ABOUT Our Core team

Karin kaye MA MCIfA

Karin graduated from the Institute of Archaeology, UCL with an MA and first class honours degree in medieval archaeology. Her archaeological career began at the Heritage Network, in Hertfordshire, where she was given a solid grounding in commercial archaeology. In subsequent posts she gained considerable experience in managing all types of archaeological projects, from domestic watching briefs and evaluations, to complex open area excavations, as well as specialising in historic buildings. She co-founded KDK Archaeology Ltd with David Kaye, which began trading in early 2013. She is a full member of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists, the Cambridge Antiquarian Society, the Vernacular Architecture Society and the Leighton Buzzard and District Archaeological and Historical Society.

 

David Kaye BA ACIfA

David graduated with an honours degree from the Institute of Archaeology, UCL in 2004 following a long career in photography, graphic design, and exhibitions. He joined Heritage Network, in Hertfordshire, whilst still a student and gained considerable experience in his seven years there. Since then he has led many excavations, including a large Roman field system at a quarry site, an Anglo Saxon cemetery at a school, and an ongoing Roman roadside settlement at an industrial complex. Apart from the day to day site management, David has been responsible for training staff in how to survey sites and post-excavation CAD work. More recently he instigated a tablet-based electronic recording system for site records. David is an Associate member of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists and the Leighton Buzzard and District Archaeological and Historical Society.

 

Laura Dodd MSc MCIFA

Laura graduated from the University of Reading in 2013 achieving a BA in archaeology. After graduating she continued her studies at Durham University where she achieved an MSc in Palaeopathology. As well as studying abnormality and diseases on the human skeleton she also has an interest in the isotopic analysis of human remains. During her time at Durham she assisted in a project to identify potential childhood origins of several individuals found in a mass grave. Laura has attended several large scale excavations such as the Roman field school at Silchester and the Amheida project in Egypt's Dakhla oasis.

 

Ellen Shlasko PHD

Ellen graduated from Yale University with a PhD in Anthropology. She also holds an MA in Anthropology with a specialization in Historical Archaeology from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. After a twenty year career in academic and commercial archaeology in the United States, she recently moved to the UK and is getting back to one of her early interests, the archaeology of Roman Britain, which was the subject of her undergraduate dissertation.

 

Chris Martin-Taylor BSC

Chris graduated from Bournemouth University in 2015 with a BSc in Archaeology. Prior to that, he studied for a foundation degree in Applied Architectural Stonework and Conservation in Dorchester and Weymouth, which included practical training in stonemasonry and historic building conservation. He has worked on several sites in the East of England, as well as volunteering on excavations at Bamburgh Castle and the Bradford Kaims, and taking part in the construction of Guedelon Castle in France, which is being built using only historically accurate tools and construction methods. Chris joined KDK in June 2017 and is keen to further develop his interest in the archaeology and conservation of historic buildings, as well as the Anglo-Saxon and medieval periods.

 

Derek watson phd

Derek graduated from the Institute of Archaeology (IoA), UCL in 2004 with a PhD in Archaeology. Derek also has a BSc from the IoA and an MSc from the University of Sheffield in archaeological environmental science and palaeoeconomics. He has worked on both commercial and, predominantly, academic archaeological projects in North America, Europe, North and West Africa, and has directed his own research projects in Ghana.

 

Barney king PCIfA

Barney began working in archaeology after a varied career as a projectionist, theatre technician and plumber's assistant, among other occupations. He started working on large scale Romano-British sites in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, after enjoying a stint of archaeological volunteer work. He joined KDK as field technician and company quartermaster in March 2017, becoming a Practitioner of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists in March 2020.