Exeter College Fellow shortlisted for Vice-Chancellor’s Breakthrough Researcher Award

Dr George Green, Supernumerary Fellow at Exeter College and Associate Professor in Classical and Scientific Archaeology, has been shortlisted for the Breakthrough Researcher Award at this year’s University of Oxford Vice-Chancellor’s Awards. 

Selection for the award was highly competitive, with nearly 170 entries and around 1,000 individuals included in nominations. Dr Green’s recognition reflects the impact of his innovative work bringing together the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source and the University of Oxford. 

Dr Green holds a newly created joint post supported by the School of Archaeology, Faculty of Classics, the Ashmolean Museum, and ISIS. His research uses muon-based elemental analysis – a technique available at only a handful of facilities worldwide – to investigate the composition of artefacts deep beneath their surface without causing damage. This approach is particularly suited to his work on the movement and manufacture of gold across ancient Africa, Asia, and Europe. 

His research has explored topics including the crisis of Rome’s AD 68–69 Civil Wars, the recycling of Dacian gold in ancient Afghanistan, and the composition of Aksumite gold in ancient Ethiopia. The partnership he leads is also creating new teaching and training opportunities for students across multiple disciplines, alongside research projects based on the Ashmolean’s collections. 

Dr Green’s work will feature in the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards Showcase on 2 June at the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, where visitors will have the opportunity to see components from the particle accelerator up close. The awards celebrate the achievements of staff across the collegiate University, recognising excellence, innovation, and collaborative impact in support of Oxford’s core mission.  

You can find out more about the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards here.