Dr Phil Marter

Biography

Dr Phil Marter is Senior Lecturer in the Archaeology of the Recent Past. He completed a postgraduate qualification in Professional Archaeology at The University of Oxford and his PhD with the University of Southampton. He has previously worked for Historic England (including The Royal Commission on Historic Monuments), Clywd Powys Archaeological Trust and Context One Archaeological Services.

His research and teaching focus on the archaeology of the recent past, conflict archaeology and in particular, WWII aviation archaeology. He works with both amateur and professional archaeologists to research, excavate and record crashed aircraft from the 1939-45 air war and is currently helping to promote standards and guidance on best practice in this field.

His recent work has included the exploration of the largest WWI Military Camp in the UK at Magdalen (Morn) Hill on the outskirts of Winchester, the excavation of an RAF 10 Squadron Halifax in Germany and the excavation of a MKI Spitfire in Lincolnshire. He has participated in the excavation and recovery of wartime remains of both German and Allied aircraft and their crews from the 1939-45 air war in the UK, France and Germany.

He currently runs several projects: exploring Bomber Command aerodromes in Yorkshire; excavating an RAF 115 Squadron Lancaster crash site in Hessen and the search for a JU88 crash site on Thorney Island on the south coast of England. His research on the European Air War is carried out in conjunction with a range of partners, in particular hessenARCHÄEOLOGIE (The Federal State Archaeological Service of Hessen) and Saxion University in Deventer, The Netherlands. As part of this he contributes to the training of students from across Europe at the International Summer Academy held at The Glauberg, Hessen.

He has also contributed to a range of news and popular entertainment programmes that include South Today, Inside Out, The One Show and Time Team. He also played a key role in the second series of the popular History Channel show WWII Treasure Hunters presented by Steven Taylor and Madness frontman Suggs. His projects have featured in a variety of newspapers and magazines.

Phil is from a military family and is passionate about working with military veterans in archaeology. He maintains links with several veterans' organisations and is the Membership Coordinator for RAF 10 Squadron Association. He promoted participation in D-Day 75 commemoration work by the University and its partners at Lepe Beach in 2019.

In 2004, he was actively involved in setting up Archaeology's consultancy arm ARCA and he is Co-Director (with Dr Simon Roffey) of the University's training excavation at the medieval hospital of St Mary Magdalen, Winchester.

Higher Education Teaching Qualification: Higher Education Academy Fellowship (FHEA).

Areas of expertise

• Archaeology of the recent past
• Battlefield archaeology
• Conflict archaeology
• WWII aviation archaeology
• Field Archaeology 

Publications

• Urban C., Blom A., Avanzi C., Walker-Meikle K., Warren A.K., White-Iribhogbe K., Turle R., Marter P., Dawson-Hobbis H., Roffey S., A. Inskip S., Schuenemann V.J. (2024) Ancient Mycobacterium leprae genome reveals medieval English red squirrels as animal leprosy host Current Biology Vol. 34 Iss. 10, May 2024, 2221-30. Read it online
• Marter, P, Visser, R, Alders, P, Röder, C, Gottwald. M, Mank, M, Hubbard, S & Recker, U (2018): The excavation of WWII RAF bomber, Halifax LV881-ZA-V, Journal of Conflict Archaeology, DOI: 10.1080/15740773.2017.1414423.
• 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)
• Alders, P., Gottwald, M., Hubbard, S., Mank, M., Marter P., Recker, U., Röder C. and Visser, R. (2015) Halifax LV881 Zeugnisse des Luftkriegs über Hessen. In Recker (Ed.) hessenARCHÄOLOGIE 2014.
• Alders, P., Gottwald, M., Hubbard, S., Mank, M., Marter P., Recker, U., Röder C. and Visser, R. (2015) Halifax LV881 Absturz und Erinnerung. In Recker (Ed.) hessenARCHÄOLOGIE 2015.
• G.M. Taylor, K. Tucker, R. Butler, A.W.G. Pike, J. Lewis, S. Roffey, P. Marter, O.Y-C Lee, H.H. T. Wu, D.E. Minnikin, G.S. Besra, P. Singh, S.T. Cole, G.R. Stewart 2013 Detection and Strain Typing of Ancient Mycobacterium leprae from a Medieval Leprosy Hospital PLOS One open-access online publlication (read it here).
• Roffey, S and Marter, P. 2012. Treating leprosy St Mary Magdalen, Winchester. Current Archaeology 267, 12-18.Roffey, S and Marter, P. 2012. Excavations at St Mary Magdalen Winchester 2008 - 2012. Hampshire Field Club Newsletter 57, 3-4.
• Roffey, S and Marter, P 2011. St Mary Magdalen Hospital Winchester. British Archaeology 177, 22-27.
• Roffey, S and Marter P 2010a, Recent Excavations at St Mary Magdalen, Winchester. Medieval Archaeology 54.
• Roffey, S and Marter P 2010b, ‘Excavations at St Mary Magdalen, Winchester’. Monastic Research Bulletin 16.
• Marter, P., 2007. ‘Ploughsoil Experiments at Shapwick’, in C. Gerrard & M. Aston (eds), The Shapwick Project, Somerset. A rural landscape explored. London: Society for Medieval Archaeology.
• Marter, P., 2003. National Database of Medieval Pottery Production Centres in England. Database produced for English Heritage.
• Marter, P., and McConnell, R., 1999. Preparations for War: World War II Civil Defence in the City of Winchester. Hampshire Field Club and Archaeology Society 54, 146-62.
• Marter P., 1997. 'Shaping the Past: An Experiment in Ploughzone Archaeology', in: C. Gerrard and M. Aston (eds), The Shapwick Project. An Archaeological, Historical and Topographic Study. The Seventh Report. Department of Continuing Education, University of Bristol, pp 249-56.