Archaeobotanist/Palaeoecologist

Zoë Hazell

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Geography. University of Durham (1999)

MSc Quaternary Science. University of London (2000)

PhD Holocene Palaeoclimate Reconstruction from New Zealand Peatlands. University of Plymouth (2004)

Main interests

I have experience in a variety of palaeoecological proxy indicators, including plant macrofossils, charcoal, testate amoebae, pollen and diatoms, together with peat humification and spheroidal carbonaceous particles, and their application in climate and environmental reconstructions. My work has also included the use of tephra layers and AMS radiocarbon dates to derive detailed core chronologies. I have worked on sites in the UK, France and New Zealand, investigating saltmarsh accretion rates, lake acidification and peatland palaeomoisture records.

Main duties and responsibilities

As a new member of the Environmental Studies team, I will be involved with: advising English Heritage, the Historic Environment Enabling Programme (HEEP) and external research partners on issues relating to archaeobotany; liaising with external research groups; carrying out archaeobotanical/palaeoecological research, working closely with the Maritime Archaeology team; ensuring the dissemination of research findings to the wider research community and to the public; acting as an HEEP project officer; maintaining Fort Cumberland’s botanical reference collection.