Shadreck Chirikure

Shadreck Chirikure is Professor of Archaeological Science in the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, School of Archaeology, University of Oxford. His research explores how people made things, developed technologies, shaped their environments, and understood the world around them. Working across archaeological sites, museums, and scientific laboratories, he brings together archaeology, history, and cutting-edge scientific techniques to uncover the stories held within ancient objects and materials. His work demonstrates why the past matters today, connecting the rich material heritage of Africa and Eurasia with pressing global questions about innovation, inequality, economic development, and the enduring legacies of colonialism. An award-winning scholar, Chirikure has published widely in leading academic journals as well as public-facing outlets such as The Conversation, and has delivered distinguished lectures and addresses across Africa, Europe, and the United States. He teaches on topic related to technology, material practices, innovation across the fields of archaeology, heritage science, entrepreneurship and sustainability. Chirikure is a Fellow of the British Academy, the Society of Antiquaries, the Royal Society of Arts, and the Academy of Science of South Africa. His books include Metals in Past Societies (Springer, 2015) and Great Zimbabwe: A Confiscated Past (Routledge, 2020). He is also co-author, with Chris Carre and Charles Golden, of Ancient Civilisations (Routledge, 2026).