Centre for Historical Archaeology
In April 2008 the University of Leicester's School of Archaeology and Ancient History announced the launch of its Centre for Historical Archaeology, recognising especially our particular strengths in later historical archaeology, but also the School's broad research and teaching expertise from archaeologically-minded ancient historians and historically-minded Classical and Medieval archaeologists.
The Centre aims to encourage and co-ordinate interdisciplinary research in the field of historical archaeology by building links with other departments within the University of Leicester, especially the Centre for English Local History, the Centre for Urban History and the School of Museum Studies; with other British departments with strengths in the discipline; and with non-British departments where later historical archaeology is strong, including Ireland and North America.
Activities
The Centre is focusing activity on developing jointly funded research projects, creative student dissertation projects, PhD studentships and post-doctoral fellowships. During 2009-2010, we welcomed two short-term residential fellows: Dr M. Dores Cruz of the University of Denver (examining Portuguese colonialism in Africa) and doctoral candidate Brent Fortenberry of Boston University (researching public space in Bermuda). The Centre also launched the (already well established and very successful) MA in Historical Archaeology in October 2008, available campus-based and through our distance learning programme.
The Centre also supports dialogue in the discipline through the coordination of conferences and seminar series. We have held three successful postgraduate conferences that brought together research students examining topics in historical archaeology with a geographic range that included Australasia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, Britain, and Ireland. Our fourth conference will run in April 2013.
Since 2008, we have also welcomed eleven international guest speakers.
Currently, staff of the School play major roles in the Society for Medieval Archaeology, the Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology, the Irish Post-Medieval Archaeology Group and the Association for Industrial Archaeology.
Core Staff
DIRECTOR: Prof Sarah Tarlow (Professor in Historical Archaeology)
Dr Penelope Allison (Reader in Ancient History and Archaeology)
Dr Alasdair Brooks (Teaching Fellow in Historical Archaeology)
Dr Christopher King (Lecturer in Archaeology, University of Nottingham)
Professor Marilyn Palmer (Honorary Professor of Industrial Archaeology)
Dr Richard Thomas (Lecturer in Archaeology)
Dr Ruth Young (Senior Lecturer in Archaeology)
Additional related staff:
Dr Neil Christie, Dr David Edwards, Professor Lin Foxhall, Dr Constantina Katsari, Dr Andy Merrills, Professor Graham Shipley and Deirdre O’Sullivan
Honorary Fellows:
Mr Nick Brannon, Dr M. Dores Cruz, Prof. David Gaimster, Dr Brent Fortenberry, Prof Audrey Horning, Dr Ian West.
