Staff Profiles

Roles and Responsibilities

Director of Postgraduate Research Students, School of History, Classics & Archaeology

Co-convenor of the Materiality, Artefacts & Technologies in Culture & History (MATCH) Faculty Research Group

Qualifications

2010         PhD in Archaeology, St. John's College, University of Cambridge (UK)
2003         Post-Graduate Diploma in European Prehistory, University of Milan (Italy)
1998         First Degree in Classics and Archaeology, University of Milan (Italy)

Previous Positions

2016-22    Senior Lecturer in Later Prehistory, Newcastle University

2008-16    Lecturer in Later Prehistory, Newcastle University

2004-05    Lecturer in European Prehistory, Golden Age University, Milan (Italy)

Indicators of Esteem

Member of the European Association of Archaeologists' Scientific Advisory Committee

Member of the Editorial Board, Bullettino di Paletnologia Italiana

Expert Evaluator for the European Commission

Google Scholar

SCOPUS

Research Interests

• Prehistoric metallurgy (especially copper alloys) and metalwork wear analysis
• The later prehistory of Italy in its central Mediterranean context
• Prehistoric weaponry, warfare and violence
• Experimental archaeology
• Technological change, invention and innovation
• The archaeology of death and burial

Recent and Current Projects

Forthcoming    EgypToolWear - Metalwork Wear Analysis of Ancient Egyptian Tools. HorizonEurope Marie-Curie Individual Fellowship investigating the function and social meaning of early Egyptian metal crafting tools (Fellow: Dr Martin Odler)

2021-now   WHAM - What this awl means. Horizon 2020 Marie-Curie Individual Fellowship investigation the function of prehistoric copper-alloy awls in Europe (Fellow: Dr Stefano Viola).    

2019-21   Euro-Dag - The First European Daggers: Function, meaning, and social significance. Horizon2020 Marie-Curie Individual Fellowship investigating early lithic and metal daggers from Europe (Fellow: Dr Isabella Caricola)

2015-17   TEMPI - The Time of Early Metalwork in Italy. Horizon2020 Marie-Curie Individual Fellowship investigating the chronology and classification of early Italian metalwork (Fellow: Dr Cristiano Iaia)

2015-17   The First Halberds in Europe. Project investigating the chronology and function of early Italian halberds by radiocarbon dating and use-wear analysis (funding body: The Prehistoric Society)

2014-17   BATWEP - Bronze Age Tree-felling and Woodworking Experimental Project. Project investigating the use-value of Bronze Age axes by field and lab tests and wear analysis (with T. Joyce, J. Desrosier & L. Ansley)

2013-   Bronze Age Combat: An Experimental Approach. Project investigating Late Bronze Age sword, spear, axe and shield fighting through field experiments, combat tests, and wear analysis (with R. Crellin, R. Hermann, M. Uckelmann, Q. Wang and others; funding bodies: Newcastle University and the British Museum)

2013-   Case Bastione Archaeological Project. Excavation and analysis of a multi-stratified settlement site in Sicily, third-second millennia BC (with E. Giannitrapani, F. Ianni' and others)

In 2011-12 I also contributed (as a specialist advisor) to The Cutting Edge, an innovative online archive of archaeological and ethnographic objects with sharp edges held in the Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums (TWAM)

A broad selection of my research papers can be downloaded from my Academia.edu webpage.

Postgraduate Supervision

I am keen to supervise doctoral students working on any of my research areas; informal enquires are welcome. I am currently supervising the following students:

2021 - Justine McLean

2020 - John Pearson

2019 - Alessandro Armigliato

2018-   Eleonora Montanari

Undergraduate Teaching as Module Leader

ARA1026 - Introduction to Archaeological Science

ARA3100 - Archaeologies of the Middle Sea

Postgraduate Teaching as Module Leader

ARA8131 - Archaeologies of the Middle Sea 

ARA8186 - Ancient Metals: Technology and Scientific Analysis