Navigation menu

Leading archaeologists support the University's new Centre for the History of Archaeology

Many of the world's leading archaeologists have taken an active interest in or are pledging a part of their entire archive collection to the University of Kent's recently launched Centre for the History of Archaeology.

The History of Archaeology is an emerging field that aims to understand how archaeology and archaeological theory developed over time, permitting researchers to explore how the discipline contributes to knowledge about history, cultures and civilisations, as well as empowering those interested or involved to use archaeology more effectively.

The Centre, which was launched in March 2008, will house the archives of leading University of Cambridge archaeologists Professor Lord Colin Renfrew and Professor Anthony Snodgrass, as well as the slide archive of Professor Glyn Daniel - resources that will be used to promote research and teaching of the subject.

The advisory board, many of whom have also pledged a part or their entire archive collection to the Centre, includes: Professor Sir John Boardman, University of Oxford; Professor Kent Flannery, University of Michigan; Professor Ian Hodder, Stanford University; Sinclair Hood, University of Oxford; Professor Joyce Marcus, University of Michigan; Professor Paul Mellars, University of Cambridge; and Professor Ruth Tringham, University of California, alongside Professor Lord Renfrew and Professor Snodgrass from the University of Cambridge.

Financial support for the Centre has come from the Kent Alumni Trust and US-based organisations the Cotsen Family Trust and the Institute for Aegean Prehistory.

Dr Evangelos Kyriakidis, Lecturer in Aegean Prehistory at the University of Kent and Director of the Centre, said: 'We are delighted to launch the Centre which hosts such important collections for both research and teaching. As this is an understudied field within archaeology in relation to its importance, we hope that the Centre will act as the catalyst promoting research and fostering excellence in teaching.'

The official launch of the Centre took place with a lecture by Dr. Margarita Diaz-Andreu on Looking beyond texts: new approaches to writing the history of archaeology.

Dr Diaz-Andreu's lecture is available at: http://www.kent.ac.uk/secl/researchcentres/histarchaeology/index.html

Contact: mediaoffice@kent.ac.uk

Story published at 10:30am 15 May 2008