Biography
I am a Palaeolithic archaeologist with broad interests in the design, production and use of stone tool artefacts across the Palaeolithic period. My research often investigates the interplay between cultural and biological aspects of our evolutionary history and applies mechanical, biomechanical and statistical techniques to better understand the behaviour and evolution of early humans. My PhD was awarded in 2015 under the supervision of Dr Stephen Lycett. Following my PhD I was awarded a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship, which I held from 2016 to 2019. During this period I also spent time as a visiting researcher at Kent State University. Prior to my appointment at Cambridge I was a Lecturer in Biological Anthropology at the University of Kent.
Research
My research investigates the behaviour and evolution of early humans through the excavation and analysis of lithic artefacts, the experimental production and use of replica stone and organic tools, and a variety of different statistical techniques. Currently, I direct excavations at the Lower Palaeolithic site of Fordwich (Kent, UK). Fordwich retains some of the earliest evidence for the occupation of Britain by humans, and at the time of writing is the oldest archaeological site being excavated in the UK.
Key Publications
I am the author of >55 peer reviewed articles (a selection of recent papers are below). For a full list of publications please see: Google Scholar or https://sites.google.com/view/akeyarchaeology
Key, A. (2023) The Acheulean is a temporally cohesive tradition. World Archaeology, doi:10.1080/00438243.2023.2169340
Key, A. and Lycett, S.J. (2023) The ergonomics of stone too use and production. In: Overmann, K., Wynn, T. and Coolidge, F. (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Cognitive Archaeology, https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192895950.013.29
Key, A. and Ashton, N. (2022) Hominins likely occupied northern Europe before one million years ago. Evolutionary Anthropology, doi.org/10.1002/evan.21966
Key, A., Lauer, T., Skinner, MM., et al. and Proffitt, T. (2022) On the earliest Acheulean in Britain: firstdates and in-situ artefacts from the MIS 15 site of Fordwich (Kent, UK). Royal Society Open Science 9 (6): 211904
Key, A., Jarić, I. and Roberts, D.L. (2021) Modelling the end of the Acheulean at global and continental levels suggests widespread persistence into the Middle Palaeolithic. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 8: 55
Key, A., Proffitt, T., and de la Torre, I. (2020) Raw material optimisation and stone tool engineering in the Early Stone Age of Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania). Journal of the Royal Society Interface 17 (162): 20190377
Teaching and Supervisions
I co-ordinate papers A22/G04 (Palaeolithic Archaeology) and A50/B14 (A Technologically Dependent Lineage), and contribute to several other archaeology and biological anthropology papers.
I am interested in supervising students who wish to study for an MPhil or PhD in topics related to:
- Palaeolithic archaeology.
- Mechanical engineering techniques and their application to archaeological questions.
- Biomechanical and ergonomic approaches within archaeology.
- Temporal, spatial, and demographic modelling in prehistoric contexts.
- The evolution of the human hand from a cultural perspective.
Feel free to email me to discuss supervision. When you do so, please tell me a little about your research experience, interests and plans. If you are interested in undertaking a PhD, please also include information concerning your plans for funding.
Other Professional Activities
Associate Editor - Journal of Human Evolution
Editor - Cambridge Prisms: Extinction
