Sue Hamilton (archaeologist) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Professor Sue Hamilton FSA
Sue Hamilton on Rapa Nui in 2015
Born	Glasgow, Scotland
Alma mater	UCL Institute of Archaeology
Occupation	Professor of Prehistory
Known for	Sensory archaeology The Leskernick Project, The Tavoliere-Gargano Prehistory Project, The Rapa Nui Landscapes of Construction Project Specialist studies in British prehistoric pottery
Notable work	Hillforts, monumentality and place (2001), Archaeology and Women (2006), Stone Worlds (2007), Theory in the Field (2013), Neolithic Spaces (2020)
Scientific career
Institutions	UCL Institute of Archaeology
Thesis	First Millennium BC Pottery Traditions in Southern Britain (1993)
Doctoral advisor	Roy Hodson

Sue Hamilton is a British archaeologist and a Professor of Prehistory at the UCL Institute of Archaeology. She is an expert in studying ancient objects and how people used the land long ago. From 2014 to 2022, she was the first permanent female director of the UCL Institute of Archaeology.

Becoming an Archaeologist

Sue Hamilton studied archaeology in school and at the University of Edinburgh. Later, she moved to the Institute of Archaeology at UCL in London. There, she earned her first degree in archaeology.

In 1993, she completed her PhD from the University of London. Her research focused on ancient pottery from the first millennium BC (about 3,000 years ago) in southern Britain.

Exploring the Past

Before joining the Institute of Archaeology in 1990, Sue Hamilton taught archaeology at other colleges. Her early work looked at British prehistory and ancient pottery. She helped create a guide for studying prehistoric pottery, which many experts still use today.

The Leskernick Project

From 1995 to 2000, Sue Hamilton worked with Christopher Tilley and Barbara Bender on the Leskernick Project. This project studied ancient landscapes from the Neolithic (New Stone Age) and Bronze Age on Bodmin Moor in England. They explored how people experienced these places with their senses, like sight, sound, and touch. This idea is called "sensory archaeology." Their findings were shared in the book Stone Worlds (2007).

Digging in Italy

After Leskernick, from 2002 to 2013, she co-led the Tavoliere-Gargano Prehistory Project in Italy. With Ruth Whitehouse, she applied the ideas of sensory archaeology to study ancient "ditched villages" (villaggi trincerati) from the Neolithic period in southeast Italy. This work was published in an important article called Phenomenology in Practice (2006) and in the book Neolithic Spaces (2020).

Uncovering Easter Island's Secrets

From 2006 to 2015, Sue Hamilton also co-directed the Rapa Nui Landscapes of Construction Project. With Colin Richards, she researched the famous moai (large stone statues) on Rapa Nui. They studied how these statues fit into the ancient landscape. They were the first British archaeologists to work on the island since 1914. This project is still ongoing under her guidance.

Leading the Institute

After many years of research and teaching, Sue Hamilton became the first permanent female director of the UCL Institute of Archaeology on September 1, 2014.