Sally Foster

Professor Sally Foster is a leading academic in Heritage and Archaeology at the University of Stirling, holding roles such as Deputy Dean of Research (Arts and Humanities) and Secretary of the European Archaeological Association. She specializes in heritage conservation, authenticity of artifacts, and early medieval Scottish studies. Her research bridges academic and practical heritage work, emphasizing the social value of cultural objects like the Stone of Destiny and Iona's St John's Cross replica. Foster earned her PhD from the University of Glasgow and previously worked at Historic Scotland.

Her key projects include the Future Thinking on Carved Stones in Scotland framework and a British Academy-funded study on the Stone of Scone. She has supervised PhD students in heritage studies and medieval archaeology. Awards include the 2015 Murray Prize for History and multiple grants from institutions like the AHRC and Leverhulme Trust.

Foster has delivered over 50 international lectures, including keynote addresses at the Association of Critical Heritage Studies conferences and the University of Oxford. She co-ordinates interdisciplinary projects like the ECCLES initiative on early Christian landscapes and chairs heritage committees such as the National Committee on Carved Stones in Scotland.