Oliver Harris

Prof Oliver Harris is a Professor of Archaeology at the School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester. His research focuses on redefining how archaeology approaches difference in past societies through studies of material culture, human bodies, and landscapes. He emphasizes non-essentialist frameworks to explore gender, identity, and cultural processes across millennia.

Research interests include Neolithic monuments, Viking burials, and posthumanist approaches to material agency. His work spans scales from individual objects to continental-scale patterns, prioritizing multiscalar analysis and ontological plurality. Recent projects investigate the Upton Lovell G2a burial, Neolithic tool use, and regional resource exploitation in Cornwall.

Publications emphasize theoretical innovation, with notable contributions to posthumanism in archaeology, gender studies, and material culture analysis. Supervision activities reflect his commitment to training scholars in critical archaeological methodologies.

Teaching integrates fieldwork and theoretical discourse, fostering engagement with contemporary archaeological practice. His work challenges traditional binaries in interpreting past human-environment interactions and cultural diversity.