Following a degree in Archaeology (specialising in environmental archaeology) at the Institute of Archaeology, I worked as a consultant the Ancient Monuments Laboratory of English Heritage in their geophyiscs and scientific dating section and then in the environmental archaeology laboratory. I participated in fieldwork in London, before undertaking land snail analysis from Hambledon Hill at Lampeter University, and assistant director and post-excavation assistant for Brean Down excavations. I undertook PhD research on my own chosen topic (Beaker landscape and environment on the chalk) specialising in geoarchaeology, land snail analysis and Beaker studies at Southampton University, but was appointed as environmental officer (1988) and environmental manager (1991) of Wessex Archaeology before I’d completed 2 years of this study. I set up, developed and ran their successful environmental section for over 18 years until 2007, where I managed the department, liaised with project managers, county authorities and clients, and commissioned and managed environmental analyses. I now run AEA; Allen Environmental Archaeology. I have worked on the major monuments and landscape at Stonehenge, Avebury, Dorchester and Cranborne Chase as well as on the Sussex Downs.

I specialise in the analysis of land snails, with the principal aim of understanding the development of prehistoric landscape and land-use. I have also spent many years researching and excavating colluvium and hillwash in southern England.

I am an experienced environmental archaeologist with over 200 publications including 6 monographs; a former committee member of the Association of Environmental Archaeologists; current council member and Prehistoric Society Research Papers editor for The Prehistoric Society; and council member of The Conchological Society. I have considerable and wide ranging experience including includes working on key projects such as Stonehenge and the British Archaeological Award winning Mary Rose volume (Before the Mast; life & death aboard the Mary Rose ed. Gardiner with Allen). My Molluscs in Archaeology book is now a fundamental undergraduate and professional archaeology text book

Land Snails
Hillwash and colluvium
Geoarcheology
Environmental Archaeology