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Research Fellow in the Department of Archaeology+44 (0) 191 33 41111

Biography

Mark is a Research Fellow attached to the UNESCO Chair on Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage. His research focuses on South Asian landscape archaeology, exploring interactions between urban and non-urban communities in the past. In addition, he utilises unmanned aerial vehicles and site assessment strategies to map archaeological risk to heritage sites across South Asia to guide policy and management strategies. He has worked throughout South Asia as well as in Iran and Egypt.

Mark completed his BSc and MA in Archaeology at the Department of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford in 2001 and 2003 respectively, and his AHRC-funded PhD at Durham University in 2008. His PhD research focused upon testing models of the social and political organisation of the Indus Valley Tradition, through an analysis of both published and new survey data from western India. It argued that existing models are routed in ethnocentric interpretations of the archaeological record, and that the adoption of systematic approaches to survey and excavation will generate a broader spectrum of data from which to construct future models. As part of this he was attached the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, in India.

Since then he has worked primarily at the World Heritage Sites of Lumbini and Tilaurakot in Nepal, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruva in Sri Lanka and Champaner-Pavagadh in India.

Research Supervision

I would be interested in supervising students in the following areas:

Settlement survey and landscape archaeology in South Asia (or related areas)

UAVs as a tool for mapping and monitoring heritage sites

Identifying, mapping and monitoring risk to heritage

Research interests

  • UNESCO and World Heritage
  • Cultural Heritage Management
  • UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicle mapping of sites
  • Archaeological Risk Mapping
  • Landscape Archaeology, in particular settlement survey
  • Relationships between urban and non-urban communities in South Asia

Publications

Book review

Chapter in book

  • Interpreting GPR data from Jaffna Fort, Northern Sri Lanka, using historic maps and new excavations
    Schmidt, A., Gunawardhana, P., Davis, C., Hale, D., Coningham, R., Pushparatnam, P., Villis, R., Woolston-Houshold, M., & Manuel, M. (2019). Interpreting GPR data from Jaffna Fort, Northern Sri Lanka, using historic maps and new excavations. In J. Bonsall (Ed.), New Global Perspectives on Archaeological Prospection:13th International Conference on Archaeological Prospection 28 August - 1 September 2019 Sligo Ireland (pp. 224-227). Archaeopress. https://doi.org/10.32028/9781789693072
  • Sites of the Greater Lumbini Area
    Coningham, R., Acharya, K., Manuel, M., & Tremblay, J. (2019). Sites of the Greater Lumbini Area. In UNESCO (Ed.), The Sacred Garden of Lumbini (pp. 223-259). UNESCO.
  • Ritual and economy reconsidered at Siva Devale No. 2, Polonnaruva
    Manuel, M., Gunawardhana, P., Coningham, R., Davis, C., Namalgamuwa, H., Senanayaka, J., Rammungoda, U., & Bandara, K. (2018). Ritual and economy reconsidered at Siva Devale No. 2, Polonnaruva. In P. Gunawardhana & R. Coningham (Eds.), Buddha Rashmi : Vesak volume : essays in Buddhism and Buddhist monastic archaeology. (pp. 33-44). Central Cultural Fund.
  • Recent excavations and survey at Jaffna Fort in 2017 and reflections on the antiquity of Indian Ocean trade.
    Davis, C., Gunawardhana, P., Coningham, R., Pushparatnam, P., Schmidt, A., Manuel, M., Namalgamuwa, H., Senanayaka, J., & Bandara, K. (2018). Recent excavations and survey at Jaffna Fort in 2017 and reflections on the antiquity of Indian Ocean trade. In P. Gunawardhana & R. Coningham (Eds.), Buddha Rashmi Vesak Volume 2018: Essays in Buddhism and Buddhist Monastic Archaeology. (pp. 67-78). Colombo, Sri Lanka : Central Cultural Fund, Ministry of Education, Sri Lanka,.
  • Excavating ancient Kapilavastu: the childhood home of Lord Buddha
    Coningham, R., Acharya, K., Kunwar, R., Davis, C., Manuel, M., Simpson, I., Strickland, K., Hale, D., Tremblay, J., & Lafortune-Bernard, A. (2018). Excavating ancient Kapilavastu: the childhood home of Lord Buddha. In P. Gunawardhana & R. Coningham (Eds.), Buddha Rashmi Vesak Volume 2018: Essays in Buddhism and Buddhist Monastic Archaeology (pp. 8-25). Colombo, Sri Lanka : Central Cultural Fund, Ministry of Education, Sri Lanka,.
  • Archaeology and Cosmopolitanism in Early Historic and Medieval Sri Lanka
    Coningham, R., Manuel, M., Davis, C., & Gunawardhana, P. (2017). Archaeology and Cosmopolitanism in Early Historic and Medieval Sri Lanka. In Z. Biedermann & A. Strathern (Eds.), Sri Lanka at the crossroads : from antiquity to modernity. (pp. 19-43). UCL Press. https://doi.org/10.14324/111.9781911307822
  • Promoting the Protection, Preservation and Presentation of the Natal Landscape of the Buddha in Nepal
    Coningham, R., Acharya, K., Kunwar, R., Manuel., M., Davis, C., & Lafortune-Bernard, A. (2017). Promoting the Protection, Preservation and Presentation of the Natal Landscape of the Buddha in Nepal. In P. Gunawardhana, R. Coningham, & K. Nampoothiri (Eds.), Buddha Rashmi Vesak Volume: Essays in Buddhism and Buddhist Monastic Archaeology (pp. 13-26). Central Cultural Fund of Sri Lanka.
  • Reconstructing Networks of Trade and Exchange in the Indian Ocean during the Early Historic Period: Case Studies from Anuradhapura (Sri Lanka)
    Coningham, R., Manuel, M., & Shoebridge, J. (2016). Reconstructing Networks of Trade and Exchange in the Indian Ocean during the Early Historic Period: Case Studies from Anuradhapura (Sri Lanka). In K. Mathew (Ed.), Imperial Rome, Indian Ocean Regions and Muziris: New Perspectives on Maritime Trade (pp. 31-51). Routledge.
  • Societal change and sustainability within the Central Plateau of Iran: an archaeological viewpoint
    Manuel, M., Coningham, R., Gillmore, G., & Fazeli, H. (2014). Societal change and sustainability within the Central Plateau of Iran: an archaeological viewpoint. In P. Sillitoe (Ed.), Sustainable development : an appraisal from the Gulf Region. (pp. 38-61). Berghahn Journals.
  • Environment and Water Management
    Gilliland, K., Simpson, I., Adderley, P., Burbidge, C., Cresswell, A., Sanderson, D., Coningham, R., Gunawardhana, P., Adikari, G., Manuel, M., Strickland, K., Young, R., Namalgamuwa, H., Rammungoda, U., & Senanayake, J. (2013). Environment and Water Management. In R. Coningham & P. Gunawardhana (Eds.), Anuradhapura Volume III: The Hinterland. (pp. 191-228). Archaeopress (BAR International Series 2568).
  • Sediments, soils and livelihood in a Late Neolithic village on the Iranian Plateau
    Kourampas, N., Simpson, I., Fazeli, H., Coningham, R., & Manuel, M. (2013). Sediments, soils and livelihood in a Late Neolithic village on the Iranian Plateau. In R. Matthews & H. Fazeli (Eds.), The Neolithisation of Iran: the formation of new societies (pp. 178-189). Oxbow Books.
  • Construction and Building Materials, Stone, Glass, Metal, Archaezoological, Archaeobotanical and Plastic Objects
    Manuel, M., Coningham, R., Gunawardhana, P., Adikari, G., Strickland, K., Young, R., Davis, C., Jones, J., McDonnell, G., Rammungoda, U., Namalgamuwa, H., & Senanayake, J. (2013). Construction and Building Materials, Stone, Glass, Metal, Archaezoological, Archaeobotanical and Plastic Objects. In R. Coningham & P. Gunawardhana (Eds.), Anuradhapura Volume III: The Hinterland. (pp. 393-444). Archaeopress (BAR International Series 2568).
  • Epigraphy in the hinterland
    Davis, C., Coningham, R., Gunawardhana, P., & Manuel, M. (2013). Epigraphy in the hinterland. In R. Coningham & P. Gunawardhana (Eds.), Anuradhapura Volume III: The Hinterland (pp. 445-458). Archaeopress (BAR International Series 2568).
  • History of Research
    Coningham, R., Gunawardhana, P., Adikari, G., Manuel, M., & Davis, C. (2013). History of Research. In R. Coningham & P. Gunawardhana (Eds.), Anuradhapura Volume III: The Hinterland. (pp. 9-20). Archaeopress (BAR International Series 2568).
  • Survey Data
    Manuel, M., Young, R., Coningham, R., Gunawardhana, P., Adikari, G., Katugampola, M., Senanayake, J., & Rammungoda, U. (2013). Survey Data. In R. Coningham & P. Gunawardhana (Eds.), Anuradhapura Volume III: The Hinterland. (pp. 49-96). Archaeopress (BAR International Series 2568).
  • Phasing the Hinterland
    Coningham, R., Gunawardhana, P., Adikari, G., Davis, C., Manuel, M., Bailiff, I., Batt, C., Namalgamuwa, H., Senanayake, J., & Rammungoda, U. (2013). Phasing the Hinterland. In R. Coningham & P. Gunawardhana (Eds.), Anuradhapura Volume III: The Hinterland. (pp. 31-48). Archaeopress (BAR International Series 2568).
  • Non-intrusive Surface Survey: Geophysics and Augering
    Schmidt, A., Manuel, M., Coningham, R., Gunawardhana, P., Senanayake, J., Rammungoda, U., & Namalgamuwa, H. (2013). Non-intrusive Surface Survey: Geophysics and Augering. In R. Coningham & P. Gunawardhana (Eds.), Anuradhapura Volume III: The Hinterland. (pp. 97-134). Archaeopress (BAR International Series 2568).
  • Glazed and Unglazed Ceramics
    Coningham, R., Gunawardhana, P., Adikari, G., Krishnan, K., Davis, C., Manuel, M., Rammungoda, U., Namalgamuwa, H., Senanayake, J., & Stern, B. (2013). Glazed and Unglazed Ceramics. In R. Coningham & P. Gunawardhana (Eds.), Anuradhapura Volume III: The Hinterland. (pp. 229-332). Archaeopress (BAR International Series 2568).
  • Excavation
    Coningham, R., Gunawardhana, P., Adikari, G., Strickland, K., Manuel, M., Senanayake, J., Namalgamuwa, H., & Rammungoda, U. (2013). Excavation. In R. Coningham & P. Gunawardhana (Eds.), Anuradhapura Volume III: The Hinterland. (pp. 135-190). Archaeopress (BAR International Series 2568).
  • Mapping the Neolithic occupation of the Kashan, Tehran and Qazvin Plains
    Fazeli, H., Coningham, R., Marghussian, A., Manuel, M., Azizi, H., & Pollard, A. (2013). Mapping the Neolithic occupation of the Kashan, Tehran and Qazvin Plains. In R. Matthews & H. Fazeli (Eds.), The Neolithisation of Iran: the formation of new societies (pp. 114-135). Oxbow Books.
  • Methodology
    Coningham, R., Gunawardhana, P., Adikari, G., Manuel, M., Donahue, R., Schmidt, A., Simpson, I., Bailiff, I., & Young, R. (2013). Methodology. In R. Coningham & P. Gunawardhana (Eds.), Anuradhapura Volume III: The Hinterland. (pp. 21-30). Archaeopress (BAR International Series 2568).
  • Terracotta Objects
    Coningham, R., Gunawardhana, P., Davis, C., Manuel, M., Strickland, K., Namalgamuwa, H., Senanayake, J., & Rammungoda, U. (2013). Terracotta Objects. In R. Coningham & P. Gunawardhana (Eds.), Anuradhapura Volume III: The Hinterland. (pp. 333-392). Archaeopress (BAR International Series 2568).
  • Discussion
    Coningham, R., Gunawardhana, P., Adikari, G., Manuel, M., Davis, C., & Simpson, I. (2013). Discussion. In R. Coningham & P. Gunawardhana (Eds.), Anuradhapura Volume III: The Hinterland (pp. 459-479). Archaeopress (BAR International Series 2568).
  • Chronology and Culture-History in the Indus Valley
    Manuel, M. (2010). Chronology and Culture-History in the Indus Valley. In P. Gunawardhana, G. Adikari, & R. Coningham (Eds.), Sirinimal Lakdusinghe Felicitation Volume. (pp. 145-152). Neptune.
  • The Early Empires of South Asia
    Coningham, R., & Manuel, M. (2009). The Early Empires of South Asia. In T. Harrison (Ed.), The Great Empires of the Ancient World (pp. 226-249). Thames & Hudson.
  • Warfare in ancient South Asia
    Coningham, R., & Manuel, M. (2008). Warfare in ancient South Asia. In P. de Souza (Ed.), The Ancient World at war. (pp. 229-242). Thames & Hudson.
  • Geographic overviews, Asia (South): Asia, South: Northwest Frontier and Kashmir region (MS 218).
    Coningham, R., & Manuel, M. (2008). Geographic overviews, Asia (South): Asia, South: Northwest Frontier and Kashmir region (MS 218). In D. Pearsall (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Archaeology (pp. 733-745). Elsevier.
  • The Indus Civilisation
    Coningham, R., & Manuel, M. (2007). The Indus Civilisation. In A. Cremin (Ed.), Archaeologica : The world’s most significant sites and cultural treasures (pp. 240-245). Random House.

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