Elizabeth L Knox
After moving to the UK from Australia to complete a MSc in Forensic Archaeology I began working the circuit around Great Britain as a field archaeologist with PCA (London & Cambridge), OA North, MOLA London, and Allen Archaeology. In 2015 I returned to MOLA as an Osteologist for the Crossrail Broadgate ticket hall excavation working with colleagues N. Carty, M. Henderson and D. Walker. What was to be a 2 month post become 5 years of non-stop skeletal excavation, assessment, analysis and writing. During this time I assessed just under 7000 and analyzed over 1300 articulated human skeletons as well as many cremation burials and thousands of disarticulated human bones.
In 2020 just before the first National Covid-19 pandemic Lockdown I decided to leave MOLA with all the skills and knowledge that I had gained and pursue a PhD in Postmedieval osteoarchaeology and medical history. I am so grateful and excited to be in my first year of this amazing studentship between my old employer MOLA and the University of Sheffield, working on a topic I am passionate about with a great team of Supervisors and which honestly feels like it was designed for me.
Education:
AHRC CDP PhD Studentship in Archaeology - University of Sheffield with MOLA: Museum of London Archaeology - 2020 (until 2024)
-Thesis: 'Burial Before Breath: A multidisciplinary investigation into the social impact of foetal and mother mortality during the Industrialisation of England'
MSc Forensic Archaeology - Bournemouth University - 2012/13
-Dissertation: 'Detecting the Dead: An analysis of current geophysical surveying techniques in locating and identifying mass graves' - Merit/ 69.37%
BA Hons (MA equivalent) in Combined Archaeology and Biological Anthropology- The Australian National University - 2010
Thesis: 'The Bone Puzzle: A Skeletal and Taphonomic Analysis of Fragmentary Human Skeletal Remains from Callao Caves, Northern Luzon (, Philippines)' - 1st/ 81%
BA majoring in: Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, Art History (Curatorship/ Museum Studies) - The Australian National University - 2004 to 2009 - Distinction/ 74%
Supervisors: Dr. Elizabeth Craig-Atkins , Dr. Chris Millard, Rob Hartle , and Diego Rodrigo-Maganto
Address: London, UK
In 2020 just before the first National Covid-19 pandemic Lockdown I decided to leave MOLA with all the skills and knowledge that I had gained and pursue a PhD in Postmedieval osteoarchaeology and medical history. I am so grateful and excited to be in my first year of this amazing studentship between my old employer MOLA and the University of Sheffield, working on a topic I am passionate about with a great team of Supervisors and which honestly feels like it was designed for me.
Education:
AHRC CDP PhD Studentship in Archaeology - University of Sheffield with MOLA: Museum of London Archaeology - 2020 (until 2024)
-Thesis: 'Burial Before Breath: A multidisciplinary investigation into the social impact of foetal and mother mortality during the Industrialisation of England'
MSc Forensic Archaeology - Bournemouth University - 2012/13
-Dissertation: 'Detecting the Dead: An analysis of current geophysical surveying techniques in locating and identifying mass graves' - Merit/ 69.37%
BA Hons (MA equivalent) in Combined Archaeology and Biological Anthropology- The Australian National University - 2010
Thesis: 'The Bone Puzzle: A Skeletal and Taphonomic Analysis of Fragmentary Human Skeletal Remains from Callao Caves, Northern Luzon (, Philippines)' - 1st/ 81%
BA majoring in: Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, Art History (Curatorship/ Museum Studies) - The Australian National University - 2004 to 2009 - Distinction/ 74%
Supervisors: Dr. Elizabeth Craig-Atkins , Dr. Chris Millard, Rob Hartle , and Diego Rodrigo-Maganto
Address: London, UK
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Grey Literature by Elizabeth L Knox
This ongoing archaeological project aims to advance the knowledge of the Municipality of Catanauan and bridge the gap between earlier studies around the Bondoc peninsula. The site consists of a complex burial practice with dates as far as 1200 years ago. The general lack of bioarchaeology in the Philippines makes the site of Catanauan important for further research and ongoing systematic exploration of the burial culture on the Bondoc peninsula.
This ongoing archaeological project aims to advance the knowledge of the Municipality of Catanauan and bridge the gap between earlier studies around the Bondoc peninsula. The site consists of a complex burial practice with dates as far as 1200 years ago. The general lack of bioarchaeology in the Philippines makes the site of Catanauan important for further research and ongoing systematic exploration of the burial culture on the Bondoc peninsula.
Theses by Elizabeth L Knox
This paper tested three of the main geophysical techniques available for locating clandestine burials: Ground Penetrating Radar, Earth Resistivity, and Electromagnetic Induction. Each method was used to survey a recent simulated mass grave of four deer and a site containing multiple mass graves of deer skeletons as old as 2005 and earlier, capturing both early and late stages of decomposition.
Three main conclusions were drawn: Resistivity can produce reliable results by the sixth week of decomposition in dry alluvial sand and clay deposits; EM is not suitable for locating a mass grave in the same deposits however produces strong results over graves in late stages of decomposition; and GPR results across decompositional stages are confusing without prior knowledge of burial locations.
This research supports the use of Electromagnetic Induction at sites with advanced stages of decomposition and resistivity at mass grave sites within the early stages. Further research is needed into the window of time resistivity can be used on mass graves and the use of GPR in locating mass graves in complex geological sites.
A skeletal analysis of all 597 human skeletal bones and 69 teeth, was
conducted to identify bone fragments which were used to quantify Minimum Number of Individuals (MNI). The maximum result from this assessment was used as the expected MNI in order to assess skeletal preservation across the assemblage. The results showed that while degraded and fragmentary, skeletal preservation was varied from poor to fair across the site. An assessment of the frequencies of faunal remains and depositional layering of sediments was compiled from site recording forms and inventory logs from the 2009 Callao Cave excavation. By discussing and discarding possible taphonomic signatures based on skeletal preservation, dispersal and sediment
composition, informed deductions could be inferred. From the available data, it is unlikely that an in situ broken burial is present. Analysis suggests that the fragmentary human assemblage was transported into the site from a burial location near to the cave through way of a collapsed or slumped passage way.
Papers by Elizabeth L Knox
This ongoing archaeological project aims to advance the knowledge of the Municipality of Catanauan and bridge the gap between earlier studies around the Bondoc peninsula. The site consists of a complex burial practice with dates as far as 1200 years ago. The general lack of bioarchaeology in the Philippines makes the site of Catanauan important for further research and ongoing systematic exploration of the burial culture on the Bondoc peninsula.
This ongoing archaeological project aims to advance the knowledge of the Municipality of Catanauan and bridge the gap between earlier studies around the Bondoc peninsula. The site consists of a complex burial practice with dates as far as 1200 years ago. The general lack of bioarchaeology in the Philippines makes the site of Catanauan important for further research and ongoing systematic exploration of the burial culture on the Bondoc peninsula.
This paper tested three of the main geophysical techniques available for locating clandestine burials: Ground Penetrating Radar, Earth Resistivity, and Electromagnetic Induction. Each method was used to survey a recent simulated mass grave of four deer and a site containing multiple mass graves of deer skeletons as old as 2005 and earlier, capturing both early and late stages of decomposition.
Three main conclusions were drawn: Resistivity can produce reliable results by the sixth week of decomposition in dry alluvial sand and clay deposits; EM is not suitable for locating a mass grave in the same deposits however produces strong results over graves in late stages of decomposition; and GPR results across decompositional stages are confusing without prior knowledge of burial locations.
This research supports the use of Electromagnetic Induction at sites with advanced stages of decomposition and resistivity at mass grave sites within the early stages. Further research is needed into the window of time resistivity can be used on mass graves and the use of GPR in locating mass graves in complex geological sites.
A skeletal analysis of all 597 human skeletal bones and 69 teeth, was
conducted to identify bone fragments which were used to quantify Minimum Number of Individuals (MNI). The maximum result from this assessment was used as the expected MNI in order to assess skeletal preservation across the assemblage. The results showed that while degraded and fragmentary, skeletal preservation was varied from poor to fair across the site. An assessment of the frequencies of faunal remains and depositional layering of sediments was compiled from site recording forms and inventory logs from the 2009 Callao Cave excavation. By discussing and discarding possible taphonomic signatures based on skeletal preservation, dispersal and sediment
composition, informed deductions could be inferred. From the available data, it is unlikely that an in situ broken burial is present. Analysis suggests that the fragmentary human assemblage was transported into the site from a burial location near to the cave through way of a collapsed or slumped passage way.