Research Student

I was awarded my BA(hons) in Ancient History & Archaeology at the University of Leicester in 2009 and followed it up with MA Rome & Its Neighbours in 2010. After graduating I started working with the archaeological collections at the Yorkshire Museum at the end of 2010, where I am currently the Assistant Curator of Archaeology and responsible for a designated collection of cross-period archaeological collections from York and Britain. 

Research interests

Thesis subject: Magic in Roman Britain
Supervisors: Prof Helen King, Dr Ursula Rothe, and Dr E-J Graham

Following on from the subject of my MA thesis, my PhD project aims to investigate the nature of the archaeological evidence for 'magic' in Roman Britain. It will look at the vast corpus of material which can be described as 'magical' and assess it in terms of four key questions: in which contexts were magical objects used? Are there differences between different regions of Roman Britain? Are there changes over time? Are there links between object, practices and specific groups in society?

As well as incorporating a significant theoretical background, this 'bottom-up' approach intends to engage with numerous kinds of evidence including phallic charms, Greek-inscribed gems, gold lamellae, Gnostic amulets, jet pendants and amber carvings. 

Recent Publications

2016. "Staring at Death: The Jet Gorgoneia of Roman Britain", in Hoss, S. and Whitmore, A. (eds.), Small Finds and Ancient Social Practices in the North Western Provinces of the Roman Empire. Oxford, Oxbow. 98-113
2016. with Ross, C. “A New Phallic Carving from Roman Catterick”, Britannia 47. 271-279.

2015. "The Fist-and-Phallic Pendants from Roman Catterick", Britannia 46, 135-149.

For a full publication list see my page on academia.edu.