Professor Caroline Sturdy Colls

I am a Professor of Holocaust Archaeology and Genocide Investigation and the Director of the Centre of Archaeology at the University of Huddersfield. I am currently the Principal Investigator on the project "Trawniki:Nexus of the Final Solution, funded by the Claims Conference. I am also supervising a post-doctoral research project regarding mass grave investigation in Ukraine and I have a long-running project with my colleagues from the Centre of Archaeology and the Lake District Holocaust Project. Since 2007, my research has focused on the application of interdisciplinary approaches to the investigation of Holocaust landscapes and sites of genocide. My work thus spans archaeology, forensic investigation, history, criminology and digital humanities. I have undertaken fieldwork and research regarding more than 60 Holocaust sites and I have also supervised research projects relating to mass violence in Cyprus, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Ukraine during the 20th and 21st centuries. I have also worked with practitioners in fine art, theatre and the film industry to co-curate exhibitions, develop educational workshops and participate in documentary films. In 2016, I was awarded the European Archaeological Heritage Prize for my contribution to the investigation of modern conflict and in 2021, I received a Medal of Honour for my contribution to knowledge about the former camps at Treblinka. I am the author of numerous publications, including "Forensic Approaches to Buried Remains" (Wiley and Sons, 2013), "Holocaust Archaeologies: Approaches and Future Directions" (Springer, 2015), the Handbook on Missing Persons (Springer, 2016) and "Adolf Island: The Nazi Occupation of Alderney" (Manchester University Press, 2022). I am a Board Member of Forensic Architecture at Goldsmiths College. In 2016, I was the Fred and Maria Devinki Scholar at the Mandel Center at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

As a practicing forensic archaeologist, I undertake consultancy with regards the search and recovery of buried remains and missing persons. I am a member of the Forensic Archaeology Special Interest Group, under the auspice of the Institute for Archaeologists and a member of the UK Forensic Archaeology Expert Panel. I am also a Member of the Chartered Institute For Archaeologists (MIFA) and a Member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences (MCSFS).

I currently supervise PhD researchers undertaking projects on unidentified bodies, cold case investigation, the digitisation of difficult histories and funerary archaeology. I have previously taught across numerous postgraduate and undergraduate courses in forensic archaeology, traditional archaeology, genocide investigation, forensic science and policing.
Address: University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield, HD1 3DH