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Victoria A. L. Lucas

Victoria's subject area is archaeology. Her PhD project title is 'Looking Through the Glass: glass chemistry as a window on Early Medieval innovation, recycling, trade and contact, AD 700-1000'.

Project title

Looking Through the Glass: glass chemistry as a window on Early Medieval innovation, recycling, trade and contact, AD 700-1000

Supervisors

Victoria A. L. Lucas

Project description

Glassworkers in Early Medieval Britain carried out recycling and experimentation. I am investigating what this tells us about the trade, contact and technological innovation of the period. I use a combination of chemical analyses (LA-ICP-MS and EPMA) and experimental archaeology.

My research expands our body of knowledge of analysed glass. It places recycling, experimentation and innovation by glassworkers in a mid-late Saxon context. The glass dates from the 7th to 10th centuries AD.

The project will provide new insight into the production, trade, and exchange of glass objects in Anglo-Saxon England. It will consider the transmission of glass-making and recycling technologies from AD700 to 1000.

My research will provide a greater understanding of the complex processes used in the creation of glass compositions. It will uncover closer links between chemical composition and technological practice and object biographies.

Research grants

  • AHRC Northern Bridge DTP Studentship Award (2017-2020)
  • NUHRI Challenge Labs 2018 

Conference papers

  • Reduced, Reused, Recycled: recycling, experimentation and innovation in the Early Medieval glass industry (Hamwic/Whithorn). Early Medieval glass workshop. Ribe, Denmark. (March 2018).
  • Looking Through the Glass: glass chemistry as a window on Early Medieval innovation, recycling, trade and contact, AD 700-1000’. Early Medieval Archaeology Student Symposium (EMASS). University of Glasgow, Scotland. (April 2018).

Other roles

  • Founding member: Experimental Archaeology Newcastle (EXARN).
  • Conference co-organizer and founder: Experimental Archaeology Student Symposium (EAStS). 2018.
  • Conference co-organizer: Early Medieval Student Symposium (EMASS). 2019. (co-hosted by Durham University and Newcastle University).

Publications

  • Lucas, V. 2010. An Assessment of Bottle Glass from the Hightown Glasshouse. Historic England Research Report Series #16/2010. 
  • Lucas, V and Paynter, S. 2010. Park Farm East, Ashford, Kent: A Compositional Analysis of Crucibles from the Iron Age Settlement at Park Farm East. Historic England Research Report Series #30/2010. 
  • Lucas, V and Paynter, S. 2010. Whitby Cliff, Whitby, North Yorkshire: An Assessment of Metalworking Debris from the Whitby Cliff Excavations. Historic England Research Report Series #31/2010.

Qualifications

  • BSc (Hons) Archaeological Sciences - University of Bradford - 2011. 
    Dissertation title: The characterisation of fire ash residues by mineral magnetic and geochemical means.
  • Diploma in Professional Archaeological Studies - University of Bradford - 2011. 
    Placements: Technology Team - Historic England (September 2009 - March 2010). Organic Residue Analysis Laboratory - University of Bradford (March 2010 - June 2010).
  • MSc Archaeological Materials - University of Sheffield - 2013. 
    Dissertation title: The incorporation of recycled glass in the glass working process in Early Medieval Briton using SEM-EDS and LA-ICP-MS analysis.
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