Alexandra (Sally) Fletcher

Alexandra Fletcher is lecturer in Museum Studies within the Department of Archaeology. With a background in curatorship, her research interests encompass, museology, collecting histories, museum practice, public engagement, and ethical debate. She has conducted archaeological fieldwork in Turkey and Oman and published on the archaeology of southwest Asia, mortuary archaeology, prehistoric ceramics, and the archaeology of feasting and commensality. Her doctoral studies (University of Manchester) developed research interests in the relationship between ceramics, commensality and social change during the Neolithic period in southwest Asia.  A curatorial role at the British Museum further offered opportunity to develop expertise in the study of mortuary practices, and the ethics of curating and displaying human remains. Collaborative, interdisciplinary research projects enabled her to combine scientific techniques such as isotope analysis, 3D imaging or facial reconstruction with more traditional artefact analyses such as object biography. Museum practice and exhibition development also gave opportunity to explore the construction, trade and consumption of luxury items across southwest Asia and the Mediterranean basin. Alexandra’s current focus is on the crisis in UK archaeology concerning the sustainable storage, recording and access to archaeological archives through the lens of large-scale museum redevelopment and moves projects.

Alexandra is an experienced programme manager and was Lead Curator for the British Museum’s Archaeological Research Collection in Reading. She is expert in standards for exhibition, documentation, digitisation, collection management and public access to collections.  She is a longstanding member of the UK and Irish Museums Associations, the Society for Museum Archaeologists and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.  

Museology especially collecting histories; archaeological collections; museum practice; engagement; and ethical debate. The prehistoric archaeology of southwest Asia; mortuary archaeology; ceramics; artefact analyses; and the archaeology of commensality.