Meet the Team
Graeme Young, Director
Graeme Young is a graduate of Newcastle University and began excavating in 1988. He has excavated sites across the UK and worked for a period in Africa. A founder member of the BRP, Graeme has directed excavations on Lindisfarne and in Newcastle and Durham prior to leading the archaeological research at Bamburgh Castle.
His particular interest is the Anglo-Saxon and Medieval archaeology of Northumberland, but he has been known to stoop to prehistory on occasion.
He is the author of the book, ‘Bamburgh Castle: the Archaeology of the Fortress of Bamburgh AD 500 to AD 1500’
Email: graemeyoung@bamburghresearchproject.co.uk
Dr Jo Kirton, Director
Jo became a BRP Director in 2015. She first joined the BRP as a Durham undergrad student in 2005 but has since worked in a number of supervisory roles within the project at both Bamburgh Castle and the Bradford Kaims.
Outside of the project Joanne completed her PhD in 2016, which specifically focused on the early medieval landscape of North West England. She now works for the Council for British Archaeology as their Delivery and Engagement Manager, part of the CBA’s executive team. She previously worked as a project manager for four years, developing and delivering archaeology and heritage projects throughout Cheshire and Wirral.
Jo is also a Research Associate with the History and Archaeology Department of Chester University, an ACIfA member of the Chartered Institute of Field Archaeologists and Treasurer for CIfA’s Early Careers SIG.
She is the co-editor of the the book, Early Medieval Stone Monuments; Materiality, Biography and Landscape
Email: jo.kirton.brp@gmail.com
Constance Durgeat, Director
Constance first joined the Bamburgh Research Project as an undergrad student in Art History and Archaeology from the Sorbonne University in Paris. After a Masters’ in Urban Archaeology, she moved to York to complete a Masters on Bamburgh’s metalworking area in Trench 3. She was then made supervisor of Trench One and carried out more roles over the years.
Coming from France where community archaeology does not really exist, it was (and still is) very exciting to get to teach anyone, no matter their level or education! Thanks to this interest, she has worked for seven years with the University of York, teaching first-year students fieldwork techniques and environmental processing. Constance has worked with multiple commercial companies, digging a variety of sites across England to keep her skills up to date. She now works as a Senior Supervisor with Rocket Heritage and Archaeology. Her main interests are Anglo-Saxon and medieval archaeology and buildings archaeology.…and travelling around the world when she has time!