Tim Darvill
Encyclopedia
Timothy Darvill is an English archaeologist and author, best known for his publications on prehistoric Britain and his excavations in England, Wales, and the Isle of Man. He is Professor of Archaeology in the School of Applied Sciences at Bournemouth University in England. Timothy Darvill is recognized as one of the leading authorities on Stonehenge and the British Neolithic. In April 2008 he co-directed excavations within Stonehenge, together with Professor Geoffrey Wainwright
, to examine the early stone structures on the site. The work featured heavily in a BBC Timewatch programme which examined the theory that Stonehenge was a prehistoric centre of healing. He was appointed OBE in the 2010 Queen’s Birthday Honours.
. After completing a PhD at Southampton University
on the Neolithic of Wales and the west of England
, he worked for the Western Archaeological Trust and the Council for British Archaeology
before establishing a private practice offering consultancy services in the field of archaeological resource management. He was appointed to the Chair of Archaeology in the newly-established archaeology group at Bournemouth Polytechnic (now Bournemouth University) in October 1991 and between 2007 and 2010 was Director of the Centre for Archaeology, Anthropology and Heritage. The author of over twenty books and more than 200 papers and articles, he has served as Chairman of the Institute of Field Archaeologists, Vice-President of the Society of Antiquaries of London
, and was a Member of the Council of the National Trust
. He is currently chairman of the board of directors of Cotswold Archaeology and a Vice-President of the Royal Archaeological Institute
. His current research interests focus on archaeological resource management and the Neolithic of northwest Europe.
and has continued to contribute to the local archaeology scene including being chairman of Cotswold Archaeology. He is a keen guitarist and plays lead guitar
in a band consisting of himself and several other archaeologists.
The Long Barrows of the Cotswolds and Surrounding Areas (Tempus, 2004)
Stonehenge, view of
Darvill’s theories on the use of Stonehenge as a healing site and his excavations there with Professor Geoffey Wainwright have attracted a lot of attention in the press, including
Geoffrey Wainwright
Geoffrey Wainwright is a British Methodist theologian.Born in Monk Bretton, Barnsley, Yorkshire, England, in 1939, Geoffrey Wainwright is an ordained minister of the British Methodist Church. He received his university education in Cambridge, Geneva and Rome. He holds the Dr. Théol. degree from...
, to examine the early stone structures on the site. The work featured heavily in a BBC Timewatch programme which examined the theory that Stonehenge was a prehistoric centre of healing. He was appointed OBE in the 2010 Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Career
Darvill is Professor of Archaeology in the School of Applied Sciences at Bournemouth UniversityBournemouth University
Bournemouth University is a university in and around the large south coast town of Bournemouth, UK...
. After completing a PhD at Southampton University
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
on the Neolithic of Wales and the west of England
West of England
The West of England is a loose and locationally unspecific term sometimes given to the area surrounding the city and county of Bristol, England, and also sometimes applied more widely and in other parts of South West England.-Use in the Bristol area:...
, he worked for the Western Archaeological Trust and the Council for British Archaeology
Council for British Archaeology
Established in 1944, the is an educational charity working throughout the UK to involve people in archaeology and to promote the appreciation and care of the historic environment for the benefit of present and future generations...
before establishing a private practice offering consultancy services in the field of archaeological resource management. He was appointed to the Chair of Archaeology in the newly-established archaeology group at Bournemouth Polytechnic (now Bournemouth University) in October 1991 and between 2007 and 2010 was Director of the Centre for Archaeology, Anthropology and Heritage. The author of over twenty books and more than 200 papers and articles, he has served as Chairman of the Institute of Field Archaeologists, Vice-President 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 was a Member of the Council of the National Trust
National Trust
National Trust most commonly refers to an organization dedicated to preserving the cultural or environmental treasures of a particular geographic region. They generally operate as private non-profit organizations, although some receive considerable support from their national government...
. He is currently chairman of the board of directors of Cotswold Archaeology and a Vice-President of the Royal Archaeological Institute
Royal Archaeological Institute
The Royal Archaeological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland is a learned society, established in 1844, primarily devoted to the publication of the Archaeological Journal, a production of archaeological news that has been in print since 1844....
. His current research interests focus on archaeological resource management and the Neolithic of northwest Europe.
Personal life
Darvill was born and raised in the CotswoldsCotswolds
The Cotswolds are a range of hills in west-central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, an area across and long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
and has continued to contribute to the local archaeology scene including being chairman of Cotswold Archaeology. He is a keen guitarist and plays lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
in a band consisting of himself and several other archaeologists.
Select bibliography
- New Approaches to our Past: an archaeological forum (edited with M. Parker Pearson, R. Smith and R. Thomas. Southampton University Archaeological Society, 1978)
- Megalithic Chambered Tombs of the Cotswold Severn Region (Vorda, 1982)
- Prehistoric Gloucestershire (Alan Sutton, 1987)
- Ancient Monuments in the Countryside (English Heritage, 1987)
- Prehistoric Britain (Batsford, 1987; Yale University Press 1987; Routledge 1996)
- Cirencester: town and landscape (with Christopher Gerrard. Cotswold Archaeological Trust, 1994)
- Planning for the Past: an assessment of archaeological assessments 1982-91 (with Stephen Burrow and Deborah-Anne Wildgust. English Heritage, 1995)
- Prehistoric Britain from the Air (Cambridge University Press, 1996)
- Neolithic Houses in Northwest Europe and Beyond (edited with Julian Thomas. Oxbow Books, 1996)
- Making English Landscapes (edited with Katherine Barker. Oxbow Books, 1997)
- MARS: The Monuments at Risk Survey of England 1995 (with Andrew Fulton. Bournemouth University and English Heritage 1998)
- The Cerne Giant: an antiquity on trial (with Katherine Barker, Barbara Bender, and Ronald Hutton. Oxbow Books, 1999)
- Prehistory: a teacher’s guide (with Mike Corbishley and Peter Stone. English Heritage, 2000)
- Anglo-Russian Archaeology Seminar: recording systems for archaeological projects (edited with Gennadii Afanas’ev and Eileen Wilkes. Bournemouth University and the Institute of Archaeology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 2000) ISBN 1858991048
- One Land, Many Landscapes (edited with Martin Gojda. British Archaeological Reports International Series, 2001)
- Neolithic Enclosures in Atlantic Northwest Europe (edited with Julian Thomas. Oxbow Books, 2001)
- The Archaeology of the Uplands (CBA and Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments of England, 1986)
- Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (Oxford University Press, 2002)
- --do.-- Second edition. 2008
- Oxford Guide to Archaeological Sites in England (with Paul Stamper and Jane Timby. Oxford University Press, 2002)
- Megaliths from Antiquity (Antiquity Papers 3. Edited with Caroline Malone. Antiquity Publications, Cambridge, 2003)
The Long Barrows of the Cotswolds and Surrounding Areas (Tempus, 2004)
- Heritage of Value: archaeology of renown (edited with Clay Mathers and Barbara Little. University Press of Florida, 2005)
- Stonehenge World Heritage Site: an archaeological research framework (English Heritage and Bournemouth University, 2005)
- Stonehenge: the biography of a landscape (Tempus, 2006)
- Prehistoric Britain (Routledge, 2010)
External links
Recent interviews and reports on current research projects include:- Paul Devereaux on the meaning of Preseli bluestones http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/berg/tmdj/2008/00000001/00000002/art00004
- Mike Pitts in British Archaeology big dig at Stonehenge http://www.britarch.ac.uk/ba/ba102/feat4.shtml
- Andrew Selkirk in Current Archaeology on work at Stonehenge in spring 2008 http://www.archaeology.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1606&Itemid=26
- Chris Catling in the Society of Antiquaries’ newsletter Salon http://www.sal.org.uk/salon/index_html?id=832#section8
Stonehenge, view of
Darvill’s theories on the use of Stonehenge as a healing site and his excavations there with Professor Geoffey Wainwright have attracted a lot of attention in the press, including