Staff Profile

Research Group/Projects

• Empower Project
• GrahAM Research Group

Qualifications

• BA (Honours) in Anthropology, Wichita State University (USA) 1984
• MA in Anthropology, Wichita State University (USA) 1986 Thesis Title: Dental attrition and alveolar resorption: a case study of Williams 1 (34-Lf24)
• PhD in Anthropology, Ohio State University (USA) 1992 Dissertation Title: Late prehistoric populations in the Ohio area: biological affinities and stress indicators

Publication and Research Summary

• ORCiD
• Google Scholar
• ResearchGate
• Academic.edu

Previous Positions

• 2018-21 Research Associate, School of Engineering, Newcastle University (NU)
• 2017-18 Research Impact Development Officer, School of Engineering, NU
• 2015-16 Development Officer, Learning and Teaching Development Service, NU
• 2006-16 Lecturer, ICCHS and/or HCA, NU
• 2008-13 Academic Tutor/Lecturer, University of Sunderland
• 1995-06 Physical Anthropologist, US Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation)
• 2001      Guest Lecturer, NU
• 1995      Instructor, Baker University
• 1994-13 Adjunct Faculty, Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas
• 1994-95 Archaeologist, Reclamation
• 1993-94 Research Technician II, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
• 1993      Certified K-12 Substitute Teacher, Tucson Unified School District
• 1990-92 Graduate Research Assistant, Ohio State University (OSU)
• 1992      Contractor, US Corps of Engineers
• 1990      Research Assistant, Peabody Museum, Harvard University
• 1990      Contractor, Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT)
• 1989-92 Contractor, Archaeological Data Services
• 1989-90 Staff Osteologists, OSU Excavations at Isthmia
• 1987-92 Teaching Associate, OSU
• 1987-92 Contractor, Franklin County Coroner's Office in Ohio
• 1987      Field Archaeologist, ODOT
• 1987      Teaching Assistant, OSU
• 1985-87 Contractor, Sedgwick County Coroner's Office in Kansas
• 1985      Research Assistant, Wichita State University (WSU)
• 1984-85 Teaching Assistant, WSU

Currently, I am working with informal settlements in Delhi, India to identify best practice for empowerment. While back in Newcastle, I am researching Ballast Hills Burial Ground to reveal its secrets and to tell its story.

During my professional career, I have worn many different hats, which has resulted in a diverse skill set. I am an anthropologist at heart and am intrigued with all that makes us human. I have worked in industry and academia, and have experienced the perceived stereotypes associated with both. I have been a government employee, while valuing and expressing my rights as a member of the public. I am best known professionally for my work related to attitudes and ethics related to the treatment of human remains held in collections, especially related to NAGPRA compliance. During this work, I have lead stakeholder engagement or consultations, conducted skeletal analyses, weighted out evidence for cultural affiliation, worked on management plans, and contributed to the decision-making process. My interest in human remains followed me to the UK, where I edited a book on the curation of UK human remains in 2013. 

Another of my interests has to do with the long-term protection and interpretation of cultural heritage. I have archaeological field experience and am a strong advocate of making archaeology and heritage, more generally, accessible. I have adopted a more integrated science-based approach to developing methods and technologies for recording and monitoring heritage assets, such as open-air rock art. I co-created a rock art monitoring app for use in the UK and Ireland. 

• Articles

  • Iyer G, Giesen MJ, Juneja R, Graham DW. Strategic value of interviewer training and local community-based organisations for WaSH and antibiotic resistance surveys. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development 2021, 11(4), 535-545.
  • Graham DW, Giesen MJ, Bunce JT. Strategic approach for prioritizing local and regional sanitation interventions for reducing global antibiotic resistance. Water 2019, 11(1), 27.
  • Mazel AD, Giesen MJ. Engagement and Management: Developing a Monitoring System for Open-air Rock Art in the UK and Ireland. Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites 2019, 21(3), 160-183.
  • Turner M, Dowsland S, Mazel A, Giesen M. Rock art CARE: A cross-platform mobile application for crowdsourcing heritage conservation data for the safeguarding of open-air rock art. Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development 2018, 8(4), 420-433.
  • Mazel A, Giesen M. Mobile app developed to support the protection of UK and Irish rock art. International Newsletter on Rock Art 2018, 82, 22-25.
  • Giesen MJ, Ung A, Warke PA, Christgen B, Mazel AD, Graham DW. Condition assessment and preservation of open-air rock art panels during environmental change. Journal of Cultural Heritage 2014, 15(1), 49-56.
  • Giesen MJ, Mazel AD, Graham DW, Warke PA. Care and Management of Ancient Stone Monuments during Environmental Change. International Journal of Heritage and Sustainable Development 2011, 1(1), 60-71.
  • Giesen MJ, Czaplicki JS. Over Fifty Years of Dam Good Archeology: An Introduction to the Bureau of Reclamation's Cultural Resources Program. Cultural Resource Management 2000, 23(1), 3-4.

• Book Chapters

  • Mazel AD, Giesen MJ, Turner M, Dowsland S. Rock Art Monitoring in the UK and Ireland: the CARE Toolkit – Going Online and Using Mobile Data. In: Batarda Fernandes, António; Marshall, Melissa; Domingo, Inés, ed. Global Perspectives for the Conservation and Management of Open-Air Rock Art Sites. London and New York: Routledge, 2023, pp.141-160.
  • Mazel A, Giesen M. CARE Rock Art Monitoring App and Portal. In: Agnew, N., Deacon, J., Hall, N., Little, T., McClintock, T., Robinson, P., Sullivan, S. and Taçon, P, ed. Networking for Rock Art: Global Challenges, Local Solutions. Los Angeles: The Getty Conservation Institute, 2022, pp.89-92.
  • Giesen MJ, Mazel AD, Graham DW, Warke PA. The Preservation and Care of Rock-Art in Changing Environments: A View from Northeastern England, United Kingdom. In: Darvill T; Batarda Fernandes AP, ed. Open-Air Rock-Art Conservation and Management: State of the Art and Future Perspectives. New York: Routledge, 2014, pp.38-52.
  • Giesen M. The Protection and Repatriation of Native American Cultural Items in the United States. In: Redfern, R; Bekvalac, J; Bonney, H; Clegg, M, ed. Global Ancestors: Understanding the Shared Humanity of our Ancestors. Woodbridge, USA: Oxbow Books, 2013, pp.34-49.
  • Giesen M. Introduction: Human Remains Curation in the United Kingdom. In: Giesen, M, ed. Curating Human Remains: Caring for the Dead in the United Kingdom. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell & Brewer, 2013, pp.1-11.
  • Giesen M, White L. International Perspectives towards Human Remains Curation. In: Giesen, M, ed. Curating Human Remains: Caring for the Dead in the United Kingdom. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell & Brewer, 2013, pp.13-23.
  • Giesen M, McCarrison K, Park V. Dead and Forgotten?: Some Observations on Human Remains Documentation in the UK. In: Giesen, M, ed. Curating Human Remains: Caring for the Dead in the United Kingdom. Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer, 2013, pp.53-64.
  • Giesen MJ, Mazel AD, Graham DW, Warke PA. The resilience and care of ancient stone monuments in changing environments. In: Amoêda, R; Lira, S; Pinheiro, C, ed. Heritage 2010: Heritage and Sustainable Development. Barcelos: Green Lines Institute, 2010, pp.515-523.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

  • Turner M, Dowsland S, Mazel A, Giesen M. Rock Art CARE: A cross platform mobile application for crowdsourcing heritage conservation data for the safeguarding of open-air rock art. AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 1, 2017, OTTAWA, CANADA. In: Digital Workflows for Heritage Conservation. 2017, Ottawa, Canada.
  • Mazel AD, Graham D, Warke P, Giesen M. A responsibility of CARE: heritage and science in the service of safeguarding threatened ancient rock art. In: Sustaining the Impact of UK Science and Heritage Research: Contributions to the AHRC/EPSRC Science and Heritage Programme Conference. 2013, London: AHRC/EPSRC Science and Heritage Programme.
  • Giesen MJ. Native American human remains in UK collections: implications of NAGPRA to consultation, repatriation, and policy development. In: Ninth Annual Conference of the British Association for Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology. 2009, Department of Archaeology, University of Reading: Archaopress.

• Edited Book

  • Giesen M, ed. Curating Human Remains: Caring for the Dead in the United Kingdom. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2013.