Background

Nicholas has a BA Hons in Archaeology and Education from the University of York (1997), a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the University of Bradford (1998), a MSc in Osteology, Palaeopathology and Funerary Archaeology from the University of Sheffield (1999) and a DPhil in Biological Anthropology/Archaeology from the University of Oxford (2006).

During his MSc and DPhil Nicholas specialised in the analysis of human skeletal remains primarily from Punic and Roman Spain, focusing on health, disease and interpreting the data within a biocultural framework. For a number of years, he also worked on human skeletal remains from Prehistoric to early 20th century sites in the UK, Spain, France and Portugal and he has undertaken work on a number of museum collections.

From 2008 to 2013 Nicholas worked full time as a forensic anthropologist and archaeologist for two major forensic science providers in the UK - attending crime scenes and mortuaries for a number of police forces in England and Wales. He is a Chartered Forensic Anthropologist by the RAI (UK). He continues to consult for police forces, forensic science providers and NGOs in the UK and abroad.

Nicholas is also a Research Associate at the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, where he has taught since 2001. in 2013 he was employed by Cranfield University as Lecturer in Forensic Anthropology, with promotion to Reader/Associate Professor in 2023.

Current activities

Nicholas's interests include:

age estimation in the living

methods of sex, stature and age-at-death estimation from human skeletal remains

bioarchaeology - reconstructing lifestyle, health and disease from past populations

forensic archaeology - the application of archaeological principles, techniques and methodologies in a legal context

taphonomy - the study of organism decay and fossilisation

trauma - the study of physical wounds and injuries

ethics of human remains

promoting the disciplines of forensic archaeology, anthropology and bioarchaeology

global perspectives in forensic anthropology and archaeology (legislation, methods, human rights investigations).

Clients

Police forces in England and Wales

Forensic science providers

Solicitors

Local governments

Archaeological companies

Universities

Museums

Publications

Articles In Journals