Katherine Watson

PhD in History, Swansea University (2026)

MA in Post-Medieval Archaeology, Durham University (2022)

Katherine Watson is a Lecturer in Modern History at the University of East Anglia. Her research has explored the politics of extraction and consumption, integrating environmental history, contemporary archaeology, and critical heritage studies to explore how the past can inform more inclusive, hopeful, and resilient futures. Her PhD examined the histories and heritage of small-scale fisheries and seafood economies in South Wales, generating insights to support sustainable food systems, equitable heritage practices, and place-based policymaking for marine industries and coastal communities. She has also conducted research on the colonial significance of the tinplate industry in South West Wales, and worked to decolonise museum narratives. Her work has been published in the International Journal of Heritage Studies and the Journal of Contemporary Archaeology.

• Environmental and social histories of resource use

• Politics of industry, labour, and consumption

• Heritage, memory, and material culture

• Interdisciplinary and community-focused research methods