Steve studied at Essex and Durham Universities before coming to Kent in 2004. At Durham he took a taught MA in Roman Archaeology and then studied for his PhD. He was awarded British Academy scholarship grants for both degrees. At Durham he was a Senior Research Fellow.

Steve has now returned from periods of research leave during the academic year 2008/9; prior to this he was Head of Classical and Archaeological Studies at Kent for the three years till August 2008.

He has a variety of teaching and research interests which cover landscape and environments, and the archaeology and culture of coasts in northern Europe. His main areas of expertise include the archaeology of settlement, society and material culture in the Iron Age and Roman era in western Europe, and the ceramics of these societies, including samian ware and briquetage.

Steve is a Member of the Institute for Archaeologists. He has been an active field archaeologist for over 25 years, including periods working for Colchester Archaeological Trust and the Museum of London.

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Research Projects

Archaeology of the Transmanche region in later Prehistory and the Roman era

This work is focused upon identifying patterns of similarity and difference in societies on either side of the Channel during the period c. 1000 BC to AD 500. The work is looking at a number of substantive areas: settlement types and morphology, pottery, trade and burial through the region, from the view-point of a series of key themes and a longue durée perspective. Collaborative fieldwork initiatives have been established with partner institutes on the near continent. Work has been undertaken with l’Université Charles-de-Gaulle, Lille 3, and with the Flemish Heritage Institute. Related seminars and a conference have examined aspects of the connectivity and shared experience of the region, as well as divergences. This programme of contacts is ongoing. This work is closely linked to Steve’s interest and research on the archaeology and culture of coastal milieu. The University of Kent has a taught Masters programme examining the archaeology of the Transmanche region through the first millennia BC and AD.

Settlement and Society on the Lincolnshire Wolds

Steve has an ongoing excavation and survey project examining settlement and economy on the Lincolnshire Wolds during later prehistory and the Roman period. This is a dynamic era in this part of Britain which sees the emergence of major industries such as iron working, pottery production, quern manufacture and, in the Iron Age, coin minting. Fieldwalking has identified and characterized a series of sites whilst excavations have explored the prehistoric landscape and a Roman roadside settlement with a series of major stone buildings. The project is demonstrating that this hitherto comparatively under-examined area has a well preserved and richly informative archaeological record. The survey has generated many opportunities for student fieldwork training and research studies. A series of reports on the work have been published.

Samian Studies

Steve has an established expertise in studying Roman samian ware (terra sigillata). His research in this field has been supported by English Heritage grants (of c. £70,000) and has resulted in a series of research papers (in TRAC 1996; report for English Heritage 1997; in The Archaeological Journal 1998) and a major study of samian ware distribution in Britain published as a monograph through the online journal Internet Archaeology in 2005 (see link below). A study of the occurrence of samian inkwells has recently been published in The Archaeological Journal vol. 162. In addition Steve has written numerous reports upon samian assemblages from fieldwork and excavation.

Conferences

'Rural Settlement in the Roman Period either side of the North Sea and Channel', 14th June 2007, at University of Kent, Canterbury.

A Dayschool attended by c. 70 delegates from the euro-region, with speakers from Britain, Belgium, France and The Netherlands, sponsored by the British Council and the NWO (Netherlands)

With Xavier Deru (Lille 3) and Wim De Clercq (Ghent):
‘Roman Pottery in the Transmanche Region’ (University of Ghent 2006, papers appearing in Journal of Roman Pottery Studies)

With Richard Hingley (Durham):
‘Promoting Roman Finds: Context and Theory’ (Durham 2002, co-edited volume, Oxbow 2007)

Fieldwork

Settlement and landscape project on the Lincolnshire Wolds

with Xavier Deru (Lille 3), on the Cambrésis survey examining the hinterland of Roman Cambrai.

with Alain Vanderhoeven and Geert Vynckier of the Flemish Heritage Institute at Tongeren.

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Publications

• 2007. Roman Finds: Context and Theory, (edited with Dr R. Hingley) Oxbow Monograph series, Oxbow, Oxford, 243 pages at A4, plus 16 colour prints. ISBN 1842 171631.
• 2005. Samian pottery, a resource for the study of Roman Britain and beyond: The results of the English Heritage funded Samian Project, in Internet Archaeology, (280,000 words, 81 tables, 21 charts; several interactive databases) An e-monograph in refereed Premier Online Journal in Archaeology.

The address is: http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue17/willis_index.html

For non-subscribers, please access by typing in the following, at the prompt:
username: swillis
password: samian

Papers in Journals

• 2008. ‘Occupations routiéres et agglomérations secondaires en Bretagne Romaine’, Revue Archéologique de Picardie, No. 3/4, 2008, 123-134. ISBN/ISSN 0752-5656
• 2008. 'Late Iron Age /early Roman pottery kilns at Blackhorse Lane, Swavesey, 1998-99', lead author with A. Lyons, E. Popescu and J. Roberts, Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society, 97, 53-76.
• 2006. ‘The context of writing and written records in ink: the archaeology of samian inkwells in Britain’, The Archaeological Journal, 162, 96-145. ISBN 0903986 469
• 2004. ‘The Study Group for Roman Pottery: Research Framework Document for the Study of Roman Pottery in Britain (2004)’, Journal of Roman Pottery Studies, 11, 1-20.
• 2003. 'The character of Lyon ware distribution', Journal of Roman Pottery Studies, 10, 125-38. ISBN 1 84217 095 3 ISSN 0958-3491
• 2000. 'The Ave Valley, Northern Portugal: an Archaeological Survey of Iron Age and Roman Settlement', joint with M. Millett, F. Queroga, K. Strutt and J. Taylor, Internet Archaeology, No. 8.
• 1999. 'Melsonby revisited: Survey and excavation 1992-95 at the site of the discovery of the "Stanwick", North Yorkshire, hoard of 1843', joint with L. Fitts, C. Haselgrove and P. Lowther, Durham Archaeological Journal, 14/15, 1-52.
• 1998. 'Samian Pottery in Britain: Exploring its Distribution and Archaeological Potential', The Archaeological Journal, 155, 82-133.
• 1998. 'The Pottery of Iron Age Tradition from the Rectilinear Enclosure Site on Great Ayton Moor, North York Moors', Durham Archaeological Journal, 13, 55-60.
• 1996. 'The Romanization of Pottery Assemblages in the East and North-East of England during the First Century AD: A Comparative Analysis', Britannia, 27, 179-221.
• 1990. 'The Archaeology of the Roman Period', in C. Burgess 'Fieldwork in the Evora District, Alentejo, Portugal 1986-1988' in Northern Archaeology, 8, for 1987, 52-6.
• 1990. 'Mould-Decorated South Gaulish Colour-Coated Cups from Fingringhoe Wick, Essex', Journal of Roman Pottery Studies, 3, 30-4.

Chapters in Books

• 2008. ‘The Samian’ in S. Trow, S. James and T. Moore, Becoming Roman, Being Gallic, Staying British: Research and Excavations at Ditches ‘Hillfort’ and Villa 1984-2006, Oxbow Books, Oxford, 79-95, ISBN-13: 978-1-84217-336-7 ISBN-10: 1-84217-336-7
• 2007. ‘Roman Finds: Context and Theory’, joint paper with Richard Hingley in R. Hingley and S. Willis, Roman Finds: Context and Theory, Oxbow Monograph series, 2-17. Oxbow, Oxford. ISBN 1842 171631
• 2007. ‘Roman Towns, Roman Landscapes: The Cultural Terrain of Town and Country in the Roman Period’ in A. Fleming and R. Hingley (eds) Prehistoric and Roman Landscapes, 143-64 (excluding bibliography). Windgather Press. ISBN 978-1-905119-17-2
• 2007. 'Sea, coast, estuary, land and culture in Britain during the Iron Age', in C.C. Haselgrove and T. Moore (eds) The Later Iron Age in Britain and Beyond, 105-29. Oxbow, Oxford. ISBN 978 1 84217 252 0
• 2006. ‘The Later Bronze Age and Iron Age (first millennium BC)’ in N.J. Cooper (ed.) The Archaeology of the East Midlands. An Archaeological Resource Assessment and Research Agenda, 89-136. Leicester, Leicester University Press. ISBN 095 389147X
• 2002. 'A date with the Past: Late Bronze and Iron Age Pottery and Chronology', in A. Woodward and J.D. Hill (eds), Prehistoric Britain: The Ceramic Basis, Oxbow monograph, 4-23. Oxbow, Oxford. ISBN 1 84217 071 6
• 1999. 'Without and Within: Aspects of Culture and Community in the Iron Age of North-Eastern England', in B. Bevan (ed.) Northern Exposure: Interpretative Devolution and the Iron Ages in Britain, Leicester Archaeology Monographs 4, 81-110. Leicester, Leicester University Press.
• 1998. 'Pottery and Society in the Iron Age of Eastern England and the Arrival of Gallo-Belgic and Gallo-Roman wares', in A. Jacques and M. Tuffreau-Libre (eds), Nord-Ouest Archéologie 9, 231-54. Berck-sur-Mer, Centre de Recherches Archéologiques et de Diffusion Culturelle.
• 1997. 'Settlement, Materiality and Landscape in the Iron Age of the East Midlands. Evidence, Interpretation and Wider Resonance', in A. Gwilt and C. Haselgrove (eds) Reconstructing Iron Age Societies, Oxbow Monograph 71, 205-15. Oxford, Oxbow.
• 1997. 'Samian: Beyond Dating', in K. Meadows et al. (eds) TRAC96: Proceedings of the 6th Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference, Sheffield, 1996, 38-54. Oxford, Oxbow.
• 1996. 'L'apparition de la céramique gallo-belge et la céramique romaine dans l'Est de L'Angleterre: essai d'intérprétation sociale de sa diffusion et de son importance' in M. Tuffreau-Libre and A. Jacques (eds) La Céramique Précoce en Gaule Belgique et dans les Régions Voisines: De la Poterie Gauloise a la Céramique Gallo-Romaine, 57-9. Arras, Centre de Céramologie Gallo-Romaine.
• 1994. 'Roman Imports into late Iron Age British societies: Towards a Critique of Existing Models' in S. Cottam et. al. (eds), TRAC94: Proceedings of the 4th Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference, Durham 1994, 141-50. Oxford, Oxbow.
• 1990. 'The Topography and Archaeology of Redcliff', joint with D. Crowther and J. Creighton, in S. Ellis and D. Crowther (eds) Humber Perspectives: A Region through the Ages, 172-81. Hull, University of Hull.

Journal Editorship

• 2009. Journal of Roman Pottery Studies, 14. Oxbow Books. Jointly edited with Pam Irving.

Recent Book Reviews

• 2009. Review of Gerald Moody's The Isle of Thanet: from Prehistory to the Norman Conquest Reviewed for Archaeologia Cantiana, 129, 401-4.
• 2009. Review of Jeremy Taylor's An Atlas of Roman Rural Settlement in England, Council for British Archaeology Research Report 151 Reviewed for Britannia, 40, 393-4.
• 2008. Review of David Mattingly's An Imperial Possession: Britain in the Roman Empire, The Penguin History of Britain. Reviewed for American Journal of Archaeology, 112.4 - http://www.ajaonline.org/pdfs/book_reviews/112.4/11_Willis.pdf
• 2008. Review of A Victory Celebration: Papers on the Archaeology of Colchester and Late Iron Age-Roman Britain presented to Philip Crummy, edited by P. Ottaway. Reviewed for The Archaeological Journal, 164, 281-3.

Interim Survey and Excavation Reports

• 2003. 'Nettleton and Rothwell: interim report on excavations and field survey, 2000-2', Lincolnshire History and Archaeology, 37, 11-20.
• 2001. 'Nettleton', Lincolnshire History and Archaeology, 35, 55.
• 2001. 'Excavation and Fieldwork at Mount Pleasant, Nettleton, Lincolnshire, 1999 - 2000', Universities of Durham and Newcastle Archaeological Reports 1999/2000, 23, 73-93. ISSN 0141-8971
• 1999. 'Excavation and Fieldwork at Mount Pleasant, Nettleton, Lincolnshire, 1998: Interim Report' (with D. Dungworth), Lincolnshire County Council and the University of Durham.
• 1990. 'Excavations in Tofts Field, Stanwick, North Yorkshire, 1989’ (with C. Haselgrove, L. Fitts and P. Turnbull), University of Durham and University of Newcastle upon Tyne Archaeological Reports for 1989, 40-5. Durham, University of Durham.
• 1989. 'Excavation and Survey at Redcliff, Welton, North Humberside, 1988’ (with J. Creighton), University of Durham and University of Newcastle upon Tyne Archaeological Reports for 1988, 40-4. Durham, University of Durham.
• 1989. 'Excavations at Redcliff' (with D. Crowther and J. Creighton) in P. Halkon (ed.) New Light on the Parisi: Recent Discoveries in Iron Age and Roman East Yorkshire, 6-9. Hull, East Riding Archaeological Society and The University of Hull.
• 1989. 'Excavations in Tofts Field, Stanwick, North Yorkshire, 1988’ (with C. Haselgrove, L. Fitts and P. Turnbull), University of Durham and University of Newcastle upon Tyne Archaeological Reports for 1988, 29-34. Durham, University of Durham.
• 1988. 'Excavation and Survey at Redcliff, Welton, North Humberside, 1987’ (with J. Creighton and D. Crowther), University of Durham and University of Newcastle upon Tyne Archaeological Reports for 1987, 40-3. Durham, University of Durham.

Specialist Contributions to Archaeological Publications

• 2009. 'Pottery', 'Briquetage', and (with P. Clogg and R. Mackenzie) 'Residues from activities involving heat', in J. Proctor Pegswood Moor, Morpeth: A Later Iron Age and Romano-British Farmstead Settlement, Pre-Construct Archaeology Monograph 11, PCA Ltd, these contributions respectively: 43-51, 51-2 and 52-3. I was the academic advisor to PCA in respect of this publication.
• 2009. 'Samian ware' (Birdoswald Fort, Field Centre site), 'Samian ware' (Birdoswald Fort Spur site), 'Samian ware' (Birdoswald western extra-mural Settlement and Cemetery), 'Samian from Turrets T49b, T50a and T50b and Milecastle Mc50' and 'Samian catalogue', in T. Wilmott (ed.) Hadrian's Wall: Archaeological Research by English Heritage 1976-2000, English Heritage, these contributions respectively: 299-307, 333-9, 342-6, 347-9 and 425-33.
• 2009. 'Samian (terra sigillata) and the Stanegate-Hadrian's Wall corridor: an assessment', in M.F.A. Symonds and D.J.P. Mason (eds) Frontiers of Knowledge. A Research Framework for Hadrian's Wall (World Heritage Site). Vol. 1. Resource Assessment, English Heritage, Durham County Council and Durham University, Durham, 125-7.
• 2008. 'Samian', in J. Creighton, C.C. Haselgrove, P. Lowther and T. Moore, 'Becoming Roman in southern Burgundy: A field survey between Autun and Bibracte in the Arroux Valley (Saône-et-Loire), 2000-2003' Internet Archaeology, 25. http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue25/creighton_index.html
• 2008. 'Samian pottery', and 'Samian pottery' with Emily Bird, in A. Jones, et al. A Romano-British Livestock Complex in Birmingham: Excavations, 2002-2004 and 2006-2007 at Longdales Road, King's Norton, Birmingham, Birmingham University Archaeology Monograph Series 4, British Archaeological Report, 470, 36-7 and 54-5.
• 2007. 'Samian Pottery', in R. White, Wroxeter, The Cornovii and the Urban Process, Final Report on the Wroxeter Hinterland Project 1994-7, Volume 1. Researching the Hinterland, Journal of Roman Archaeology Supp. Series Monograph No. 68. Portsmouth RI. Pages 168-81.
• 2007. ‘Samian (terra sigillata) and the Stanegate-Hadrian's Wall Corridor: An Assessment’, in M. Symonds and J. Price (eds) Research Framework for the Study of the Hadrian's Wall Zone.
• 2004. ‘The Samian Ware’ and ‘The Terra Nigra vessel’, in P. Masser et al. ‘Recent work at Drumquhassle Roman fort, Stirlingshire’ Scottish Archaeological Journal, 24/2, (147-68), 154-5.
• 2004. 'The Samian pottery', in A. Jones, Excavations in Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire, 1997-8, Birmingham University Archaeology Monograph, British Archaeological Report, 8 pp.
• 2004. 'Samian' in A. Jones, ‘Roman Birmingham 2: Metchley Roman forts: excavations 1998-2000, and 2002’, Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society, 108, pages 60-4 & 107.
• 2004. 'The Samian pottery', in A. Garwood, ‘Late Roman buildings at Bishop's House, Great Chesterford: excavations 1999’, Essex Archaeology and History, 35, (1-25), 15-16.
• 2003. 'Samian wares', in M. Hinman, A Late Iron Age Farmstead and Romano-British Site at Haddon, Peterborough, British Archaeological Report 358, Cambridgeshire County Council Archaeological Monograph Two, BAR, Oxford, 99-103.
• 2002. 'The Samian', in M. Snape, P.T. Bidwell, and A. Croom, ‘Aldborough Roman town: excavations by Miss D. Charlesworth, 1961-73, and by RCHME, 1959-60’, The Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, 74, (29-111), 69-80.
• 2002. ‘Samian’ in G. Coates, A Prehistoric and Romano-British Landscape: Excavations at Whitemoor Haye Quarry, Staffordshire, 1997-1999, British Archaeological Report, British Series 340, 58-60.
• 2002. 'The Samian', in S. Foreman and Maynard, ‘A Late Iron Age and Romano-British farmstead at Ship Lane, Aveley: Excavations on the line of the A13 Wennington to Mar Dyke road improvement, 1994-5’, Essex Archaeology and History, 33, (123-56), 146-7.
• 2001. 'The Later Prehistoric Pottery', in I.M. Smith, with J. Taylor (ed.) 'Excavations on Iron Age and Medieval earthworks at The Dod, Borders region, 1979-81', The Archaeological Journal, 157, (229-353), 320-3. ISBN 0 903986 39 6 ISSN 0066 5983
• 2000. 'Samian Ware', in A. Jones, 'Greensforge: Investigations in the Romano-British Civilian Settlement, 1994', Transactions of the Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society, 38, 19. . 2000. 'The Samian Pottery', in I.M. Ferris, et al. The Excavation of a Romano-British Shrine at Orton’s Pasture, Rocester, Staffordshire, Birmingham University Field Archaeology Unit Monograph Series 3, British Archaeological Report 314, 38-45. Oxford, Archaeopress.
• 1999. 'The Iron Age and Roman Pottery', 'Objects of Fired Clay' and 'Objects of Fired Clay associated with Industrial Activity', in L. Main, 'Excavation of a Timber Round-house and Broch at the Fairy Knowe, Buchlyvie, Stirlingshire', Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 128, for 1998, 293-417, (my contributions 321-31, 332-5, 371-6).
• 1995. 'The Briquetage' in P. Abramson, 'A Late Iron Age Settlement at Scotch Corner, North Yorkshire', Durham Archaeological Journal, 11, 15-6.
• 1994. 'The Ceramic Assemblage' in L. Fitts, C. Haselgrove and P. Lowther, 'An Iron Age Farmstead at Rock Castle, Gilling West, North Yorkshire', Durham Archaeological Journal, 10, 27-31.
• 1990. 'The Pottery' in C. Haselgrove, P. Lowther and P. Turnbull 'Stanwick, North Yorkshire, Part 3: Excavations on Earthworks Sites 1981-86', The Archaeological Journal, 147, M1/5-16.

Other Publications

• 2009. The ‘Forward' in P. Boyer, J. Proctor and R. Taylor-Wilson, On the Boundaries of Occupation: Excavations at Burringham Road, Scunthorpe and Baldwin Avenue, Bottesford, North Lincolnshire, Pre-Construct Archaeology Monograph 9, PCA Ltd, vii. I was academic advisor to PCA in respect of this publication.
• 2009. Research Framework for Samian Studies 2009, with N. Sykes, G. Monteil and E. Biddulph - http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/archaeology/documents/research/samianresearchframework2009.doc

or find via the link at the bottom of: - http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/archaeology/kt/samian-workshops.aspx

• 2007. ‘Archaeology on the Otterburn Training Area, 2002-2005', with D. Hale and others, Archaeologia Aeliana, Fifth Series, Vol. XXXVI, 31-77.
• 2006. ‘Resource assessment: Roman', with D. Petts, L. Allason-Jones, M. Collins, J. Crow, P. Fordsham, R. Hingley and N. Hodgson, in D. Petts with C. Gerrard, Shared Visions: The North-East Regional Research Framework for the Historic Environment, Durham County Council, Durham, 43-59.
• 2002. ‘An Archaeological Research Agenda for the Later Bronze Age and Iron Age (first millennium BC) in the East Midlands counties of England', Archaeological Research Frameworks for the East Midlands, published online for English Heritage at University of Leicester Archaeology School website, N.J. Cooper (ed.)
• Edited Publication 1997. Research Frameworks for the Study of Roman Pottery in Britain, The Study Group for Roman Pottery. Milton Keynes, Open University Press.
• Research Report 1997. The English Heritage Samian Project. Report on the Results of Phase 1. Durham, University of Durham.
• 1995 - Present. Various reports for Archaeological Services University of Durham, appearing as 'Grey Literature' including work on the Ingram and Upper Breamish Valley Landscape Research Project, 'Turning the Tide' (Durham Coast), and work in advance of development at Ingleby Barwick/Stockton.

Some Forthcoming Publications

• Excavations and Fieldwork in the Tofts Field, Stanwick, North Yorkshire, 1984-2004 (with C.C. Haselgrove, L. Fitts and P. Lowther), Britannia Monograph Series.
• ‘Samian ware in Roman Britain and the North-West Provinces: a key index of culture and social practice’, Britannia.
• 'The Iron Age and Roman pottery', in R. Jackson, Weston-under-Penyard (Ariconium), Herefordshire: Excavations and Survey at the Major Iron Age Settlement and Roman Small Town, CBA Research Report.
• ‘The samian pottery’ in M.J. Millett Excavations at the Villa and Settlement Complex at Hayton, East Yorkshire.
• 'The Iron Age pottery, Roman pottery and amphorae', in C.C. Haselgrove and P. Lowther, Excavations and Survey at the Iron Age and Roman settlement complex at Beaurieux Les Greves, Dept Aisne, Picardy, France.

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Grants

Steve was awarded c. £66,000 by English Heritage while at Durham (2000-2004) to study the distribution of Roman samian pottery. The research has lead to the publication of his e-monograph, appearing in Internet Archaeology in 2005 (Volume 17), a paper in The Archaeological Journal (Vol. 162) and a further article submitted to the journal Britannia and accepted for publication in 2010. The monograph and papers have been supported by publication grants from English Heritage.

His Lincolnshire Wolds fieldwork research project has been supported by a number of grants from the County Council, towards excavation and survey. He recently received a grant towards radiocarbon dating of stratified bone and antler remains which indicated a phase of major Neolithic activity. The University of Kent has also supported this work via grant allocations and through the University's Student Fieldwork Training Bursary scheme which has enabled students to attend the excavations at Hatcliffe, North-East Lincolnshire (in 2008-9) where they receive tuition and experience in site excavation methods.

Excavations by Steve at the Vermeulenstraat site in Tongeren (2005) were aided by a grant from the Colyer-Fergusson Fund.

The joint work with Dr Xavier Deru and l’Universit >é Charles-de-Gaulle, Lille 3, on the Cambrésis survey (2006-9) has been supported by the School's research grants scheme.

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Service

Steve was Head of Classical and Archaeological Studies at Kent from Jan. 2006 to August 2008 and Director of Undergraduate Studies from June 2005 to August 2008. He was Admissons Officer 2005-6. Currently he is:

Academic Advisor for Undergraduates taking the Classical and Archaeological Studies Programme, joint degrees and modules.

Convenor of the Taught MA programmes in Archaeology (General MA in Archaeology and MA in the Archaeology of the Transmanche).

Academic and managing editor of the Journal of Roman Pottery Studies.

A committee member of the Study Group for Roman Pottery, having served as President of the Group between 2003-6.

He is a council member of the Kent Archaeological Society (since 2006)..

He is a member of the Institute for Archaeology (formerly the Institute of Field Archaeologists).

A Fellow of The Society of Antiquaries of London.

A member of the academic referees panel for the Council for the Humanities of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO, the Dutch research council).

A member of the academic referees panel for TRAC (Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference) having refereed selected articles since 2004.

A founder member of the Prehistoric Ceramics Research Group.

Steve has contributed to a number of the English Heritage initiated Regional Research Framework documents (Resource Assessment and Research Agenda) published or taking shape.

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Research Students

Dr Willis is the lead supervisor of the following research post-graduates:

Emma Jackson, BA, MA
Emma is in her first year of full-time PhD study. She is examining settlements and power structures in the Late Iron Age in England and the near Continent.

Elizabeth Blanning, BA, MA
Elizabeth is in her third year of study as a PhD research student. Her research focuses on rural settlement in Kent in the Roman era. This area has, surprisingly, been subject to little systematic study in recent decades. She is developing a multi-faceted approach, building a database of site and landscape information, and amongst other tools will be using a GIS system to assess the evidence.

Jay Ingate, BA, MA
Jay is in his third year of full time study as a PhD research student. Jay is researching factors influencing the location of towns in the Western Roman Provinces.

Dr Willis is the co-promotor for the following research post-graduates:

Marleen Martens
Marleen is completing her PhD study which is developing new methods for examining finds assemblages and contexts, based on her excavated material from the Roman Small Town at Tienen, Flanders. Her study is via a co-tutelle style arrangement and her other promotor is Prof. Nico Roymans at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Marleen is a senior research manager for the Flemish Heritage Institute (VIOE) and has published widely.

Sofie Vanhoutte
Sofie is in the second year of part-time PhD study examining the Saxon Shore Fort at Oudenburg, Flanders, looking at the military, economic, social and historical significance of the site. Her PhD study is via a co-tutelle arrangement and her other promotor is Dr Marc De Bie at the Vrije Universiteit Brussels.

Sofie is a Regional archaeologist with the Flemish Heritage Institute (VIOE) and has published widely.

Sofie's work at Oudenburg: excavations, the new museum and publications; links with the University of Kent

Julie van Kerckhove
Julie has recently begun her PhD study on the pottery assemblages from the extensively excavated sites at Hoogeloon and Riethoven, The Netherlands, during the Roman era. Her study is via a co-tutelle style arrangement and her other promotor is Prof. Nico Roymans at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where Julie's work is based.

Dr Willis is supervising the following Visiting Fellow

Barbara Borgers
Barbara's thesis study is focused on the region of central Belgium during the Roman era (known as the Civitas Tungrorum) and in particular is examining the evidence for economy, distribution and society at this time, with a pioneering scientific focus on the important pottery industries. Barbara's supervisor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel is Prof. Marc De Bie, and co-promotors are Prof. Patrick Degryse and Dr Patrick S. Quinn. While writing up her research findings, she is a Visiting Fellow at Kent; here Barbara is supervised by Dr Willis, as she completes the discussion chapters of the thesis, considering interpretation of the data.

Dr Willis is second supervisor to the following student:

Mark Houliston
Mark is studying for a PhD looking at 4th century Roman urban contexts. Dr Swift is his lead supervisor.

Dr Willis has examined MA, MPhil and PhD theses as internal and external examiner.

Completed postgraduate students:

Dr John Hammond
John submitted his PhD thesis in December 2009 and the examination of his thesis and viva was completed in March/April 2010. Dr Ward acted as his lead supervisor. John joined Canterbury Archaeological Trust as Business Manager at the start of 2010. He is continuing to teach on a part-time basis at the University whilst also maintaining his research momentum in the region.

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Teaching

Steve devised and convenes the taught Masters Degree run by the Department which has a regional flavour (MA in the Archaeology of the Transmanche).

At undergraduate level he teaches a number of courses on later prehistory and the Roman period in Britain and Europe, as well as first year introductory modules.

Research Supervision

Steve currently supervises a number of postgraduate research students. Their topics include landscape and funerary practice in the Transmanche region c. 2500-1500 BC, site morphology and settlement patterns in the Iron Age of southern Britain, the origins and locations of Roman towns and the ideological correlates, late Roman urban society either side of the Channel, and the development, social and historical context of the Roman shore fort at Oudenburg.

He is happy to supervise research students in any theme relating landscape, pottery or settlement studies in Britain and temperate Europe during the Iron Age and the Roman periods, as well as in coastal archaeology and built environments.

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