Dr Samantha Tipper

Samantha is a senior lecturer and course lead for BSc Forensic Science. Her research focuses on human bioarchaeology, osteological techniques and paleopathology, especially spinal pathology and health and disease in ancient Nubia.

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Background

Samantha is a biological and forensic anthropologist with over 15 years of experience working in both the commercial and academic sectors in human osteology, paleopathology, forensic anthropology, and forensic science in both the UK and USA. She completed her PhD in Archaeology at the University of Durham, while working as a senior lecturer and program lead at Lincoln University.

Her doctoral research involved a comprehensive analysis of spinal pathology in over five hundred individuals from Sudan, dating from 350BC to 1500AD. While at Durham University she set up and ran the Egypt and Sudan Study Group as well as the Sudan Study conference, an international interdisciplinary research conference with a focus on Sudan and ancient Nubia that runs every year in May.

Samantha has collaborated on projects involving skeletal remains dating from the Bronze Age to Medieval period in Britain as well as skeletal remains from Sudan. She continues to collaborate on both archaeological and forensic cases and is also a forensic anthropologist team member at Kenyon International. Samantha is also currently an associate fellow in the History and Heritage department at the University of Lincoln and part of the Medieval research group.

Samantha joined ARU as a lecturer in August 2021. She is a member of the Forensic & Investigative Sciences Research Group.

Research interests

• Human bioarchaeology
• Osteological techniques; age and sex estimation
• Impact of climate change on health and disease
• Paleopathology
• Health and disease in ancient Nubia
• Trauma analysis
• Sub-Saharan Africa

Areas of expertise

• Bioarchaeology
• Paleopathology
• Forensic anthropology

Areas of research supervision

• Human Bioarchaeology
• Paleopathology
• Human identification
• Impact of climate change on health and disease
• Biomechanics and analysis of stress and activity

Current projects

Osteological Analysis of the Newark Castle skeletal assemblage with the National Civil War Museum and Newark County Council.

Norton Disney Archaeological Excavations, Lincoln.

Hew Hill excavations & osteological analysis with Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln.

The Hospital of the Holy Innocents Project, Lincoln.(collaborating with Wings to the Past and Local Landscapes and Hidden Histories project, Lincoln).

Teaching

Module leader:

• Forensic Anthropology
• Forensic Pathology
• Level 6 Tutorials

Teach on:

• Mass Fatality Incidents
• Applied Science
• Introduction to Forensic Photography and Methodologies

Qualifications

PhD in Archaeology, University of Durham

PGCAP in Higher Education, University of Durham

MSc Biomedical and forensic studies on Egyptology, University of Manchester

BA (Hons) Comparative Religion and Anthropology, University of Manchester

Memberships, editorial boards

Interim Chair of the Chartered Institute of Archaeology: Human Osteoarchaeology Group

Treasurer, Norton Disney Archaeology Group, Lincoln.

Member of the British Association for Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology (BABAO)

Member of the Paleopathology Association (PPA)

Member of the Chartered Institute of Archaeology: Forensic Archaeology Group

Member of the Forensic Anthropology Society Europe

Member of the Council for British Archaeology East Midlands.

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Research grants, consultancy, knowledge exchange

Reviewer for: International Journal of Osteoarchaeology

Reviewer for: International Journal of Paleopathology

2019 Conference fund, department of archaeology, Durham University

2018 Conference fund, department of archaeology, Durham University

2017 CAROD conference grant, Durham University

2017 Institute of Advanced Studies grant

2015 Haycock Bursary, Durham University

2014 Norman Richardson Grant, Ustinov College

Selected recent publications

Tipper, S. and Primeau, C. (in prep) Chest deformity in a Medieval woman from Lincoln – a possible case of Pectus Carinatum.

Tipper, S. Wilson, P. and Roberts, C.A. (in prep) Spinal Degeneration in Ancient Nubian Populations.

Tipper, S. and Drzewiecki, M. (October 2024) Current Research in Nubian Archaeology: Warsaw Edition. Panaf + Publishing, London.

Tipper, S., Wilson, P. and Roberts, C.A. (2023) Spondylolysis in Ancient Nubian skeletal populations. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, Vol 33 (5):876-885. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology | Wiley Online Library

Tipper, S. Shin, S. and Kilroe, L. (2022) Current research in Nubian Archaeology: Oxford Edition. Gorgias Press. U.S.A. Gorgias Press. Current Research in Nubian Archaeology. Oxford Edition

Tipper, S. and Lemos, R (2021) New Perspectives on Sudanese and Nubian Archaeology, Archaeopress, Cambridge. 

Lemos, R and Tipper, S (2021) Sudanese and Nubian archaeology: scholarship past and present. In Tipper, S. and Lemos, R. New perspectives on Sudanese and Nubian Archaeology, Archaeopress, Cambridge.

Tipper, S. (2021) Osteological Analysis: Beaumont Fee, Lincoln. PCAS Archaeology.

Tipper, S. (2021) Osteological Analysis: Hornsea Offshore Wind Farm. Network Archaeology.

Tipper, S. (2020) Osteological Analysis: Cremation Burial Farnham Pastures. PCAS Archaeology.

Tipper, S. (2020) Osteological Analysis: Brayford Warf North, Lincoln. PCAS Archaeology.

Tipper, S. & Tully, G. (2018) Current research in Nubian archaeology. Gorgias Press, U.S.A.

Primeau, C. & Tipper, S. (2017) Aging archaeological sub adults from femur length – which method is advisable? Newsletter of the Society of Archaeological Sciences, Vol 40 (1):2-7

Human osteological reports

Tipper, S (2024) Osteological Analysis: East Stoke, battle field site, Newark. (National Civil War Museum)

Tipper, S (2024) Osteological Analysis: Lincoln Road, Newark (National Civil War Museum).

Tipper, S (2024) Osteological Analysis: Cremation Burial, Little Houghton

Tipper, S (2023) The re-evaluation of the 1935 excavation at Norton Disney, Lincoln.

Tipper, S (2023) Osteological Analysis: Millfield nurseries, Spalding, Lincoln.

Tipper, S (2022) Osteological Analysis: Navenby, Lincoln.

Tipper, S (2021) Osteological Analysis: Cremation Burial, Farnham Pastures 2.

Tipper, S (2021) Osteological Analysis: Cremation Burials, Burton by Lincoln.

Tipper, S (2021) Osteological Analysis: Reepham, Lincoln.

Recent presentations and conferences

Sept 2024 British Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology Conference, Keele University.

Sept 2024 South Lincolnshire History Conference, Welton.

Sept 2023 British Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology Conference, UCL,

May 2023 Sudan Studies Research Conference, University of Naples L’Orientale, Italy

July 2022 Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences Autumn Conference

June 2022 6Th Sudan Studies research Conference, University of Munich, Germany.

April 2022 UK Archaeology Sciences Conference, Aberdeen

Sept 2021 5th Sudan Studies Research Conference, University of Warsaw, Poland.

June 2021 History and Heritage Research Showcase, University of Lincoln

Media experience

Magazine article: Beautifully crafted Roman dodecahedron discovered in Lincoln – but what were they for? The conversation May 2nd 2024. (theconversation.com) TV: Look North BBC: Norton Disney Dig (11 June 2024)

Radio: BBC Essex – Recovery of human remains (2022)

Podcast: Medieval Sound Bites Podcast: Digging in the Dirt: Forensic Science in Ancient and Medieval Archaeology – Dr Sam Tipper and Dr Charlotte Primeau. (2022)

Outreach/Public talks

28 Sept 2024 South Lincolnshire Historical Association Conference Talk: Life and Death in Medieval Lincoln: The Beaumont Fee collection

23rd Sept 2024 Scunthorpe Museum Society, Lincoln Title: The lady in the lead coffin

19 July 2024 Local Landscapes and Hidden Heritage Project Title: Leprosy in Lincoln: The Hospital of the Holy Innocents.

22 – 24 May 2024 Charnwood Forest School’s Dig, Beaumanor, Loughborough.

11 Jan 2024 Invited talk: The Norton Disney Skeletons. Norton Disney Archaeology Group AGM.

2023 Analysis of the excavation and osteology of the 1935 Norton Disney Dig.

2022 Host for book launch: Short Guide to Hadrian’s Wall by Andrew Tibbs, Amberley Publishers.