Another Space/LDHP were delighted that the following archaeologists agreed to examine and excavate the former site of Calgarth Estate, at the Lakes School. They are renowned experts especially in the field of Holocaust research and have shown a deep and sympathetic interest in excavating the site, and particularly because of the connection to Treblinka.
Caroline Sturdy Colls, PhD, MPhil(B), BA (Hons), MCIFA, MCSFS, PgCHPE, FHEA
Caroline is Professor of Conflict Archaeology and Genocide Investigation and Director of the Centre of Archaeology at Staffordshire University specialising in Holocaust Studies. At the Centre, Caroline teaches in the areas of forensic archaeology, techniques in the identification of human remains and various aspects of crime scene investigation. Her research focusses on the application of interdisciplinary approaches to the investigation of Holocaust landscapes. She completed the first archaeological surveys of the former extermination camp at Treblinka, in addition to working at many other Holocaust sites.
Caroline is a member of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation’s (UKHMF) Education Advisory Board and in 2016 she was awarded the European Archaeological Heritage Prize” for her contribution to archaeological investigations of the Holocaust”. She is also a Principal Investigator for two major Holocaust-related research projects: ‘Recording Cultural Genocide and Killing Sites in Jewish Cemeteries’ and “Accessing Campscapes: Inclusive Strategies for Using European Conflicted Heritage Sites
As a practicing forensic archaeologist, she also undertakes consultancy for UK Police Forces with regard to the search and recovery of buried remains. Her particular interests in this field include the application of forensic archaeological methods to the investigation of cold cases and socio-historic conflicts.
Kevin Colls, BSc, MSc, MCIFA
Kevin is a professional archaeologist and the Archaeological Project Manager at the Centre of Archaeology at Staffordshire University. Kevin has directed and published archaeological projects throughout the United Kingdom and Europe and has 20 years’ experience in research and professional development-led archaeology. His specialist subjects include archaeological field techniques, urban archaeology and forensic archaeology.
He is an active member of the projects ‘Recording Cultural Genocide and Killing Sites in Jewish Cemeteries’ and ‘Accessing Campscapes: Inclusive Strategies for Using European Conflicted Heritage Sites’. With his wife, Caroline, he has excavated Holocaust sites, including Treblinka. More recently he has been involved in the excavation of the final residence of William Shakespeare and in an investigation of Shakespeare’s Tomb using a wide range of advanced non-invasive survey methods.
Both Kevin and William also have extensive experience of community archaeology projects across the UK.
William Mitchell, BA (Hons)
William’s specialist subjects include urban, medieval and industrial archaeology, community based projects and forensic archaeology. He works as a Project Archaeologist alongside Caroline and Kevin at the Centre of Archaeology on a number of research projects throughout Europe, including sites of the Holocaust in Germany, Ukraine and Poland. Using non-invasive geophysical techniques, he has developed his specialism in the search and recovery of buried remains on sites of the recent past.
His research has focused on the former extermination camp at Treblinka, the former concentration camp of Bergen Belsen and the killing sites of Eastern Europe.
More Information:
Centre of Archaeology, Staffordshire University:blogs.staffs.ac.uk/archaeology/