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Research

My work is developing new method for a data-led social archaeology, using contextual archaeological studies and multi-variate analysis (integrating artefacts, settlement, landscape, environment) towards a new understanding of social organisation in Europe before Rome, and related mechanisms of social change. I also work on the history of archaeology as a discipline, with a particular interest in the development of field methods.
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6178-3481

Understanding the Hallstatt-La Tene transition (copyright Rachel Pope)

Iron Age Europe (800-200 BC)

Objective: Discovering social norms in Europe before Rome, from the mortuary evidence.Latest: Pope, R. 2022. Re-approaching Celts: Origins, Society, and Social Change. J. Archaeol Res. 30, 1–67.

Specialising in the fields of:
• Celts
• Iron Age gender and social organisation
• developing method for an applied gender archaeology

I have published on the following:
• the origins of the Celts
• the nature of Early Iron Age society in Europe
• British Middle Iron Age mortuary traditions

You can see me talk about this work on YouTube or on Spotify

Excavations at the Late Bronze Age-Middle Iron Age hillfort of Penycloddiau (copyright Rachel Pope)

Hillforts (1200 BC-AD 43)

Objective: Understanding communal social architecture in the pre-Roman Iron AgeLatest: Pope, R., Mason, R., Hamilton, D., Rule, E., and Swogger, J. (2020) Hillfort gate-mechanisms: a contextual, architectural reassessment of Eddisbury, Hembury, and Cadbury hillforts. Archaeological Journal 177:2, 339-407.

Specialising in the fields of:
• Palisaded enclosures and hillfort origins
• Building hillfort chronology via architectural phasing
• Reconstructing hillfort gates
• History of hillfort studies

Research projects in this area include:
CaerConnected: connecting the three modern hillfort communities of Caerau, Pen Dinas, and Old Oswestry (funded by the AHRC) in collaboration with Ollie Davies (University of Cardiff)
Excavations at Penycloddiau Hillfort (Flintshire) (2012-2019): excavation of six separate construction phases to the 19 ha hillfort, dating the type to the Late Bronze Age-Middle Iron Age, with 12th century BC origins (funded in partnership with IFR Global, to press 2026).
Excavations at Eddisbury Hillfort, Merrick’s Hill (Cheshire): excavation of a Late Bronze Age palisaded enclosure, C-14 dating the developed hillfort phase, and resolution of hillfort phasing (funded by the Society of Antiquaries of London and the Royal Archaeological Institute; bringing to press across 2024)
W.J. Varley Archive Project: re-evaluating 1930s excavation practice in the analysis of Bill Varley's 'lost' excavation archive, including the analysis and publication of the rare hillfort gate-mechanisms (funded by Historic England, to press 2020; 2024)

Peter Reynolds' Baulksbury reconstruction at Butser Ancient Farm (copyright Rachel Pope, courtesy of Prof. Liz Slater)

Roundhouse settlement (2400 BC-AD 500)

Objective: Understanding prehistoric architecture and social organisationLatest: Creighton, T., Osgood, R., and Pope, R.E. 2021. An experiment in earthen walls: Operation Nightingale, Butser Ancient Farm, and the Dunch Hill roundhouse. Current Archaeology (December 2021).

Specialising in the fields of:
• roundhouse architecture
• land use/agriculture and settlement temporality
• human-land-climate interactions

I have published on the following:
• use of domestic space
• C-14 dating the Bronze Age settlement record

Research projects in this research area include:
Dunch Hill and Danebury roundhouse reconstructions: experiments in earthen-walled roundhouses at Butser Ancient Farm, with MOD Operation Nightingale (2021) in collaboration with Richard Osgood and Trevor Creighton
Kidlandlee Dean Cheviot Landscapes Project: excavation of an Early Bronze Age settlement and its associated field system (post-ex funded by the Society of Antiquaries of London and the Royal Archaeological Institute)

Research grants

CAER Connected

ARTS AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH COUNCIL

June 2021 - March 2022

Publishing Merrick's Hill Eddisbury: 1936-38 and 2010-11

SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF LONDON (UK)

August 2018 - March 2019

Illustrating Eddisbury: A re-evaluation of W.J. Varley’s 1936-38 excavations

ROYAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE (UK)

August 2018 - March 2019

Illustrating Eddisbury: Excavations 1936-38 and 2010-11

ROYAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE (UK)

May 2015 - December 2015

Publishing Excavations at Eddisbury Hillfort: 1936-38 and 2010-11

SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF LONDON (UK)

April 2015 - December 2015

Kidlandlee Dean Cheviot Landscapes Project

SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF LONDON (UK)

April 2012 - January 2013

Kidlandlee Dean

THE SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE (UK)

April 2012 - December 2012

Kidlandlee Prehistoric Landscape Project

ROYAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE (UK)

April 2010 - March 2011

Habitats and Hillforts (Merrick’s Hill excavations)

CHESHIRE WEST AND CHESTER COUNCIL (UK)

July 2011 - July 2015

Archiving prehistoric roundhouses: building a national archaeological database

MARC FITCH FUND

November 2011 - December 2011

Kidlandlee Dean Bronze Age Landscape Project

NORTHUMBERLAND NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY (UK)

December 2012 - February 2013

Stabilisation and analysis of the Iron Age gate pivots from the main entrance to Eddisbury Hillfort, Cheshire (W.J. Varley excavations 1936-38)

ENGLISH HERITAGE

January 2015 - June 2017

Kidlandlee Dean Landscape Project: Understanding agricultural landscapes in the British Bronze Age

ROYAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE (UK)

April 2012 - December 2012

Kidlandlee Prehistoric Landscape Project.

ROYAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE (UK)

August 2008 - February 2009

    Research collaborations

    Prof. Gary Lock

    University of Oxford

    Survey at Penycloddiau and Bodfari hillforts.

    Dr Fiona Gale

    Denbighshire County Council

    Excavations at Penycloddiau hillfort.

    Richard Mason

    English Heritage

    Excavations at Kidlandlee Dean (2008), Eddisbury hillfort (2010-2011), Penycloddiau hillfort (2012-).

    Dr Jenni Dungait

    Rothamstead Research

    Soil science at Kidlandlee Dean.

    Prof. Ian Ralston

    University of Edinburgh

    French and British mortuary evidence.

    Dr Anne Teather

    University of Chester

    British Women Archaeologists.

    Prof. Colin Haselgrove

    University of Leicester

    Characterising the Earlier Iron Age.

    Peter Carne

    University of Durham

    Excavations at Kidlandlee Dean (2005-2007)