Lorna Richardson

My PhD was awarded by UCL Centre for Digital Humanities/Institute of Archaeology in 2014. This was funded by the AHRC. My thesis. 'Public Archaeology in a Digital Age', was supervised by Professor Melissa Terras and the late Tim Schadla-Hall. I have an MA in Public Archaeology and a BA in Medieval Archaeology, both from the UCL Institute of Archaeology.

I joined the UEA in 2018. Prior to that, I worked as an AHRC Creative Economy Research Fellow at the Digital Creativity Lab, University of York, on the "Data, Diversity and Inequality in the Creative Industries" project. I worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Digital Social Studies Unit, University of Umea, Sweden, and as a Research Fellow as part of the Connecting with Collections project at the University of Cambridge Museum of Zoology, and the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, funded by the AHRC and Arts Council England.

My research explores the use of academic knowledge by non-experts, in fields as diverse as archaeology, far-right literature and women's health communities. I'm particularly interested in the multitude of ways that digital society can lead to the repurposing of expert knowledge, and what that means for the development of alternative or discredited ideas. I am currently writing about the intersection of digital heritage and contemporary social and environmental challenges. I'm interested in the environmental impact of heritage practices more broadly.

In the field of public archaeology, my research has explored innovative methods for meaningful public engagement with archaeological knowledge through digital platforms and multimedia storytelling. This has developed and evaluated a number of community-driven digital projects that challenge traditional hierarchies of archaeological expertise, while promoting inclusive and ethical heritage practices. My past work on social media's influence in public engagement and community participation in archaeology has contributed significantly to the field. I recently co-edited the Routledge Handbook of Archaeology and the Media in the 21st Century, published in late 2024.

I convene a range of modules that explore the intersection of digital media and the creative industries:

Digital Media: Concepts, Technologies & Cultures

Approaches & Practice in Digital Media

Introduction to Archaeology 

Digital Storytelling

Critical Approaches to Digital Media in the AI Age

My area of expertise lies at the intersection of digital media and cultural heritage, especially public engagement and storytelling. My research is focused on the creative industries, archaeology, archives, museums, and digital cultural heritage, as well as broader issues in digital and social media research. 

With more than a decade of experience in the archaeological sector, I have worked as a field archaeologist and community archaeologist for various organisations, including the Council for British Archaeology.