Mr Ian Miller
School of Science, Engineering & Environment
Current positions
Lead Archaeologist
Biography
In my current role as Director of the Greater Manchester Archaeological Advisory Service and Specialist Advisor to Greater Manchester’s ten district authorities, I am responsible for maintaining and enhancing the Greater Manchester Historic Environment Record (HER) database, which provides information on all known sites of archaeological and historic interest in Greater Manchester and forms the key tool for providing specialist planning advice on all matters relating to the county’s rich historic environment. I am also responsible for maintaining and updating the North West Historic Environment Research Framework (https://researchframeworks.org/nwrf/), which sets out the research priorities for all archaeological work carried out in north-west England, and forms part of the national archaeological research frameworks.
I have worked across England and Northern Italy as a professional archaeologist since the late 1980s. From 2003-15, I fulfilled the role of Senior Project Manager with Oxford Archaeology North, based in Lancaster, where I was responsible for securing the funding and delivering a large portfolio of commercial archaeology projects across north-west England. I took up the position of Associate Director of Salford Archaeology within the University of Salford in 2015. Relocating to Salford Archaeology enabled my to pursue my particular research interests in the development of Lancashire’s textile and glass industries, their buildings and the associated growth of industrial townscapes, with especial reference to Manchester and Salford. One of the key objectives in my current role is to engage with local communities to help them to engage in their historic environment and help them to achieve a ‘sense of place’ from distinctive local heritage assets.
Widely acknowledged as a leading regional expert in the post-medieval and industrial archaeology of the North West, I provide guest lectures on heritage management in the planning system to colleagues in SEE and also numerous local heritage organisations.
I am currently Co-editor of Industrial Archaeology Review, the leading international journal for industrial archaeology, and am a member of Council for the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society. I am also a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London.