Ken Dark
Encyclopedia
Ken Dark is a British
archaeologist who works on the 1st millennium AD in Europe (including Roman and immediately post-Roman Britain) and the Roman
and Byzantine
Middle East, on the archaeology
of religion (especially early Christian archaeology), archaeological theory
and methods, and on the relationship between the study of the past and contemporary global political, cultural and economic issues. He received a BA
in archaeology from the University of York
in 1982 and after taking his PhD in archaeology and history at the University of Cambridge
taught at the universities of Cambridge, Oxford and Reading. Since 2001 he has been Director of the Research Centre for Late Antique and Byzantine Studies
at the University of Reading
and, since 1996, Chair of the Late Antiquity Research Group. He holds honorary professorships from several European and American universities, has written numerous books and academic articles and has directed and co-directed many excavations and survey projects, both in Britain and the Middle East including in Istanbul (Turkey) – where since 2004 he has co-directed a new archaeological study of the famous Byzantine church of Hagia Sophia
and its environs – and in and around Nazareth
(Israel). He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London
and an elected member of the Royal Institute of International Affairs.
Britain and the End of the Roman Empire, Stroud, 2001
The Waves of Time, London and New York, 1998
The Landscape of Roman Britain, Stroud, 1997 (Co-author, Petra Dark)
Theoretical Archaeology, London and New York, 1995 (Chinese and Japanese translations were published in 2004 and 2006).
Civitas to Kingdom, London, 1994
Discovery By Design, Oxford, 1994
Selected single-author academic papers since 2000:
‘The Roman-Period and Byzantine Landscape between Sepphoris and Nazareth’, Palestine Exploration Quarterly 140.2, 2008, 1-16.
‘Roman Architecture in the Great Palace of the Byzantine Emperors at Constantinople During the Sixth to Ninth Centuries’ Byzantion 77, 87-105
‘Globalizing Late Antiquity. Models, metaphors and the realities of long-distance trade and diplomacy’, in A.L.Harris (ed.), Incipient Globalization? Long-distance trade in the sixth century AD, Oxford, 2007, 3-14
‘The Byzantine Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Baptistery of Church of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul’ (Co-author), Architectura 2, 2006, 113-30.
'Archaeology and the Origins of Insular Monasticism' Kathleen Hughes Memorial Lecture 5, for 2004, 2006, Cambridge
'The eastern harbours of Early Byzantine Constantinople’, Byzantion 75, 2005, 152-63.
‘The archaeological implications of fourth- and fifth-century descriptions of villas in the northwest provinces of the Roman Empire’, Historia 54/3, 2005, 331-42.
‘Late Antique Landscapes in Britain’, in S.Scott and N.Christie (eds), Landscapes of Change, London, 2005, 279-99.
‘Houses, Streets and Shops in Byzantine Constantinople from the fifth to the twelfth centuries’, Journal of Medieval History 30, 2004, 83-107.
‘Proto-industrialization and the economy of the Roman Empire’, in M.Polfer (ed.), L'Artisanat Romain: évolutions, continuités et ruptures. Actes due 2e Coloque d'Erpeldange 26-28 Octobre 2001 (Instrumentum monograph 20), Montagnac, 2001, 19-29.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
archaeologist who works on the 1st millennium AD in Europe (including Roman and immediately post-Roman Britain) and the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
and Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
Middle East, on the archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
of religion (especially early Christian archaeology), archaeological theory
Archaeological theory
Archaeological theory refers to the various intellectual frameworks through which archaeologists interpret archaeological data. There is no one singular theory of archaeology, but many, with different archaeologists believing that information should be interpreted in different ways...
and methods, and on the relationship between the study of the past and contemporary global political, cultural and economic issues. He received a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in archaeology from the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
in 1982 and after taking his PhD in archaeology and history at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
taught at the universities of Cambridge, Oxford and Reading. Since 2001 he has been Director of the Research Centre for Late Antique and Byzantine Studies
Byzantine studies
Byzantine studies is an interdisciplinary branch of the humanities that addresses the history, culture, costumes, religion, art, such as literature and music, science, economy, and politics of the Byzantine Empire. The discipline's founder in Germany is considered to be the philologist Hieronymus...
at the University of Reading
University of Reading
The University of Reading is a university in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. The University was established in 1892 as University College, Reading and received its Royal Charter in 1926. It is based on several campuses in, and around, the town of Reading.The University has a long tradition...
and, since 1996, Chair of the Late Antiquity Research Group. He holds honorary professorships from several European and American universities, has written numerous books and academic articles and has directed and co-directed many excavations and survey projects, both in Britain and the Middle East including in Istanbul (Turkey) – where since 2004 he has co-directed a new archaeological study of the famous Byzantine church of Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey...
and its environs – and in and around Nazareth
Nazareth
Nazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...
(Israel). He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
and an elected member of the Royal Institute of International Affairs.
Books
Byzantine Pottery, Stroud, 2001Britain and the End of the Roman Empire, Stroud, 2001
The Waves of Time, London and New York, 1998
The Landscape of Roman Britain, Stroud, 1997 (Co-author, Petra Dark)
Theoretical Archaeology, London and New York, 1995 (Chinese and Japanese translations were published in 2004 and 2006).
Civitas to Kingdom, London, 1994
Discovery By Design, Oxford, 1994
Selected single-author academic papers since 2000:
‘The Roman-Period and Byzantine Landscape between Sepphoris and Nazareth’, Palestine Exploration Quarterly 140.2, 2008, 1-16.
‘Roman Architecture in the Great Palace of the Byzantine Emperors at Constantinople During the Sixth to Ninth Centuries’ Byzantion 77, 87-105
‘Globalizing Late Antiquity. Models, metaphors and the realities of long-distance trade and diplomacy’, in A.L.Harris (ed.), Incipient Globalization? Long-distance trade in the sixth century AD, Oxford, 2007, 3-14
‘The Byzantine Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Baptistery of Church of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul’ (Co-author), Architectura 2, 2006, 113-30.
'Archaeology and the Origins of Insular Monasticism' Kathleen Hughes Memorial Lecture 5, for 2004, 2006, Cambridge
'The eastern harbours of Early Byzantine Constantinople’, Byzantion 75, 2005, 152-63.
‘The archaeological implications of fourth- and fifth-century descriptions of villas in the northwest provinces of the Roman Empire’, Historia 54/3, 2005, 331-42.
‘Late Antique Landscapes in Britain’, in S.Scott and N.Christie (eds), Landscapes of Change, London, 2005, 279-99.
‘Houses, Streets and Shops in Byzantine Constantinople from the fifth to the twelfth centuries’, Journal of Medieval History 30, 2004, 83-107.
‘Proto-industrialization and the economy of the Roman Empire’, in M.Polfer (ed.), L'Artisanat Romain: évolutions, continuités et ruptures. Actes due 2e Coloque d'Erpeldange 26-28 Octobre 2001 (Instrumentum monograph 20), Montagnac, 2001, 19-29.
Other sources
- Ken Dark: Nazareth Archaeology Project 2007.Field Work, Travel, and Research Reports: Byzantium.http://www.byzantium.ac.uk/frameset_fieldwork.htm
- Ken Dark.Contemporary Authors: A Bio-Bibliographical Guide to Current Writers in Fiction, General Nonfiction, Poetry, Journalism, Drama, Motion Pictures, Television, and Other fields (Thomson Gale: 2008)
- Hammond, Norman. How Roman Britain went on and on. The Times. 17 April 1998. http://www.arcl.ed.ac.uk/a1/stoppress/stop332.htm