Dr Duncan Keenan-Jones
Lecturer in Classical Archaeology
The University of Manchester
+61 7 336 56639
Researcher biography
Duncan is Lecturer in classical archaeology at the University of Manchester. His research focuses on the relationship between environment, technology and society in the past, especially in the ancient Mediterranean and in Australia. He is particularly interested in how past and Indigenous practices can help us manage this relationship today. Duncan's research interests are focused on the intersection between Roman society, environment and technology, which he investigates using Latin and Greek texts, archaeological evidence, and geoscientific analyses of limestone deposits.
Duncan has current projects on the climate, flooding and water management in ancient Italy and floodplain management and carbon storage in Australia's channel country, as well as how Roman mortar developed and why it is so durable. Duncan's long-term research agenda is a holistic, large-scale comparison of key factors – including climatic and environmental variability, population dynamics, land use, disease, instability and governance – influencing Rome's long history, using quantitative estimates (proxies) in a humanities-based interpretative framework. Duncan has previously excavated in Italy, Israel and Australia, and is currently part of the Glac project, investigating a late antique Imperial villa complex near ancient Sirmium (Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia).
Duncan is an Honorary Research Fellow at UQ's Centre for Policy Futures, having been a fellow there in 2020. Prior to his position at the University of Manchester, Duncan was Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History at the University of Queensland. Duncan has also held postdoctoral positions at the Collegium de Lyon (2017-2018), University of Glasgow (2014 - 2017) and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (2011-2014). Duncan's doctoral thesis (Macquarie University, 2011), investigated the creation and social and environmental impacts of a unique, regional water supply network. Before his Masters of Arts in Ancient History (Macquarie, 2006), Duncan completed an honours degree in chemical engineering.
Publications
Book Chapters
Sivaguru, Mayandi, Fouke, Kyle W., Keenan-Jones, Duncan, Motta, Davide, Garcia, Marcelo H. and Fouke, Bruce W. (2022). Depositional and diagenetic history of travertine deposited within the Anio Novus aqueduct of ancient Rome. From the Guajira Desert to the Apennines, and from Mediterranean microplates to the Mexican killer asteroid: honoring the career of Walter Alvarez. (pp. 541-569) edited by Christian Koeberl, Philippe Claeys and Alessandro Montanari. Boulder, CO, United States: The Geological Society of America. doi: 10.1130/2022.2557(26)
Keenan-Jones, Duncan (2015). Water. The Encyclopedia of Ancient History. (pp. 1-2) Hoboken, NJ, United States: John Wiley & Sons. doi: 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah25071
Keenan-Jones, Duncan (2013). Large-Scale Water Management Projects in Roman Central-Southern Italy. The Ancient Mediterranean Environment between Science and History. (pp. 233-256) Leiden, Germany: Brill. doi: 10.1163/9789004254053_011
Keenan-Jones, Duncan (2012). Sale of a Horse. New Documents Illustrating Early Christianity 10: Greek and Other Inscriptions and Papyri Published 1988-1992. (pp. 123-125) edited by Llewelyn, S.R., Harrison, J. and Theophilus, M.. Grand Rapids, MI United States: Wm B Eerdmans Publishing.
Keenan-Jones, Duncan, Hellstrom, John C. and Drysdale, Russell N. (2011). Lead contamination in the drinking water of Pompeii. Pompeii: Art, Industry and Infrastructure. (pp. 131-148) edited by Poehler, Eric E., Flohr, Miko and Cole, Kevin. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxbow.
Journal Articles
Keenan-Jones, Duncan C., Serra-Llobet, Anna, He, Hongming and Kondolf, G. Mathias (2023). Urban development and long-term flood risk and resilience: experiences over time and across cultures. Cases from Asia, North America, Europe and Australia. Urban Studies. doi: 10.1177/00420980231212077
Keenan-Jones, Duncan (2023). New and multidisciplinary methods investigating Roman water management: aqueducts and castella in Rome and Pompeii - G. Wiplinger, ed. 2020. De aquaeductu urbis Romae. Sextus Iulius Frontinus and the Water of Rome: Proceedings of the International Frontinus Congress Rome, November 10–18, 2018. Babesch Supplementa 40. Leuven: Peeters. Pp. xxxiii, 403. ISBN 978-90-429-4311-7. Journal of Roman Archaeology, 36 (2), 1-8. doi: 10.1017/s1047759423000326
Martin, Sarah, Chanson, Hubert, Bates, Badger, Keenan‐Jones, Duncan and Westaway, Michael C. (2022). Indigenous fish traps and fish weirs on the Darling (Baaka) River, south‐eastern Australia, and their influence on the ecology and morphology of the river and floodplains. Archaeology in Oceania, 58 (1), 91-114. doi: 10.1002/arco.5279
Seymour, Linda M., Keenan-Jones, Duncan, Zanzi, Gian Luca, Weaver, James C. and Masic, Admir (2022). Reactive ceramic aggregates in mortars from ancient water infrastructure serving Rome and Pompeii. Cell Reports Physical Science, 3 (9) 101024, 1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2022.101024
Serra‐Llobet, Anna, Kondolf, George Mathias, Magdaleno, Fernando and Keenan‐Jones, Duncan (2022). Flood diversions and bypasses: benefits and challenges. WIREs Water, 9 (1) e1562. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1562
Keenan-Jones, Duncan, Motta, Davide, Garcia, Marcelo H., Sivaguru, Mayandi, Perillo, Mauricio, Shosted, Ryan K. and Fouke, Bruce W. (2022). Travertine crystal growth ripples record the hydraulic history of ancient Rome’s Anio Novus aqueduct. Scientific Reports, 12 (1) 1239. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-05158-2
Crapper, Martin, Motta, Davide, Keenan-Jones, Duncan and Monteleone, Maria (2021). Hydraulic engineering analysis of Roman water infrastructure: a review of practice and possibilities. Water History, 14 (1), 5-19. doi: 10.1007/s12685-021-00285-5
Seymour, Linda M., Keenan-Jones, Duncan, Zanzi, Gian Luca and Masic, Admir (2021). Reactive Synthetic Pozzolans in Mortars from Ancient Water Infrastructure Serving Rome and Pompeii. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.3885241
Keenan-Jones, Duncan (2021). Wasserwesen zur Zeit des Frontinus: Bauwerke, Technik, Kultur: Tagungsband des internationalen Frontinus-Symposiums Trier, 25.-29. Mai 2016 . Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 2021.03.36.
Comas-Bru, Laia, Harrison, Sandy P., Werner, Martin, Rehfeld, Kira, Scroxton, Nick, Veiga-Pires, Cristina and SISAL working group (2019). Evaluating model outputs using integrated global speleothem records of climate change since the last glacial. Climate of the Past, 15 (4), 1557-1579. doi: 10.5194/cp-15-1557-2019
Keenan-Jones, Duncan and Hebblewhite, Mark (2019). The pitfalls of using ancient population, army and casualty data without expert curation: a review of oka et al. 2017. Cliodynamics, 10 (1), 54-66. doi: 10.21237/C7clio10142345
Atsawawaranunt, Kamolphat, Comas-Bru, Laia, Amirnezhad Mozhdehi, Sahar, Deininger, Michael, Harrison, Sandy P., Baker, Andy, Boyd, Meighan, Kaushal, Nikita, Ahmad, Syed Masood, Ait Brahim, Yassine, Arienzo, Monica, Bajo, Petra, Braun, Kirsten, Burstyn, Yuval, Chawchai, Sakonvan, Duhan, Wuhui, Hatvani, István Gábor, Hu, Jun, Kern, Zoltán, Labuhn, Inga, Lachniet, Matthew, Lechleiter, Franziska A., Lorrey, Andrew, Pérez-Mejías, Carlos, Pickering, Robyn, Scroxton, Nick, SISAL Working Group Members and Keenan-Jones, Duncan (2018). The SISAL database: a global resource to document oxygen and carbon isotope records from speleothems. Earth System Science Data, 10 (3), 1687-1713. doi: 10.5194/essd-10-1687-2018
Keenan-Jones, Duncan (2018). Book Review of The Archaeology of Sanitation in Roman Italy: Toilets, Sewers, and Water Systems, by Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow. American Journal of Archaeology, 122 (1). doi: 10.3764/ajaonline1221.keenan-jones
Delile, Hugo, Keenan-Jones, Duncan, Blichert-Toft, Janne, Goiran, Jean-Philippe, Arnaud-Godet, Florent and Albarède, Francis (2017). Rome’s urban history inferred from Pb-contaminated waters trapped in its ancient harbor basins. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 114 (38), 10059-10064. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1706334114
Motta, D., Keenan-Jones, D., Garcia, M. H. and Fouke, B. W. (2017). Hydraulic evaluation of the design and operation of ancient Rome's Anio Novus aqueduct: hydraulic evaluation of ancient Rome's Anio Novus aqueduct. Archaeometry, 59 (6), 1150-1174. doi: 10.1111/arcm.12303
Delile, Hugo, Keenan-Jones, Duncan, Blichert-Toft, Janne, Goiran, Jean-Philippe, Arnaud-Godet, Florent, Romano, Paola and Albarède, Francis (2016). A lead isotope perspective on urban development in ancient Naples. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113 (22), 6148-6153. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1600893113
Keenan-Jones, D. C. (2016). Fountains, lead pipes and water systems in Pompeii, Rome and the Roman West -
HÉLÈNE DESSALES, LE PARTAGE DE L'EAU. FONTAINES ET DISTRIBUTION HYDRAULIQUE DANS L'HABITAT URBAIN DE L'ITALIE ROMAINE (Bibliothèque des Écoles françaises d'Athènes et de Rome, fascicule 351; École française de Rome
2013). Pp. xv + 602, figs. 191, pls. en couleur hors texte 7. ISBN 978-2-7283-0944-3. Journal of Roman Archaeology, 29, 778-785. doi: 10.1017/s1047759400072755
Jones, Duncan Keenan, Motta, Davide, Garcia, Marcelo H. and Fouke, Bruce W. (2015). Travertine-based estimates of the amount of water supplied by ancient Rome's Anio Novus aqueduct. Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports, 3, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2015.05.006
Keenan-Jones, Duncan (2015). Somma-Vesuvian ground movements and the water supply of Pompeii and the bay of Naples. American Journal of Archaeology, 119 (2), 191-215. doi: 10.3764/aja.119.2.0191
Keenan-Jones, Duncan (2014). (B.) Campbell Rivers and the Power of Ancient Rome. Pp. xx + 585, ills, maps. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2012. Cased, US$70. ISBN: 978-0-8078-3480-0. The Classical Review, 64 (01), 238-241. doi: 10.1017/s0009840x13003181
Keenan-Jones, Duncan (2012). Water, society and environment in ancient Rome and its hinterland. Papers of the British School At Rome, 80, 354-354. doi: 10.1017/S0068246212000414
Keenan-Jones, Duncan (2010). Macquarie University Gale Scholarship: The Aqua Augusta. Regional water supply in Roman and late antique Campania: An historical and archaeometrical study. Papers of the British School at Rome, 78, 308-309. doi: 10.1017/S0068246200000994
Keenan-Jones, Duncan (2005). Water Supply and Wastewater Disposal in Ancient Herculaneum: An Overview. Ancient History: Resources for Teachers, 35, 65-89.
Keenan-Jones, Duncan (2004). Water Supply and Wastewater Disposal in Pompeii: An Overview. Ancient History: Resources for Teachers, 34, 149-158.
Conference Papers
Keenan-Jones, Duncan, Foubert, Anneleen, Motta, Davide, Fried, Glenn, Sivaguru, Mayandi, Perillo, Mauricio, Waldsmith, Julia, Wang, Hong, Garcia, Marcelo H. and Fouke, Bruce W. (2014). Hierarchical Stratigraphy of Travertine Deposition in Ancient Roman Aqueducts. Tenth Meeting of Studies on Lazio and Sabina, Rome, Italy, 4 - 6 June 2013. Rome, Italy: Edizioni Quasar.
Keenan-Jones, Duncan (2010). The Aqua Augusta and control of water resources in the Bay of Naples. Australasian Society for Classical Studies Conference 31, Perth, WA Australia, 2010. Perth, WA Australia: Australasian Society of Classical Studies.
Keenan-Jones, Duncan, Hellstrom, John and Drysdale, Russell (2008). Trace Element and Other Analyses of Tufa from Ancient Water Systems in Campania and Petra. 13th International Conference on the History of Water Management and Hydraulic Engineering in the Mediterranean Region, Amman, Jordan, 31 March – 9 April 2007. Siegburg, Germany: Deutschen Wasserhistorischen Gesellschaft (DWhG) e.V..
Research Report
Yarnold, Jennifer , Marston, Greg , Mackey, Brendan , McVeigh, John , Rolfe, John , Dale, Allan , Babacan, Hurriyet , Lyons, Ben , Deane, Felicity , Molyneaux, Lynette , Plint, Neville , Newlands, Maxine , Keenan-Jones, Duncan , Quiggin, John , Lovelock, Catherine , Birch, Jacob , Ashford, Graham , Maguire, Rowena , Butler, Don and Doran-Browne, Natalie (2022). Decarbonising Queensland: Four pillars toward a resilient and inclusive low-carbon economy. Policy Futures Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
Newspaper Article
Keenan-Jones, Duncan (2021, 01 01). What were the Spartans like? Note to Lego Masters: they didn’t build city walls The Conversation
Creative Works
McWilliam, Janette and Keenan-Jones, Duncan (2022). Wondrous Machines: VIP Preview and Curator Talk. Brisbane, Australia: The University of Queensland, R.D. Milns Antiquities Museum.
McWilliam, Janette, Keenan-Jones, Duncan, Pounds, Pauline, Donaldson, James, Mann, Charlotte and Boden, Marie (2022). Wondrous Machines: Hero of Alexandria's Ancient Automata. Brisbane, Australia: The University of Queensland, R.D. Milns Antiquities Museum.