Staff ProfileDr Jana Horak
Co-Acting Head of Natural Sciences, Head of Mineralogy & Petrology
Contact Details
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3NP
Phone: +44 (0)29 2057 3353
Staff Name
Job Title
Areas of Responsibility:
Qualifications, memberships and relevant positions
PhD (University of Wales), B.Sc.(Hons) Geology (University of Wales), Certificate in Management (Open University), Certificate in Gemmology (Gemmological Associaion), Honorary Lecturer Cardiff University, Chartered Geologist, Chartered Scientist (Science Council), Secretary of the Welsh Stone Forum, Chair of the Chartership Validation Committee (Mineralogical Society of GB & Ireland), Member of the Professional Committee (Geological Society of London).
Research Interests
My current research interests have a common theme of provenance. Continued research into the early geological evolution of Wales is includes the affinity of the Avalonian basement below Southern Britain, and source of Late Precambrian to Cambrian sediments in North West Wales. The later project is based on LA-ICPMS dating of detrital zircons (see Research Projects). Other projects include investigation of the trace element chemistry of Welsh gold, with application to both mineralogical and archaeology research. A range of other projects and contract research links to the provenencing of stone in the built environment from medieval times, provenancing stone in archaeological contexts and variations in lapis lazuli as a provnancing tool, and a synthesis on the ornamental stones of the British Isles. My musicological studies focus on effective collection management, in particular hazardous minerals and the accountability for specimens used in research.
Amgueddfa Cymru Research Projects
Provenancing Monian supergroup ( with Prof U. Linneman, Natural History Museum, Dresden, Dr D.Schofield, British Geological Survey). Provenancing and dating of sandstone in the Gwna Melange to constrain the age of deposition.
Lapis Lazuli, a potential provenancing tool through non-destructive analysis. (with Cotterell. Compilation of data set of lapis lazuli mineralogy from various collections to establish differences in mineralogy between different sources. To test findings as a tool to province lapis lazuli in archaeological context.
Trace element analysis of Welsh gold as a provenancing tool. (with Prof N Pearce, Aberystwyth University and Dr R.E. Bevins).
Keywords
Neoproterozoic, Welsh geology, provenance, isotopic analysis, LA-ICPMS, archeopetrology, building stone, hazardous minerals, Collection ManagementLinks
Selected Publications
Baars, C., Horak, J. 2018. Storage and conservation of geological collections—a research agenda. Journal of the Institute of Conservation 41: 154-168.
Schofield, David I., Potter, Joanna, Barr, Sandra M., Horák, Jana M., Millar, Ian L., Longstaffe, Frederick J. Reappraising the Neoproterozoic ‘East Avalonian’ terranes of southern Great Britain, Gondwana Research (2015), doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2015.06.001
Hughes, T., Horák, J., Lott, G. & Roberts, D. A Global Heritage Stone Resource from the United Kingdom. Episodes, Journal of International Geoscience.
Price, M., Horák, J. & Faithfull, J. 2013. Identifying and managing radioactive geological specimens. Journal of Natural History Collections, 1, 27-33.
Horák, J.M. 2013. Chapter 3. Geological Sources and Selection of Stone, pp 30-41. In A Corpus of Early Medieval Inscribed Stones and Stone Sculpture in Wales Volume III, North Wales. Nancy Edwards, University of Wales, Press, 524pp.
Horák, J.M., & Evans, J.A., 2011. Early Neoproterozoic limestones from the Gwna Group, Anglesey. Geological Magazine, 148, 78-88.
Horák, J.M. 2007. Chapter 4. Sources and Selection of Stone, pp 47-58. In A Corpus of Early Medieval Inscribed Stones and Stone Sculpture in Wales Volume I, Glamorgan, Breconshire, Monmouthshire, Radnorshire and geographically contiguous areas of Herefordshire and Shropshire. Mark Redknap & John M. Lewis, University of Wales, Press, 480pp.
Webster, P.V., Gwilt, A. & Horak, J. 2006. Iron Age Pottery, In Barber, A., Cox, S. & Hancocks, A., A Late Iron Age and Roman Farmstead at RAF St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan. Evaluation and Excavation 2002-03, Archaeologia Cambrensis, 155, 71-81.
Mcllroy, D. & Horák, J.M. 2006. The Neoproterozoic of England & Wales. In: Brenchley, P. J. & Rawson, P.F. (eds) 2006 The Geology of England and Wales. The Geological Society of London, 9-24.
Carney, J.N., Horák, J.M., Pharaoh, T.C., Gibbons, W., Wilson, D., Barclay, W.J., Bevins, R.E., Cope, J.C.W. & Ford, T.D. 2000. Precambrian Rocks of England and Wales. Geological Review Series No. 20. Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough.