No need to book, just turn up!

Why on earth should we care about chickens? They are comical, stupid and their only purpose is to provide us with cheap meat and eggs, right? Well…

While this may be the common perception of chickens today, it is a very recent attitude. Prior to the 19th century, chickens were viewed variously as medicine, companions, gods, and as the focus of religious and magical rituals. The chicken is as much a part of our cultural heritage as Stonehenge, yet few people are aware of it.

Do you know where chickens originally come from? Do you know when they were introduced to Britain, or why? If the answers to these questions are no, come to this seminar. It will explain how a group of archaeologists, anthropologists, artists, biochemists, cultural geographers, geneticists and poultry enthusiasts are working together to examine how the fortunes of humans and chickens have been, and continue to be, mutually shaped.

Examining thousands of years of data, this seminar will consider how evidence from the past can be used to help us navigate present and future issues of food security, biodiversity, health and well-being.

To find out more about this project, funded by the AHRC’s Science in Culture theme, visit our website or follow the team on Twitter @Chicken_Project