Steve Willis
I was fortunate to study archaeology at my secondary school and volunteered while an undergraduate with the Colchester Archaeological Trust. I completed an MA in Roman Archaeology at Durham University. I then worked for the Museum of London as a field archaeologist before studying for a PhD at Durham looking at pottery assemblages of the late Iron Age and early Roman period. I have participated in excavations from Sussex to Scotland, while also working on projects in Portugal, France and Belgium. At the University of Kent I teach modules in Iron Age and Roman Archaeology in Britain and Europe. I am interested in landscapes and coastal archaeology and became someone with specialist knowledge of samian ware. Since 1998 I have been running a fieldwork based research project in Lincolnshire. In Kent I have been especially interested in promoting research and learning around the sites at Bigbury and Stutfall. With the help of local experts I have been learning more about flint tools, something that has been inspired by the society's investigations at Lees Court. I am a Trustee of the Trust for Thanet Archaeology (since 2011) and their Honorary Academic Advisor.
I was invited to become a member of the KAS Fieldwork Committee in 2004 and held that role for 15 years prior to the Committee's recent restructure. I have been a Member of Council since 2006. I have hosted six AGMs for the Society at the University since 2012 and just short of twenty day conferences since 2010. I have organized various activities related to the Lees Court Project including fieldwork training for undergraduates, site survey and prospection, excavations and tours.