Summary CV
Name: Jane Downes
Post held: Head of Archaeology
Institution: Orkney College, University of the Highlands and Islands
Subject discipline(s): Archaeology, Heritage (Cultural Resource) Management
Academic and professional qualifications
PhD University of Sheffield
BA (Hons) Archaeology and Ancient History University of Manchester
Member of the Institute for Archaeology (IfA)
Career History:
2007-present Head of Archaeology (Research Director) UHI; Director Orkney Research Centre for
Archaeology
1999-2007
Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Orkney College UHI
1995-9
Assistant Director, ARCUS (Archaeological Research and Consultancy at the
University of Sheffield
1993-5
Project Officer, Project Manager, GUARD (Glasgow University Archaeological
Research Division)
1992-3
Research Assistant, Glasgow University
1984-1992
Field Archaeologist, Fenlands
Selected publications:
2012 (Dec) (with A Thomas) ‘Where mythical space lies: land ownership versus land use in the
northern Bronze Age’ in M. Relaki & D Catapoti (eds) Land Matters: Analytical limitations and
potential in archaeological studies of land ownership. Routledge.
2012 (ed) Chalcolithic and Bronze Age Scotland Scottish Archaeological Research Framework
Internet report uploaded May 2012
2010 (with R. Jones, A. Challands, C. French, N. Card and C. Richards) ‘Exploring the location and
function of a Late Neolithic house at Crossiecrown, Orkney by geophysical, geochemical and
soil micromorphological methods’ Archaeological Prospection Vol. 7, Issue 1, 29-47
2009 ‘The construction of barrows in Bronze Age Orkney – an ‘assuagement of guilt’?’ in M. J.
Allen, N. Sharples & T. O’Connor (eds) Land and People: papers in memory of John G.
Evans. Prehistoric Society Research Paper 2,126-135
2007 (with N. Card, J. Cluett, J. Gater & S. Ovenden) ‘Bringing a landscape to life? – researching and
managing the ‘The Heart of Neolithic Orkney’ World Heritage Site’ in Cooney, G. (ed) The
Archaeology Of World Heritage World Archaeology Vol. 39 No. 3
2007 ‘Cultural Environments’ and ‘Case Study 6.2; Orkney World Heritage Site’ in Papageorgiou, F.
European Academy for Sustainable Rural Development Thematic Guide 6: Culture and
Sustainable Rural Development. Athens: Euracademy Association, pps 9-10 & 56.
2007 (with N. Card, J. Cluett, J. Gater & S. Ovenden) ‘The Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage
Site – building a landscape…’ in Larsson, M. and Parker Pearson M. (eds) From the Baltic to
Stonehenge: living with Cultural Diversity in the Third Millennium BC British Archaeological
Reports
2005 (with C. Richards) in Richards, C. (ed.) Dwelling among the monuments: An excavation of the
Neolithic village of Barnhouse, Maeshowe passage grave and surrounding monuments at
Stenness, Orkney. McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Cambridge, 57-126.
2005 (co-editors S. M. Foster and C. R. Wickham Jones) The Heart of Neolithic Orkney World
Heritage Site. Research Agenda. Edinburgh: Historic Scotland
2005 (co-editors S. M. Foster and C. R. Wickham Jones) The Heart of Neolithic Orkney
World Heritage Site. Research Agenda. Edinburgh: Historic Scotland
2004
in French, C. and Pryor, F. Archaeology and Environment of the Etton Landscape East
Anglian Report No. 109, 30-34
2003 (with N. Card) Mine Howe – the significance of space and place in the Iron Age in Downes, J.
and Ritchie, A. (eds) Sea Change: Orkney and Northern Europe in the Later Iron Age
2003 (co-editor A. Ritchie) Sea Change: Orkney and Northern Europe in the later Iron Age AD 300800. Balvinie: The Pinkfoot Press.
2002 (with A. Badcock) ‘Excavation of Iron Age burials at An Corran, Boreray, Outer Hebrides’
Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Vol 130, 197-223.
2001 (with M. J. Bunting and R. Tipping) Anthropogenic pollen assemblages
from a Bronze Age
cemetery at Linga Fiold, West Mainland, Orkney Journal of Archaeological Science Vol. 28,
487-500.
2001 The investigation of a Bronze Age cairnfield and later buildings at Fall Kneesend, Clydesdale,
Scottish Archaeological Journal Vol. 23 (1), 33-66.
2000 (with C. Richards) Excavating the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age of Orkney: Recognition and
Interpretation in the Field in Rithcie, A. (ed.) Neolithic Orkney in its European Context.
McDonald Institute Monograph, 159-168.
2000 (co-author R. Lamb) Sumburgh Airport: the archaeology of later prehistoric houses in Shetland
Oxford: Oxbow Monograph
1999 (co-editor T. Pollard) The Loved Body's Corruption: archaeological contributions to the study of
human mortality. Glasgow: Cruithne Press
Selected memberships and roles
Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (FSAS)
Member of Advisory Panel, HEAcademy Subject Centre for History, Archaeology & Classics
Editorial Board member, HEAcademy Internet Journal Research in Archaeological Education
Editorial Board member of academic journal, Journal of the North Atlantic (JONA) (2010-current)
Chair, Bronze Age Panel: Scottish Archaeological Research Framework (ScARF)
Chair, Orkney World Heritage Site Research Committee
Trustee, Stromness Museum Orkney
Projects and other relevant activities:
PROJECT
PERIOD
FUNDER
ROLE
DESCRIPTION
Rapa Nui
(Easter Island)
Landscapes of
Construction
Archaeology &
Sustainable
Development
Marine Historic
Environment
2011-2015
AHRC
PP*
Archaeological and geophysical
fieldwork; cremation burial
research
2010-2012
Leader (EU)
PI & PM*
2010-2013
ERDF/OIC/HIE/
UHI
PI & PM
Education for
Sust Dev:
Curriculum
Development
Highland &
Islands’ role in
ESD
2010-2011
HEAcademy
PP
Research into role and potential
of archaeology in sustainable
development
Research and capacity building
marine historic environment –
marine and coastal archaeology
research
Development of HE curricula for
Sustainability in Humanities &
Soc Sciences
2010
HEAcademy
HCA
PI & PM
(with IM)
Gateway to the
Atlantic:
Islands of
Change
Ring of
Brodgar,
Orkney
2009ongoing
OIC, Bradford
University,
CUNY
PP
2008ongoing
ESSENCE
2007-2008
Historic
Scotland;
various
universities
SFC SRDG
Codirector
(with C
Richards)
PI & PM
Orkney WHS
Research
2010-2012
Historic Scotland
PI & PM
Assessment of education for
sustainable development in UK
HE sector: Archaeology and
cognate subjects
Focus on coastal erosion sites
on Rousay, part of NABO
Islands of Change project
Excavation at stone circle
henge to discover date of
construction
Interdisciplinary and integrated
research gap analysis focussed
on Cultural Environments
Symposium and published
review of WHS Orkney
Review
Mine Howe,
Orkney
2000ongoing
Orkney
Barrows
1993ongoing
Historic
Scotland, Time
Team, NMS,
universities
Historic Scotland
Codirector
with N
Card
PI & PM
Knowes of
2001Historic Scotland PI & PM
Trotty, Orkney
ongoing
*PI=Project Initiator, PM=Project Manager, PP=Project Partner
research
Excavation of significant Iron
Age ritual site, akin to Irish
‘royal sites’ eg Tara
Bronze Age burial rites esp
cremation; Fieldwork and
management research;
Bronze Age cemetery and
Neolithic settlement
In addition I am associated with aspects of archaeology and sustainability, and sustainable
development, as is evidenced by my involvement in, and publications connected with: the Orkney
World Heritage Site - member of the Management Board, and Chair of Research Committee, and
organiser of Orkney WHS Research Symposium (St Magnus Centre, Orkney 15-16th November
2010); leading role in AHRC Research Network ‘Transformation and resilience of our cultural
landscapes, archaeology and built heritage: defining responses to societal and environmental
pressures’ Feb-Nov 2009 including hosting 1 of 3 meetings of the Network at Orkney College 20-22nd
May 2009, with Prof Kevin Anderson, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University
of Manchester giving keynote lecture; invitation to present paper, arrange workshop and form part of
panel at 6th Euracademy Summer School in Crete ‘Culture and Sustainable Rural Development’ July
2007; participation in two workshops in the VEGA Islands WHS, Norway organised by NIKU and
NTNU 30th Sept-9th Oct 2009; acquiral of LEADER funding for a project entitled ‘Archaeology and
Sustainable Development’ 2010-11. On May 28-30th 2012 Ingrid Mainland and I (together with
steering committee of T McGovern and S Perdakaris CUNY, I Simpson and R Oram Stirling Uni, & S
Dockrill and J Bond Bradford Uni) organised a joint UHI GHEA conference in Orkney on
‘Sustainability and Heritage’.