ABOUT US
Invicta Archaeological Services Ltd was established in late 2019 by Dr Elissia Burrows, Emily Brown, and Vince Burrows. Based in East Kent, with close ties to the Deal and Dover areas, our team delivers high-quality archaeological services across the region.
We operate in full accordance with current professional standards and best practices as outlined by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA), the British Association for Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology (BABAO), and local planning authorities. As proud members of the Federation of Archaeological Managers and Employers (FAME) the official trade association for professional archaeology in the UK and Ireland 1we are committed to excellence, integrity, and accessibility in all that we do.
Our mission goes beyond compliance: we are dedicated to making archaeology meaningful and accessible to everyone, encouraging public engagement and educational opportunities wherever possible.
Our Team
Emily Brown (BA Hons)
Emily holds a Bachelor’s degree in History with Archaeology from Canterbury Christ Church University. She brings a wealth of field experience across Kent, including major excavations at the St James Street redevelopment in Dover and the Roman town at Newington. Her geophysical survey work includes notable sites such as Folkestone Roman Villa, Fort Burgoyne, and the route of the Roman road from Folkestone to Dover.
She also spent two years in the Planning Department at Dover District Council, where she gained valuable technical experience with planning systems and CAD software. Her volunteer work includes four years with English Heritage as an Assistant Curator, as well as archaeological excavations at Nonington Medieval Manor with the Dover Archaeological Group (DAG). Her primary interests lie in Prehistoric archaeology, historic buildings, and zooarchaeology.
Dr Elissia Burrows (BA Hons, MSc, PhD)
Elissia completed her undergraduate degree in History with Archaeology at Canterbury Christ Church University and went on to earn a Master’s in Forensic Osteology and Field Recovery Methods at the University of Kent. In 2024, she was awarded a PhD from the same institution for her research on sword cut marks to human bone, focusing on how burial environments affect the morphology of those marks.
She has broad fieldwork experience throughout Kent and has volunteered with the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) alongside the Kent Finds Liaison Officer. Elissia was the Lead Osteologist for the Kent Osteological Research and Analysis (KORA) unit and has contributed to geophysical surveys at sites including the Drop Redoubt Fort, Whinless Downs, South Foreland Lighthouse, and Folkestone Roman Villa. Her core research interests include human osteoarchaeology, funerary practices, and the prehistoric period.
Vince Burrows
Vince brings over 30 years of hands-on experience in field archaeology, metal detecting, and geophysical survey. He has worked extensively with the Dover Archaeological Group and other regional organisations. After training in geophysical survey with English Heritage (UCL) and the University of Birmingham’s Valley of Visions project, he spent several years conducting both archaeological and commercial surveys in Kent and northern France.
In addition to fieldwork, Vince has trained numerous students and volunteers from the University of Kent and regularly delivers public talks on prehistoric archaeology and lithics analysis his specialist area of interest.
Following the discovery of a significant Anglo-Saxon double-tiered weapons burial in the Alkham Valley, Vince led a two-year educational project to design a replicated burial display and interpretive boards for use in Kent schools and universities. This exhibit was permanently donated to the local community and is now on display at Dover Museum.
Vince has also contributed to a range of academic publications, including Archaeologia Cantiana, Kent Archaeological Review, Kent Archaeological Society, and Current Archaeology magazine.
