Our Team

Richard Lewis BA MCIfA – Managing Director & Chief UAV Pilot

Richard is an award-winning archaeologist with extensive experience delivering a wide range of archaeological projects across the United Kingdom and is a Landscape, Prehistoric and Industrial Archaeology specialist. Richard is also a professional UAV (drone) pilot and founded Black Mountains Archaeology Ltd in 2017 and Black Mountains Geomatics Ltd in 2021.

Richard has extensive experience of leading and working within multidisciplinary development teams for large-scale multi-million pound projects. Recent examples include the St Athan NAR road scheme, Vale of Glamorgan, Penderyn Distillery (Whisky) and Swansea Council’s redevelopment of the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks, Swansea, Vita (Cardiff) 1’s redevelopment of Bradley Court, Cardiff and Bike Park Wales, Merthyr Tydfil.

Richard has been an early adopter of digital technologies, such as GIS, photogrammetry and laser surveys in archaeology. He has a passion for aerial survey and has worked with drones for several years culminating with him gaining his Operational Authorisation (OA) (formerly PfCO) from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) (OAUAS10885) and A2CofC qualifications. Richard now utilises drones to provide mapping solutions for the heritage, archaeology, construction, structural engineering, energy sector, aggregate (quarrying) and the agricultural industries. For examples of Richard’s survey work please check out our news page and recent projects.

Richard has been a full Member of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) since 2007 and is fully committed to maintaining the high professional Standards and Codes of the Chartered Institute. Richard is a member of the Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society (RSPSoc), the Lithics Studies Society, the Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA) and was also a Leader with the Council for British Archaeology Young Archaeologists Club for six years.

Libby Langlands BA MA – Senior Project Officer & UAV Pilot

Libby has a broad expertise across the historic environment sector. She graduated from the Institute of Archaeology, UCL with a BA(Hons) in Archaeology and an MA in Cultural Heritage Studies. She received her field archaeology training at MOLA and has worked on commercial and research excavations and post-excavation projects all over Southern England and Wales (MOLA, Oxford Archaeology, Wessex Archaeology, etc).

Libby has also worked in arts and heritage exhibitions including interpretation planning, content research and text writing for international and HLF projects (Researcher, Prince Research Consultants Ltd; Independent Consultant) and has managed exhibition logistics, transport, loans administration and installation (Operations Manager, Roche Court New Art Centre Contemporary Sculpture Park & Art Gallery). She has a wealth of experience in visitor services and operations management at a number of arts, museums and heritage venues (English Heritage; National Trust; Duty Manager, Operations Officer, Southampton City Council Arts & Heritage).

Libby works across the whole of the Black Mountains Archaeology project portfolio including DBAs, EIAs & ASIDOHL2s, excavation, surveying and post-excavation reporting. Her current projects include Llanharan Bypass and the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks where the team is developing the use of photogrammetry as a recording method on what is a complex industrial site. Libby is also an experienced UAV/drone pilot and currently holds an A2CofC qualification from the the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). She works in accordance with the company Operations Manual (OA).

Dr Rhys Morgan BSc BA MA PhD – Project Officer & UAV Pilot

Rhys has been working in commercial archaeology since 2015 and has experience in conducting fieldwork across the whole of Britain, particularly Wales and Southern Britain. In 2021, Rhys completed a PhD in archaeology at the University of Southampton under the supervision of Andrew Meirion Jones. Since completing his PhD, Rhys has developed a keen interest in industrial archaeology. His main areas of interest include ironworking, copperworking, coal mining and industrial transport in South Wales as well as Post-medieval pottery production in Britain as a whole.

Rhys undertakes a wide range of archaeological projects, including DBAs, EIAs & ASIDOHL2s, excavation, surveying and post-excavation reporting. Rhys is also an experienced UAV/drone pilot and currently holds an A2CofC qualification from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). He works in accordance with the company Operations Manual (OA).

Outside of fieldwork and academic research, Rhys is also keenly interested in public engagement and communicating archaeological heritage to a wider audience in both Welsh and English. Recently, Rhys has been involved in both TV and radio.

Dr Graham Eyre-Morgan – Senior Archaeologist

With over 30 years-experience in field archaeology and an involvement in British Archaeology on a professional basis since 1986, Graham has risen from site assistant to Unit Director and then Archaeological Curator, and Head of an Historic Environment Team. During this time Graham has experienced all types of archaeological work (including forensic) sites and periods, developing a wealth of experience to be utilised within the profession.

Graham was a member of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists for the past 20 years and was a former council member of the Chartered Institute. Graham has had the benefit of successfully working on either side of the archaeological divide as both ‘poacher and gamekeeper’. He therefore has developed an excellent understanding of both developer and local and central government requirements. Graham has published widely on archaeological topics. Graham is now in the enviable position of being semi-retired.