Dr Ruth Shaffrey is an

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

Biography

Shaffrey was awarded her PhD in Archaeology and Geology from the

University of Reading The University of Reading is a public research university in Reading, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1892 as the University Extension College, Reading, an extension college of Christchurch College, Oxford, and became University College, ...

in 1998. She specialises in the study of quern-stones and millstones and is a worked stone specialist for

Oxford Archaeology Oxford Archaeology (OA, trading name of Oxford Archaeology Limited) is one of the largest and longest-established independent archaeology and heritage practices in Europe, operating from three permanent offices in Oxford, Lancaster and Cambridge ...

. Her thesis formed the basis of her 2006 BAR volume on Romano-British quern-stones. In February 2021 she reported on the discovery of a quern-stone decorated with a

phallus A phallus (: phalli or phalluses) is a penis (especially when erect), an object that resembles a penis, or a mimetic image of an erect penis. In art history, a figure with an erect penis is described as ''ithyphallic''. Any object that symbo ...

from excavations on the A14 road in Cambridgeshire. Shaffrey was elected as a Fellow of the

Society of Antiquaries of London The Society of Antiquaries of London (SAL) is a learned society of historians and archaeologists in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1707, received its royal charter in 1751 and is a Charitable organization, registered charity. It is based ...

on 2 February 2019.

Select publications

*Shaffrey, R. 2003. "The rotary querns from the Society of Antiquaries' excavations at Silchester, 1890--1909", ''Britannia'' 34, 143–174. * Mithen, S. J., Finlayson, B. and Shaffrey, R. 2005. "Sexual symbolism in the Early Neolithic of the southern Levant: pestles and mortars from WF16", ''Documenta Prahistorica'', 32, 103–110. *Shaffrey, R. 2006. ''Grinding and milling : a study of Romano-British rotary querns and millstones made from Old Red Sandstone'' (BAR British Series 409). British Archaeological Reports. *Shaffrey, R. and Roe, F. 2011. The Widening use of Lodsworth Stone: Neolithic to Romano-British Quern Distribution. In D.F. Williams and D.P.S. Peacock, (eds.) ''Bread for the People: The Archaeology of Mills and Milling'', Archaeopress, Oxford, 309–324. *Ford, B. Poore, D. Shaffrey, R. and Wilkinson D.R.P. 2013. ''Excavations at the Oracle site, Reading, Berkshire'', Thames Valley Landscapes monograph series. *Shaffrey, R. 2015. "Intensive milling practices in the Romano-British landscape of southern England. Using newly established criteria for distinguishing millstones from rotary querns", ''Britannia'' 46, 55–92. *Shaffrey, R. (ed) 2017. ''Written in Stone. Papers on the function, form and provenancing of prehistoric stone objects in memory of Fiona Roe''. *Shaffrey, R. 2017. "Roman Ewell: a review of the querns and millstones and implications for understanding the organisation of grain processing". ''Surrey Archaeological Collections'' 100, 259–269. *Shaffrey, R. 2018. "Grain processing in and around Roman Cirencester. What can the querns and millstones tell us about supply to the Roman town?", ''Trans Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeol Soc'' 136, 161–70. *Shaffrey, R. 2019. "The movement of ideas in Late Iron Age and Early Roman Britain: an imported rotary quern design in south-western England, ''Britannia'' 50, 73-82. *Shaffrey, R. 2019. "A complete lower rotary quern from Chilworth, and how it assists in understanding the morphology of Lodsworth stone querns". ''Surrey Archaeological Collections'' 102, 265–272. *Shaffrey, R. 2021. "The rotary querns and millstones of Roman Exeter: supplying and feeding the Fortress and Town", in S. Rippon and N. Holbrook (eds.) ''Studies in the Roman and Medieval Archaeology of Exeter, Exeter: A Place in Time, volume 2'', Oxbow Books, 415–426.

References

Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London 20th-century British archaeologists 21st-century British archaeologists Geoarchaeologists Year of birth missing (living people) Living people {{UK-archaeologist-stub