Marek Zvelebil
Encyclopedia
Marek Zvelebil, FSA
(1952–2011) was a Czech
-Dutch
archaeologist
and prehistorian
, considered amongst "the most important and influential archaeological thinkers of his generation".
Kamil Zvelebil
, Zvelebil left his birth city of Prague
with his family in 1968 following the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. The family first lived in the United States
before returning to Europe and settling in the Netherlands. Zvelebil however studied in Oxford
, England
, and went on to gain a BA in Archaeology from Sheffield University and a PhD from the University of Cambridge
, where he was one of the last students of Grahame Clark. Marek then taught at the University of South Carolina
before returning to Sheffield in 1981 as a Research Fellow, later holding the positions of Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Reader and finally Professor of European Prehistory. Overall he spent thirty years at Sheffield, with spells as a visiting professor at several institutions across Europe and North America.
Zvelebil's primary research interest was in the European Mesolithic
and Mesolithic-Neolithic
transition, particularly in the Baltic region
. His PhD research was on the transition to farming in Finland
and the eastern Baltic. Over the course of his career he wrote or edited more than a hundred scholarly works, including seminal papers such as Hunters in Transition (1986) and “Plant Use in the Mesolithic and its role in the transition to farming” (1994). The latter, published in the Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society was awarded the R. M. Baguley Prize. With the collapse of the Soviet Union
in 1989, Zvelebil was able to extend his research, looking at early farming cultures in eastern Europe and Siberia
n hunter-gatherer peoples. His field research included a co-directed major project in southeastern Ireland, as well as the Sheffield Department of Archaeology's long-running project in the Outer Hebrides
.
Zvelebil died on 7 July 2011, at the age of 59.
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...
(1952–2011) was a Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
-Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
archaeologist
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...
and prehistorian
Prehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
, considered amongst "the most important and influential archaeological thinkers of his generation".
Biography
The son of IndologistIndology
Indology is the academic study of the history and cultures, languages, and literature of the Indian subcontinent , and as such is a subset of Asian studies....
Kamil Zvelebil
Kamil Zvelebil
Kamil Václav Zvelebil was a distinguished Czech scholar in Indian literature and linguistics, notably Tamil, Sanskrit, Dravidian linguistics and literature and philology.- Biography :...
, Zvelebil left his birth city of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
with his family in 1968 following the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. The family first lived in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
before returning to Europe and settling in the Netherlands. Zvelebil however studied in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and went on to gain a BA in Archaeology from Sheffield University and a PhD from 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...
, where he was one of the last students of Grahame Clark. Marek then taught at the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
before returning to Sheffield in 1981 as a Research Fellow, later holding the positions of Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Reader and finally Professor of European Prehistory. Overall he spent thirty years at Sheffield, with spells as a visiting professor at several institutions across Europe and North America.
Zvelebil's primary research interest was in the European Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
and Mesolithic-Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
transition, particularly in the Baltic region
Baltic region
The terms Baltic region, Baltic Rim countries, and Baltic Rim refer to slightly different combinations of countries in the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea.- Etymology :...
. His PhD research was on the transition to farming in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and the eastern Baltic. Over the course of his career he wrote or edited more than a hundred scholarly works, including seminal papers such as Hunters in Transition (1986) and “Plant Use in the Mesolithic and its role in the transition to farming” (1994). The latter, published in the Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society was awarded the R. M. Baguley Prize. With the collapse of the Soviet Union
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...
in 1989, Zvelebil was able to extend his research, looking at early farming cultures in eastern Europe and Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
n hunter-gatherer peoples. His field research included a co-directed major project in southeastern Ireland, as well as the Sheffield Department of Archaeology's long-running project in the Outer Hebrides
Outer Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides also known as the Western Isles and the Long Island, is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The islands are geographically contiguous with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland...
.
Zvelebil died on 7 July 2011, at the age of 59.
Selected bibliography
- Archaeology Yesterday and Today: The Development of Archaeology in the Sciences and Humanities by Zdenek Vasicek, Jaroslav Malina and Marek Zvelebil (Hardcover - 26 Oct 1990)
- Harvesting the Sea, Farming the Forest: Emergence of Neolithic Societies in the Baltic Region (Sheffield Archaeological Monographs) by Marek Zvelebil, R.W. Dennell and Lucyna Domanska (Hardcover - 1 May 1998)
- Hunters in Transition: Mesolithic Societies of Temperate Eurasia and their Transition to Farming (New Directions in Archaeology) by Marek Zvelebil (Paperback - 18 Jun 2009)