Petra Dark

Dr Petra Dark is a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Reading specializing in environmental archaeology and palaeoecology. Her work focuses on understanding long-term human-environment interactions, particularly through analysis of pollen and plant remains. She has conducted extensive research on Mesolithic sites like Star Carr, Severn Estuary environmental dynamics, and Hadrian's Wall landscapes.

Her academic qualifications include a MA from the University of Cambridge and a DPhil from the University of Oxford. Key publications include The Environment of Britain in the First Millennium AD and co-authored works on Roman Britain's landscape and Star Carr investigations.

Research interests span climate change impacts on land use, archaeology of plant disease, and landscape evolution. Her work integrates palynology, sedimentology, and archaeological data to reconstruct Holocene environmental histories. Notable contributions include studies on Roman Britain's environmental legacy, post-Roman ecological shifts, and Star Carr's pollen preservation mechanisms.

Publications demonstrate a focus on coastal and lacustrine environments, with methodological innovations in seasonality studies and multi-proxy palaeoenvironmental analysis. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges archaeology, ecology, and historical climatology.