![Photo of Dr Susan Greaney](http://www.exeter.ac.uk/codebox/v8strap/hums_staff_images/sgreaney.jpg)
Dr Susan Greaney
Lecturer in Archaeology
Overview
Dr Susan Greaney is a Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Exeter.
Susan is an archaeologist who specialises in the study of British prehistory, particularly monuments of the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age. Her PhD (funded by the AHRC, and completed at Cardiff and Southampton Universities) focused on the Neolithic monument complexes of Britain and Ireland. This work involved new radiocarbon dating of several major monuments in the Dorchester complex, Dorset, as well as a synthesis of how these complexes were built to relate to the natural features and the skies. Current research interests include ancient DNA, middle Neolithic proto-henges and burials and the late Neolithic-Chalcolithic transition.
Prior to joining University of Exeter, Susan worked for English Heritage as Senior Properties Historian, where she researched and wrote interpretation for various historic properties. Projects ranged from an exhibition and outdoor interpretation at Tintagel Castle, to a guidebook for Chysauster and Carn Euny Ancient Villages, to being lead archaeologist and curator for the Stonehenge visitor centre, including several temporary exhibitions there. Susan was named BBC New Generation Thinker in 2019, and has taken part in several BBC radio and TV programmes and podcasts.
Susan is currently accepting applications from PhD students.
Research
My research interests encompass Neolithic and early Bronze Age monuments, landscapes and place. I am particularly interested in social inequalities and relations of power in prehistory, both between people, and between people and places, geological features, rivers, and celestial bodies.
I am currently working to publish key papers and a monograph of my PhD research (The Archaeology of Power: Understanding the Emergence and Development of Neolithic Monument Complexes in Britain and Ireland), and developing new research projects relating to Neolithic square-in-circle monuments, and middle and late Neolithic monument chronologies.
Other research interests include heritage interpretation, public engagement, radiocarbon dating, ancient DNA and Neolithic material culture.
Research collaborations
I am currently director of our UK archaeological fieldschool, developed and run in partnership with the National Trust at Killerton.
Supervision
I am open to discussing research proposals on any relevant subject in my research expertise. I am especially happy to consider working with candidates with interests in:
Neolithic and early Bronze Age Britain and Ireland
Radiocarbon dating
Monumentality
Heritage and museum interpretation
Publications
Copyright Notice: Any articles made available for download are for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the copyright holder.
| 2023 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2017 | 2014 | 2013 |
2023
- Whittle A, Pollard J, Greaney S. (2023) Ancient DNA and the European Neolithic Relations and Descent, Oxbow Books.
- Greaney S. (2023) Looking back, looking forward — humanity beyond biology, Ancient DNA and the European Neolithic: Relations and Descent, Oxbow Books, 183-194. [PDF]
2021
- Nash DJ, Ciborowski JTR, Darvill T, Pearson MP, Ullyott JS, Damaschke M, Evans JA, Goderis S, Greaney S, Huggett JM. (2021) Petrological and geochemical characterisation of the sarsen stones at Stonehenge, PLoS ONE, volume 16, no. 8 August, DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0254760.
2020
- Greaney S. (2020) Liz Henty and Daniel Brown (eds), Visualising Skyscapes: Material Forms of Cultural Engagement with the Heavens, Journal of Skyscape Archaeology, volume 6, no. 1, DOI:10.1558/jsa.40712.
- Greaney S. (2020) Where history meets legend: Presenting the early medieval archaeology of tintagel castle, cornwall, Digging into the Dark Ages: Early Medieval Public Archaeologies, 114-138.
- Cox TJ, Fazenda BM, Greaney SE. (2020) Using scale modelling to assess the prehistoric acoustics of stonehenge, Journal of Archaeological Science, volume 122, DOI:10.1016/j.jas.2020.105218.
- Greaney S, Hazell Z, Barclay A, Ramsey CB, Dunbar E, Hajdas I, Reimer P, Pollard J, Sharples N, Marshall P. (2020) Tempo of a Mega-henge: A New Chronology for Mount Pleasant, Dorchester, Dorset, Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, volume 86, pages 199-236, DOI:10.1017/ppr.2020.6.
- Greaney S. (2020) Teaching archaeoastronomy skills for roles in the heritage sector, Journal of Skyscape Archaeology, volume 6, no. 2, pages 283-286, DOI:10.1558/JSA.19641.
- Nash DJ, Ciborowski TJR, Ullyott JS, Pearson MP, Darvill T, Greaney S, Maniatis G, Whitaker KA. (2020) Origins of the sarsen megaliths at Stonehenge, Sci Adv, volume 6, no. 31, DOI:10.1126/sciadv.abc0133. [PDF]
2019
- Greaney S. (2019) Stonehenge skyscape, Journal of Skyscape Archaeology, volume 5, no. 2, pages 239-240, DOI:10.1558/jsa.40034.
2017
- Greaney S. (2017) First Light: The Origins of Newgrange, EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY, volume 20, no. 1, pages 187-189, DOI:10.1017/eaa.2016.17. [PDF]
2014
- Westlake S. (2014) Routeways and Waterways: the Neolithic-Bronze Age Rock Carvings of the Dingle Peninsula in south-west Ireland from a Landscape Perspective, Archaeological Journal, volume 162, no. 1, pages 1-30, DOI:10.1080/00665983.2005.11020619. [PDF]
2013
- Greaney S. (2013) John Abraham Bayly's View of Little Kit's Coty House, English Heritage Historical Review, volume 5, no. 1, pages 6-11, DOI:10.1179/175201611x13079771582303. [PDF]
- Alexander M, Westlake S. (2013) Hadleigh Castle, Essex, English Heritage Historical Review, volume 4, no. 1, pages 4-21, DOI:10.1179/175201609799838429. [PDF]
External impact and engagement
Public engagement remains at the heart of my archaeological interests. In my previous role at English Heritage I curated a number of exhibitions and interpretation schemes, including permanent and temporary exhibitions at the Stonehenge visitor centre. I continue to write magazine articles and popular books. Previous public engagement projects have involved being Project Partner in 'Consuming Prehistory' an AHRC Follow-On Fund project (English Heritage, Cardiff University, University of York) (2017-8), and involvement with Guerilla Archaeology outreach project.
Contribution to discipline
I am currently a Trustee and Council Member of the Prehistoric Society, and edit their newsletter, PAST.
I am on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Skyscape Archaeology, and the BAR Monograph Series 'Archaeology of Prehistoric Ireland and Britain'.
I am a member of the AHRC Peer Review College.
Media
I have appeared on numerous radio and television programmes. Some examples include:
Channel 5, ‘Stonehenge: The Hidden Truth’, expert contributor (Dec 2021)
BBC Radio 3, Free Thinking, 'Winter Light', contributor (Dec 2020)
BBC Radio 3, Sunday Feature, 'The Jomon Connection', writer and performer (Apr 2020)
BBC Radio 4 and podcast, 'You're Dead to Me' on Stonehenge (October 2019)
BBC Radio 3, Free Thinking 'Rivers, Poetry and Ecology', contributor (May 2019)
Teaching
I contribute to teaching in the archaeology department at all levels, from first year undergraduates to masters students. My teaching covers British archaeology, artefacts and materials, museums and heritage studies, research skills and our undergraduate fieldschool. I teach specialist a thematic module on Neolithic and early Bronze Age Britain and Ireland.
Modules taught
- ARC1010 - Themes in World Archaeology
- ARC1030 - Investigating British Archaeology
- ARC1040 - Artefacts and Materials
- ARC1050 - Objects: Contexts and Display
- ARC2004 - Archaeological Fieldschool
- ARC3006A - Advanced Fieldschool
- ARC3012 - Monumental changes: Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Britain and Ireland
- ARCM108 - Experimental Archaeology: Research and Public Engagement
- ARCM110 - Research Design in Archaeology
Biography
After studying for a BA in Archaeology and Prehistory at the University of Sheffield, I worked for a short time in commercial archaeology before taking an MSc in Professional Archaeology at the University of Oxford, a vocational course. Between 2005 and 2022 I worked for English Heritage as a Properties Historian, having oversight of archaeological and curatorial content of visitor displays at prehistoric sites, particularly Stonehenge, but also with major projects at Avebury, Grimes Graves, Thornborough Henges, Tintagel and Chysauster Ancient Village. My PhD was completed part-time at Cardiff University between 2014 and 2022, during which time I also worked as a postgraduate tutor and also as a freelance public engagement consultant for L-P Archaeology.