Caroline Sturdy Colls

Prof

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20122024

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Personal profile

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13 from 955 citations 

Last updated 16th September 2024

Biography

I am a Professor of Holocaust Archaeology and Genocide Investigation. I teach in the areas of forensic archaeology, techniques in the identification of human remains and various aspects of crime scene investigation. I graduated from the University of Birmingham with a BA(Hons) Archaeology and Ancient History in 2007 and an MPhil(B) in Archaeological Practice in 2008. I also completed my PhD thesis entitled ‘Holocaust Archaeology: Archaeological Approaches to Landscapes of Nazi Genocide and Persecution’, at the University of Birmingham. My research focuses on the application of interdisciplinary approaches to the investigation of Holocaust landscapes. As part of this research, I completed the first archaeological surveys of the former extermination camp at Treblinka (Poland), the sites pertaining to the slave labour programme in Alderney (the Channel Islands), the former Semlin Judenlager and Anhaltlager (Serbia) and killing sites in Poland and Ukraine. I have also worked on a pilot project with the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation (UKHMF) to map the terrain of Bergen-Belsen (Germany) and I was a member of the UKHMF Education Advisory Group, appointed by the UK Government from 2015-2018. In August 2015, I installed a new permanent exhibition entitled “Finding Treblinka” at the Museum of Struggle and Martyrdom in Treblinka based on the findings of my research. I am currently the Principal Investigator of three major projects focused on conflict and genocide investigation. In 2020, I was invited to deliver the Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Annual Lecture organised by United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM), a highly prestigious lecture that honors excellence in research and fosters dissemination of scholarly work in Holocaust Studies.

I have published extensively in Holocaust and forensic archaeology and, in 2015, I published a book entitled Holocaust Archaeologies: Approaches and Future Directions. From the end of August until the end of December 2016, I was a Visiting Fellow at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum where I was working on my forthcoming book, Finding Treblinka. My research has received international media attention via television documentaries and radio programmes aired in Europe and the US. I have held visiting fellowships at Goldsmiths College, London (Forensic Architecture Project) and Netherlands Institute of Advanced Studies (Terrorscapes Project). I also act as a Scientific Advisor for Kamp Westerbork, sit on the NWO Holocaust Archaeology Group and have acted as a Consultant for the Polish-German Reconciliation Foundation. As a practicing forensic archaeologist, I also undertake consultancy for UK Police forces with regards the search and recovery of buried remains. My particular interests in this field include the application of forensic archaeological methods to the investigation of cold cases and socio-historic conflicts. I am a member of the Forensic Archaeology Expert Panel and Treasurer of the Forensic Archaeology Special Interest Group. I am also a Member of the Chartered Institute For Archaeologists (MCIFA) and a Member (MCSFS) and approved assessor for the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences (CSFS) University Accreditation Scheme. My interests in archaeology also go beyond the recent past and I have undertaken fieldwork in Greece, the Western Isles of Scotland and a number of sites in England.

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
  • SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Research Expertise and Interests

  • Holocaust history and archaeology
  • Forensic Archaeology – the search for, and detection of, clandestine burials
  • Socio-historic conflict and genocide investigation
  • Advancing archaeological practice through non-invasive survey methods

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

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