I am the director of the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit. With a background in chemistry and archaeology, my research focuses on refining radiocarbon dating techniques to enhance our understanding of the past through the construction of precise chronologies. I have worked on topics as diverse as the final Neanderthals in Spain, the arrival of people into Sahul and the first farmers in Vietnam. My current research has been shaped by my experience working in tropical and arid regions and focuses on developing improved methods for dating human and faunal skeletal remains. These remains are vital for understanding past populations but deteriorate quickly in warm climates, posing significant challenges for accurate chronological reconstruction.
My Oxford page with publications is here: https://www.arch.ox.ac.uk/people/rachel-wood