Dr Katie Tucker

Biography

I am Visiting Fellow in Osteoarchaeology. After completing my BA in Archaeology at the University of Bristol in 2001, I spent a year working as a field archaeologist for companies in Bristol and Gloucestershire before receiving a NERC (Natural Environment Research Council) studentship to undertake my MSc in Human Osteology and Palaeopathology at the University of Bradford. After completing my studies, I worked as a field archaeologist and human osteologist for a number of companies in the North-East and Midlands, most prominently the York Archaeological Trust, where I was the Human Osteologist between 2003 and 2007. I worked on the analysis of human remains from a number of different burial environments, from isolated burials and cremations to large cemetery sites and dating from the Neolithic to the post-medieval period.

I undertook my PhD on The Archaeology and Osteology of Human Decapitation at the University of Winchester between 2009 and 2012 after receiving a university studentship. I started teaching at the University of Winchester whilst undertaking my PhD and have contributed to a number of different modules, as well as teaching a module on Human Bioarchaeology. I have also undertaken various projects for ARCA, Archaeology's consultancy arm.

I have been involved in research on the skeletal remains from the Magdalen Hill Archaeological Research Project (MHARP), and was the lead archaeologist and osteologist for the The Search for Alfred the Great project.

I currently work as a freelance researcher for The Solomonic-Zagwe (SolZag) Encounters Project in Ethiopia, a project to excavate and analyse burials from cemeteries and caves, in collaboration with SOAS. Find out more by listening to my Arch & Anth podcast, 1 July 2020 or on the SolZag Project website.

I am also working on a project analysing Neolithic commingled remains from Jordan in collaboration with the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, a project cataloguing the human remains from the Heiliges Geist medieval hospital, Berlin, and for Transylvania Bioarchaeology as site director for the Jucu de Sus medieval cemetery excavations.

Follow me on Twitter: @NowDrK.

Areas of expertise

• ​Human Osteology
• Mortuary Archaeology
• Archaeological methods and techniques

Publications

Books

• Tucker, K. 2015. An archaeological study of human decapitation burials. Barnsley: Pen and Sword.
• Albert, E and Tucker, K. 2014. In search of Alfred the Great: The King, The Grave, The Legend. Stroud: Amberley.

Book chapters and journal articles (2005 - present)

• Gore, E. and K. Tucker. 2005. Romans lose their heads in York, Yorkshire Archaeology Today 8, 1-5
• Gore, E. and K. Tucker. 2006. Romans lose their heads in York, Yorkshire Archaeology Society, Roman Antiquities Section Bulletin 22, 3-7
• Tucker, K and S. Cleggett. 2007. Human Remains from Tomb 789, in D. Frankel and J.M. Webb, The Bronze Age cemeteries at Deneia in Cyprus. Studies in Mediterranean Archaeology Vol. CXXXV, pp131-36
• Tucker, K. 2008. The Human Bone, in N. Toop, Excavations at Moss Street Depot, Moss Street, York. Yorkshire Archaeology Journal 80: 21-42
• Montgomery, J, Knüsel, C and Tucker, K. 2011. Identifying the origins of decapitated male skeletons from 3 Driffield Terrace, York through Isotope Analysis: reflections of the cosmopolitan nature of Roman York in the time of Caracalla, in M. Bonogofsky (ed.,) The bioarchaeology of the human head: decapitation, decoration and deformation. University of Florida University Press: Gainesville, pp 141-78
• Roffey, S and Tucker, K. 2012. A contextual study of the medieval hospital and cemetery of St Mary Magdalen, Winchester, England. International Journal of Paleopathology 2 (4): 170-80
• Tucker, K. 2012. Decapitated burials from Roman Winchester, in PJ Ottaway, KE Qualmann, H. Rees and GD Scobie, The Roman cemeteries and suburbs of Winchester: excavations 1971 -1986. Winchester Museums Service pp 240-42
• Tucker, K. 2012. Execution in Roman Britain? The Evidence from Decapitation Burials, in J. Auler (ed.) Richtstättenarchäologie 3. Archaeotopos: Dormagen pp 234-47
• Schuenemann, V. J., Singh, P., Mendum, T. A., Krause-Kyora, B., Jäger, G., Bos, K. I., Herbig, A., Economou, C., Benjak, A., Busso, P., Nebel, A., Boldsen, J. L., Kjellström, A., Wu, H., Stewart, G. R., Taylor, G. M., Bauer, P., Lee, O. Y-C., Wu, H. H. T, Minnikin, D. E., Besra, G. S., Tucker, K., Roffey, S., Sow, S. O., Cole, S. T., Nieselt, K., Krause, J. 2013. Genome-wide comparison of medieval and modern Mycobacterium leprae. Science 341: 179-83
• Taylor, G.M., Tucker, K., Butler, R.E., Pike, A.W.G., Lewis, J., Roffey, S., Marter, P., Lee, O.Y-C., Wu, H.H., Minnikin, D.E., Besra, G.S., Singh, P., Cole, S.T., Stewart, G.R. 2013. Detection and strain typing of ancient Mycobacterium leprae from a medieval leprosy hospital. PLoS ONE 8(4): e62406. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0062406
• Tucker, K. 2013. The osteology of decapitation burials from Roman Britain: a post-mortem burial rite?, in MJ Smith and C Knüsel (eds) The Routledge handbook of the bioarchaeology of human conflict. Routledge: London pp 213-36
• Mendum, TA, Schuenemann, VJ, Roffey, S, Taylor, GM, Wu, H, Singh, P, Tucker, K, Hinds, J, Cole, ST, Kierzek, AM, Nieselt, K, Krause, J and Stewart, GR. 2014. Mycobacterium leprae genomes from a British medieval leprosy hospital: towards understanding an ancient epidemic. BMC Genomics 15: 270
• Tucker, K. 2014. Close to the bone: the search for Alfred the Great is nearly over. The Conversation 20 January 2014
• ​Tucker, K. (2016). The decapitated burials from Lankhills, in C. Stuckert (ed.) The people of early Winchester. Winchester Studies 9i. Winchester Excavations Committee/Oxford University Press
• Roffey, S., Tucker, K., Filipek-Ogden, K., Montgomery, J., Cameron, J., O’Connell, T., Evans, J., Marter, P. and Taylor, G.M.​ (2017) Investigation of a medieval pilgrim burial excavated from the Leprosarium of St Mary Magdalen Winchester, UK. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases​ (read it here)

Grey literature

• Tucker, K. 2004. Human bone, in M. Johnson, Report on an Archaeological Investigation at Beverley Minster, East Yorkshire. York Archaeological Trust Excavation Report 2004/24, p.68-94
• Tucker, K. 2004. Assessment of the human remains from Brancepeth, County Durham. Unpublished Pre-Construct Archaeology (North) report
• Tucker, K. 2005. The human bones, in P. Ottaway, 1-3 Driffield Terrace, Assessment Report on an Archaeological Excavation. York Archaeological Trust Excavation Report 2005/27, p.63-69
• Tucker, K. 2005. Osteological analysis of human bones, in T. Kendall, St Helens Church, Skipwith, North Yorkshire: Assessment Report on an Archaeological Investigation. York Archaeological Trust 2005/49, p.161-181
• Tucker, K. 2005. The human remains, in K. Hunter-Mann, 6 Driffield Terrace: Assessment Report on an Archaeological Investigation. York Archaeological Report 2005/55, p. 47-50
• Tucker, K. 2005. Assessment of human remains from York Minster. Unpublished York Archaeological Trust report
• Tucker, K. 2006. Human Bone, in B. Antoni, Melton Quarry, Melton, North Ferriby, East Yorkshire: Archaeological Excavation Report. York Archaeological Trust Excavation Report 2006/46, p.71-79
• Tucker, K. 2006. Assessment of human remains, in R. Finlayson, Ainsbrook, North Yorkshire 2006: A Report on an Archaeological Assessment. York Archaeological Trust Excavation Report 2006/51, p.119
• Tucker, K. 2006. Human bone assessment, in J. McComish, Land at the Junction of Dixon Lane and George Street, York: Archaeological Excavation Assessment Report. York Archaeological Trust Excavation Report 2006/53, p.60-62
• Tucker, K. 2006. Analysis of the inhumations, Cremations and Disarticulated Bone from 1-3 Driffield Terrace, 6 Driffield Terrace and 129 The Mount, York. Unpublished York Archaeological Trust report
• Tucker, K. 2006. Assessment of the human remains from Moss Street Depot, York. Unpublished Field Archaeology Services report
• Tucker, K. 2006. Assessment of the human skeleton from Lauren’s Manor, York. Unpublished Field Archaeology Services report
• Tucker, K. 2006. Analysis of the human remains from Moss Street Depot, York. Unpublished Field Archaeology Services report
• Tucker, K. 2006. Assessment of the human remains from Osbaldwick, York. Unpublished York Archaeological Trust report
• Tucker, K. 2007. The human skeleton, in D. Evans, 129 The Mount, York: A Report on an Archaeological Watching Brief. York Archaeological Trust Excavation Report 2007/02, p.14-16
• Tucker, K. 2007. Analysis of the inhumations and disarticulated bone from the cemetery of St Stephen’s Church, George Street, York. Unpublished York Archaeological Trust report
• Tucker, K. 2007. Analysis of the inhumations and disarticulated bone from Silver Street, York. Unpublished York Archaeological Trust report
• Tucker, K. 2007. Assessment of the cremation burial from Lawrence Street, York. Unpublished York Archaeological Trust report
• Tucker, K. 2007. Analysis of the inhumations and disarticulated bone from excavations at Whithorn. Unpublished York Archaeological Trust report
• Tucker, K. 2007. Analysis of the inhumations from Broadway, Yaxley, Huntingdonshire. Unpublished Northamptonshire Archaeology report
• Tucker, K. 2010. Analysis of the human remains from Yarford Roman Villa. Unpublished University of Winchester report
• Tucker, K. 2010. Analysis of the human remains from Dinnington Roman Villa. Unpublished University of Winchester report
• Tucker, K. 2011. Report on the crania from Greylake, Middlezoy. Unpublished University of Winchester report
• Tucker, K. 2013. Analysis of the inhumations from St Catherine’s College, Winchester. Unpublished report for WARG
• Tucker, K. 2013. Analysis of the inhumations from Wimborne Minster, Dorset. Unpublished report for East Dorset District Council