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I am an osteoarchaeologist and Bronze Age specialist. I have an MA in Osteoarchaeology from the University of Southampton and a PhD from the University of Cambridge. Following my PhD I worked in commercial archaeology before undertaking a Research Fellowship at Gonville and Caius College Cambridge. I joined the Â鶹ÊÓƵ in 2012 and have been an Associate Professor since 2017.

My research interests centre on the intersection between the biological and the social as manifested in the human skeleton, with a particular focus on human ageing and on the complex mortuary processes of British prehistory.

My two main research strands are ageing/old age in the past and the investigation of complex mortuary treatments in prehistoric contexts.

Human ageing

I have published extensively on the experience of ageing and old age in the past, often in relation to the European Bronze Age. I use osteological techniques alongside a theoretically informed approach to explore the ageing process. As well as using osteology, I have developed a palaeoepidemiological approach that considers environmental and social contributions to ageing in the past.

Complex mortuary treatments

I investigate the complex mortuary practices of British prehistory, with a particular emphasis on those that include cremation. I lead a European network of researchers who have developed guidelines on best practice for the analysis of burnt and cremated remains from archaeological and forensic contexts.

In addition to my two main research strands, I led the osteological analysis of the remains of Richard III.