Dr. Sarah Chen is a Professor of Anthropological Archaeology at the University of Edinburgh, specializing in the material culture of violence, survival, and ritual across ancient and modern societies. For over two decades, her research has explored how objects—from sacred daggers to disguised merchant tools—shape human history and reflect deeper questions of trust, power, and deception.
Her fieldwork has taken her from Bronze Age burial sites in Europe to the archives of Renaissance Italy, from Himalayan monasteries to modern forensic laboratories. This global perspective allows her to weave together archaeology, history, and philosophy in a way that illuminates both the ingenuity and the moral complexity of concealed weapons.
Dr. Chen has published widely in academic journals and contributed to international museum exhibitions on weaponry and cultural identity. Hidden Blades: The History of Concealed Blades is her first major book for a general audience, blending meticulous scholarship with gripping storytelling to make history accessible to all readers.
When she is not traveling for research, Dr. Chen lectures at Edinburgh, mentors graduate students in archaeological ethics, and consults for historical documentaries. She lives in Scotland, where she continues to pursue her fascination with the ways material culture reveals the hidden dimensions of human nature.