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Archaeology expertise

Our archaelogical collections cover Scottish material culture from the earliest times to AD1100.

This page outlines the responsibilities and research interests of the Archaeology department.

David Clarke: Keeper of Archaeology

Specific responsibility: Overall responsibility for the departmental collections and general policy
Research Interests/Expertise: Early farming communities; bone working; history of archaeology. Orkney; Sutherland; Ross & Cromarty

Alison Sheridan: Principal Curator of Early Pre-History

Specific responsibility: Neolithic collections
Research Interests/Expertise: Neolithic and Bronze Age ceramics (including their Continental background); stone axeheads and battle axeheads; jewellery of jet and jet-like materials, amber and faience; radiocarbon dating; human remains

Trevor Cowie: Curator of Bronze Age Collections

Research Interests/Expertise: Bronze Age metalwork; Neolithic and Bronze Age ceramics; Antiquarian collections; Western Isles; Borders

Alan Saville: Senior Curator of the Earliest Prehistoric Collections

Specific responsibility: Palaeolithic and Mesolithic collections
Research Interests/Expertise: lithic studies; portable antiquities' issues

Fraser Hunter: Principal Curator, Iron Age and Roman Collections

Specific responsibility: Iron Age and Roman collections
Research Interests/Expertise: Iron Age and Roman small finds - especially metal and "jet"; Celtic art in north Britain; carnyces; Roman / native interaction. North-East Scotland, particularly Moray; Borders; Galloway

See some of the exciting finds from Fraser's archaeological digs at Birnie, an Iron Age power centre with our web resource, Iron Age Scotland

Martin Goldberg: Curator, Early Historic period

Responsible for: Early Historic and Viking collections.
Research Interests: Northern Britain from Later Prehistory to the Early Historic period; material culture approaches to the holistic study of ancient religion and ritual practice; hoards and votive deposition; Roman/native interaction; Post-Roman legacy including silver, Early Historic sculpture and the advent of Christianity.

Dawn McLaren: Post-Excavation Officer

Specific responsibility: Organising and conducting identification, analysis and production of reports on artefact assemblages from archaeological excavations.
Research interests/expertise: Later prehistoric coarse stone tools; ferrous metalworking; Bronze Age children’s burials in Britain.

Alice Blackwell: Glenmorangie Research Officer

Specific Responsibility: Glenmorangie Research Project on Early Historic Scotland.
Research Interests/Expertise: Early Historic small finds – especially Anglo-Saxon material, metalwork and glass beads; interaction within Early Historic Britain.

Linda Drummond: Departmental Administrator

Can be contacted on 0131 247 4050 or l.drummond@nms.ac.uk