo-Smith, E. (2018). Complex history of dog (Canis familiaris) origins and translocations in the Pacific revealed by ancient mitogenomes. Scientific Reports, 8, 9130. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-27363-8
Hilton, M., Walter, R., Greig, K., & Konlechner, T. (2018). Burial, erosion, and transformation of archaeological landscapes: Case studies from southern New Zealand (Aotearoa). Progress in Physical Geography, 42(5), 607-627. doi: 10.1177/0309133318795844
Walter, R., Brooks, E., Greig, K., & Hurford, J. (2018). Excavations at Kahukura, Murihiku. Journal of Pacific Archaeology, 9(2), 59-82.
Seersholm, F. V., Cole, T. L., Grealy, A., Rawlence, N. J., Greig, K., Knapp, M., … Easton, L. J., … Walter, R., & Bunce, M. (2018). Subsistence practices, past biodiversity, and anthropogenic impacts revealed by New Zealand-wide ancient DNA survey. PNAS. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1803573115
Greig, K., Boocock, J., Allen, M. S., Matisoo-Smith, E., & Walter, R. (2018). Ancient DNA evidence for the introduction and dispersal of dogs (Canis familiaris) in New Zealand. Journal of Pacific Archaeology, 9(1), 1-10.
Greig, K., Boocock, J., Prost, S., Horsburgh, K. A., Jacomb, C., Walter, R., & Matisoo-Smith, E. (2015). Complete mitochondrial genomes of New Zealand's first dogs. PLoS ONE, 10(10), e0138536. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138536
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Full paper
Bennani, H., Mills, S., Walter, R., & Greig, K. (2018). Photogrammetric debitage analysis: Measuring Māori toolmaking evidence. Proceedings of the International Conference on Image and Vision Computing New Zealand (IVCNZ). IEEE. doi: 10.1109/IVCNZ.2017.8402463
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Greig, K., & Walter, R. (2019). Core-hinterland dynamics in New Zealand archaeology. Proceedings of the Society for American Archaeology (SAA) 84th Annual Meeting. (pp. 291). Washington, DC: Society for American Archaeology. Retrieved from http://www.saa.org
Greig, K. (2018). Living on the edge: Dogs and people in early New Zealand. Proceedings of the Society for American Archaeology (SAA) 83rd Annual Meeting. (pp. 191). Washington, DC: Society for American Archaeology. Retrieved from http://www.saa.org
Greig, K., Matisoo-Smith, E., & Walter, R. (2017). Tracking dogs across the Pacific using ancient mitogenomes. Proceedings of the Society for American Archaeology (SAA) 82nd Annual Meeting. (pp. 217). Washington, DC: Society for American Archaeology. Retrieved from http://www.saa.org
Matisoo-Smith, L., Greig, K., West, K., & Gosling, A. (2017). The commensal animals in the Pacific: What might DNA results suggest about the animal-human relationships through time? Proceedings of the Society for American Archaeology (SAA) 82nd Annual Meeting. (pp. 368). Washington, DC: Society for American Archaeology. Retrieved from http://www.saa.org
Greig, K., Matisoo-Smith, L., & Walter, R. (2015). Is the tail wagging the dog? Archaeological, linguistic and genetic evidence for Lapita human-animal interactions and dispersals. Proceedings of the 8th International Lapita Conference. (pp. 27). Retrieved from http://archanth.anu.edu.au/cbap/lapita8conference
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Mills, S., Bennani, H., Walter, R., & Greig, K. (2017, December). Photogrammetric debitage analysis: Measuring Māori toolmaking evidence [Keynote]. Verbal presentation at the Conference on Image and Vision Computing New Zealand (IVCNZ), Christchurch, New Zealand.
