Bournemouth University

Faculty Member, Conservation Science

Lecturer in Forensic and Biological Anthropology

About

After obtaining his PhD at Birmingham University, Martin worked on a three-year postdoctoral project before commencing his current post at Bournemouth. His past work has covered a range of periods with particular focus on the Neolithic. His interests centre principally on areas of taphonomy and trauma with relevance to both forensic and archaeological remains.

Martin has strong interests in the study of conflict from prehistoric to modern times. A question that continues to fascinate him is the extent to which war /organized conflict is ‘hard-wired’ in human beings rather than simply a practical response to environmental or social circumstances. 

Ethical questions concerning human remains have become particularly prominent in recent years. Martin has repeatedly involved himself in current debates over the retention of skeletal assemblages and maintains the importance of keeping such collections, as once reburied they are effectively gone forever.

Some of Martin’s most enjoyable work has involved experimentation, such as feeding meat on the bone to various carnivorous animals, most memorably coming within inches of a very irritable lynx as well as a rather inquisitive tiger. Martin’s interests in conflict also led to a series of experiments shooting flint-tipped arrows at bone to investigate the resulting ‘injuries’ –an engaging project although the health and safety implications were ‘interesting’.

In a former life Martin was a qualified nurse spending over ten years working in Emergency departments. This experience has proved extremely valuable as being familiar with injuries and diseases in the living helps greatly when trying to recognize them in the dead. Martin enjoys living in rural Dorset where it’s difficult to throw a stone without hitting prehistoric archaeology and enjoys the opportunity to study Neolithic through Iron Age earthworks when walking his dog every morning. It’s good to have personal insights into one’s work and Martin’s doctor informs him that he has reached an age where he is developing arthritis in his knees and spine. He looks forward with interest to acquiring further skeletal pathology in years to come…

Contact Information