Douglas Killock

Background

About Douglas Killock

I have worked as a professional archaeologist for nearly four decades now, mainly in London and the southeast of England but I also had the great good fortune to live and work in Italy for over five years. My extended sojourn provided me with a rich experience in life as well as the opportunity to enjoy digging in an area with fantastic cultural heritage. During the course of my career my role has changed and moved on, first from from digging and recording to supervising others and passing on the skills I had acquired. Gradually my responsibilities extended beyond fieldwork to post-excavation analysis and eventually to publication. My publication history now stretches back twenty-five years and embraces small excavations undertaken with a handful of colleagues to multi-year projects staffed by scores of people. I have always attempted to maintain the highest standards both in the field when collecting data and within the analysis and dissemination of the results. I would not claim to be an expert in a particular period; my publications cover an arc from the late Iron Age through to the 19th century, but I have dealt with the Roman period more than any other. The opportunity to excavate sites from other epochs provided new challenges both in terms of fieldwork and research. I have been lucky enough to supervise some incredibly successful excavations that have contributed to our understanding of London’s development. Notable amongst these was Tabard Square where the discovery of a religious precinct provided a new insight into the landscape of the Roman city. The interest generated by that discovery allowed me to speak publicly about the excavation and whether my talks were given to academic conferences or local archaeological societies I enjoyed passing on the results of our work. I have since spoken on numerous other projects. Publication is a very slow process so public speaking provides an excellent outreach opportunity. My current role combines my own post-excavation assignments with mentoring younger supervisors who are taking their first steps in the analysis and reporting of fieldwork.