Chloë N. Duckworth is a British
archaeological scientist and
reader in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology,
Newcastle University
Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is a red brick university and a mem ...
, and a presenter of ''
The Great British Dig''.
Education
After receiving her BA (Hons) in Archaeology, Duckworth was awarded funding from the
Arts and Humanities Research Council
The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), formerly Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB), is a British research council, established in 1998, supporting research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities.
History
The Arts a ...
to study for an
MSc and subsequently a
PhD
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...
at the
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university in Nottingham, England. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948.
Nottingham's main campus (University Park Campus, Nottingh ...
. Her PhD, awarded in 2011, was supervised by Julian Henderson and was titled ''The created stone: chemical and archaeological perspectives on the colour and material properties of early Egyptian glass, 1500–1200 B.C.''.
Career and research
Duckworth joined
Newcastle University
Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is a red brick university and a mem ...
in 2016,
following her position at the
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester ( ) is a public university, public research university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park, Leicester, Victoria Park. The university's predecessor, Univ ...
as a
postdoctoral researcher
A postdoctoral fellow, postdoctoral researcher, or simply postdoc, is a person professionally conducting research after the completion of their doctoral studies (typically a PhD). Postdocs most commonly, but not always, have a temporary acade ...
on
European Research Council
The European Research Council (ERC) is a public body for funding of scientific and technological research conducted within the European Union (EU). Established by the European Commission in 2007, the ERC is composed of an independent Scientific ...
funded Trans-Sahara project. She held a
British Academy
The British Academy for the Promotion of Historical, Philosophical and Philological Studies is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences.
It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the sa ...
Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2015. She is the director of two field projects at
UNESCO World Heritage Site
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
s in Spain: the
Madinat al-Zahra Survey Project and The
Alhambra
The Alhambra (, ; ) is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Spain. It is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the historic Muslim world, Islamic world. Additionally, the ...
Royal Workshops project. Her research group at Newcastle University aims to reconstruct the technology of glass in the past by using experimental reconstructions, texts, and scientific analysis. She is a member of the editorial board of ''
World Archaeology
''World Archaeology'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering all aspects of archaeology. It was established in 1969 and originally published triannually by Routledge & Kegan Paul. In 2004 it changed to a quarterly publication schedule while ...
'' journal, and an external examiner for the
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
.
She was elected as a fellow of the
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London (SAL) is a learned society of historians and archaeologists in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1707, received its royal charter in 1751 and is a Charitable organization, registered charity. It is based ...
on 5 May 2017.
She is also a Fellow of the
Higher Education Academy
Advance HE (formerly the Higher Education Academy) is a British charity and professional membership scheme promoting excellence in higher education. It advocates evidence-based teaching methods and awards fellowships as professional recogniti ...
and a Member of the
Chartered Institute for Archaeologists Chartered may refer to:
* Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiorit ...
. Until September 2021, she co-directed the Newcastle University Centre for Heritage. she holds the position of
reader in archaeological science and public engagement in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology at the University of Newcastle.
''Recycling and Re-Use in the Roman Economy'', which Duckworth co-edited with
Andrew Wilson in 2020, was both praised as a summary of the present research on the topic and as 'a starting point for further research'. It was also noted as likely to 'catalyze studies of recycling and reuse in and beyond the Roman world for years to come.' by Linda R. Gosner in the ''
American Journal of Archaeology
The ''American Journal of Archaeology'' (AJA), the peer-reviewed journal of the Archaeological Institute of America, has been published since 1897 (continuing the ''American Journal of Archaeology and of the History of the Fine Arts'' founded by t ...
.''

As well as her academic career, Duckworth is a television presenter and public speaker. In 2017 she was part of the
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
Expert Women and in 2019 was a presenter at the
New Scientist
''New Scientist'' is a popular science magazine covering all aspects of science and technology. Based in London, it publishes weekly English-language editions in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. An editorially separate organ ...
Live Show. Since 2020 she has presented
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
's ''
The Great British Dig'' with
Hugh Dennis
Peter Hugh Dennis (born 13 February 1962) is an English comedian, presenter, actor, Impressionist (entertainment), impressionist and writer. He was a panellist in every episode of the comedy show ''Mock the Week'' (2005–2022) and is one half ...
. She authored a book of the same title in 2022 to accompany the series.
She was shortlisted for the
Council for British Archaeology
The Council for British Archaeology (CBA) is an educational charity established in 1944 in the UK. It works to involve people in archaeology and to promote the appreciation and care of the historic environment for the benefit of present and fut ...
's "Outstanding Archaeological Achievement" award in 2021.
Personal life and advocacy
In 2021, Duckworth launched the "Dig for Archaeology" campaign, which seeks to promote the positive aspects of commercial, academic and
community archaeology in the UK, and to raise awareness of the threats it faces. She advocates increasing diversity and representation in archaeology, and is a committee member of the
Chartered Institute for Archaeologists Chartered may refer to:
* Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiorit ...
's Equality and Diversity Group.
She lives in
Northumberland
Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...
.
Selected publications
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[Additional reviews of ''The Great British Dig'' book:
*
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References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duckworth, Chloe
Living people
British women archaeologists
British archaeologists
Alumni of the University of Nottingham
1981 births
Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London
Fellows of the Higher Education Academy
British television presenters
British women historians
Academics of Newcastle University
British women academics
21st-century British non-fiction writers
British women non-fiction writers
21st-century British women writers
21st-century British historians