Julian Thomas
Encyclopedia
Julian Stewart Thomas is a British archaeologist
, publishing widely on the Neolithic
and Bronze Age
prehistory
of Britain and north-west Europe. Thomas has been Vice President of the Royal Anthropological Institute since 2007, is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London
, has been Professor of Archaeology at the University of Manchester
since 2000, and is former Secretary of the World Archaeological Congress
. Thomas is, perhaps, best known as the author of numerous academic publications, Understanding the Neolithic in particular, and for his work with the Stonehenge Riverside Project
.
, Surrey
, Thomas studied archaeology at the University of Bradford
– where he was awarded a Bachelor of Technology (BTech)
in Archaeological science
in 1981 – before transferring to the University of Sheffield
and achieving a Master of Arts (M.A.)
(in 1982), and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
(in 1986), for his research on the "social and economic change in the Neolithic of Wessex and the Upper Thames valley".
Between 1987 and 2000 Thomas was a lecturer in archaeology at the University of Wales, Lampeter
(1987–1993) and at Southampton University (1994–2000). Thomas worked with Historic Scotland
between 1994 and 2002, excavating prehistoric sites in Dumfries
and Galloway
as "Director of archaeological excavations of Neolithic and later prehistoric sites" – the record of which was published as Place and Memory: Excavations at the Pict's Knowe, Holywood and Holm Farm in 2007.
Originally published as Rethinking the Neolithic in 1991, Thomas revised his "groundbreaking" work, which was republished as Understanding the Neolithic in 1999. The book challenged the conventionally held view that human lifestyles transformed universally in Great Britain
, from Mesolithic
hunter-gatherer
s to Neolithic farmers – a process known as the 'Neolithic Revolution
'– through interpretive analysis of "social theory, anthropology and critical hermeneutics".
Between 1994 and 1999 Thomas was Secretary of the World Archaeological Congress
and became Academic Series Editor (a pro bono (unpaid) position held jointly with Martin Hall
) of the Routledge
series Themes in Archaeology – which moved to Left Coast Press as the One World Archaeology Series in 2008. Ten books in the series were published during their tenure – between 2000 and 2005.
Thomas took up the Chair of Archaeology at Manchester University in April 2000, a position he still holds.
Thomas is co-director of the Stonehenge Riverside Project
– a collaborative archaeological study begun in 2003 as a consortium of university teams, funded by the AHRC
and the National Geographic Society
. During excavations of sites surrounding Stonehenge
– including Stonehenge Cursus
, the Avenue
and Woodhenge
– Thomas found evidence of a large settlement of Neolithic houses, at Durrington Walls
, nearby and discovered the prehistoric henge
and stone circle
, known as "Bluestonehenge
", on the west bank of the Avon. Thomas speculates that the 25 bluestone
s at Stonehenge
– originating in the Preseli Hills
, 250 kilometres (155.3 mi) away in modern day Pembrokeshire
, Wales
– stood in a circle, surrounded by a henge
, at Bluestonehenge
for around 500 years before being dismantled and moved to their current location around 2500 BCE
.
Thomas has been Vice President of the Royal Anthropological Institute since his election in 2007 and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London
(also since 2007).
Thomas is married to Catherine, and has two daughters – Morag and Rowan.and two step-daughters Lucie and Anna
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...
, publishing widely on the 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...
and Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
prehistory
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...
of Britain and north-west Europe. Thomas has been Vice President of the Royal Anthropological Institute since 2007, 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...
, has been Professor of Archaeology at the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
since 2000, and is former Secretary of the World Archaeological Congress
World Archaeological Congress
The World Archaeological Congress is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization which promotes world archaeology. It is the only global archaeological organisation with elected representation....
. Thomas is, perhaps, best known as the author of numerous academic publications, Understanding the Neolithic in particular, and for his work with the Stonehenge Riverside Project
Stonehenge Riverside Project
The Stonehenge Riverside Project is a major AHRC-funded archaeological research study of the development of the Stonehenge landscape in Neolithic and Bronze Age Britain...
.
Education
Born in EpsomEpsom
Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England. Small parts of Epsom are in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The town is located south-south-west of Charing Cross, within the Greater London Urban Area. The town lies on the chalk downland of Epsom Downs.-History:Epsom lies...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, Thomas studied archaeology at the University of Bradford
University of Bradford
The University of Bradford is a British university located in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The University received its Royal Charter in 1966, making it the 40th University to be created in Britain, but its origins date back to the early 1800s...
– where he was awarded a Bachelor of Technology (BTech)
Bachelor of Technology
The Bachelor of Technology is an undergraduate academic degree conferred after completion of a three or four year program of studies at an accredited university or accredited university-level institution...
in Archaeological science
Archaeological science
Archaeological science, also known as archaeometry, consists of the application of scientific techniques to the analysis of archaeological materials. Archaeometry is now considered its own scientific field. The UK's Natural and Environmental Research Council provides funding for archaeometry...
in 1981 – before transferring to the University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
and achieving a Master of Arts (M.A.)
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
(in 1982), and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
(in 1986), for his research on the "social and economic change in the Neolithic of Wessex and the Upper Thames valley".
Career
University of Wales, Lampeter
University of Wales, Lampeter is a university in Lampeter, Wales. Founded in 1822 by royal charter, it is the oldest degree awarding institution in Wales and may be the third oldest in England and Wales after Oxford and Cambridge...
(1987–1993) and at Southampton University (1994–2000). Thomas worked with Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for historic monuments in Scotland.-Role:As its website states:...
between 1994 and 2002, excavating prehistoric sites in Dumfries
Dumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
and Galloway
Galloway
Galloway is an area in southwestern Scotland. It usually refers to the former counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire...
as "Director of archaeological excavations of Neolithic and later prehistoric sites" – the record of which was published as Place and Memory: Excavations at the Pict's Knowe, Holywood and Holm Farm in 2007.
Originally published as Rethinking the Neolithic in 1991, Thomas revised his "groundbreaking" work, which was republished as Understanding the Neolithic in 1999. The book challenged the conventionally held view that human lifestyles transformed universally in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, from 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....
hunter-gatherer
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
s to Neolithic farmers – a process known as the 'Neolithic Revolution
Neolithic Revolution
The Neolithic Revolution was the first agricultural revolution. It was the transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture and settlement. Archaeological data indicates that various forms of plants and animal domestication evolved independently in 6 separate locations worldwide circa...
'– through interpretive analysis of "social theory, anthropology and critical hermeneutics".
Between 1994 and 1999 Thomas was Secretary of the World Archaeological Congress
World Archaeological Congress
The World Archaeological Congress is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization which promotes world archaeology. It is the only global archaeological organisation with elected representation....
and became Academic Series Editor (a pro bono (unpaid) position held jointly with Martin Hall
Martin Hall (academic)
Professor Martin Hall is a British-South African academic and educationalist who has written extensively on South African history, culture and higher education policy...
) of the Routledge
Routledge
Routledge is a British publishing house which has operated under a succession of company names and latterly as an academic imprint. Its origins may be traced back to the 19th-century London bookseller George Routledge...
series Themes in Archaeology – which moved to Left Coast Press as the One World Archaeology Series in 2008. Ten books in the series were published during their tenure – between 2000 and 2005.
Thomas took up the Chair of Archaeology at Manchester University in April 2000, a position he still holds.
Thomas is co-director of the Stonehenge Riverside Project
Stonehenge Riverside Project
The Stonehenge Riverside Project is a major AHRC-funded archaeological research study of the development of the Stonehenge landscape in Neolithic and Bronze Age Britain...
– a collaborative archaeological study begun in 2003 as a consortium of university teams, funded by the AHRC
Arts and Humanities Research Council
Established in April 2005 as successor to the Arts and Humanities Research Board, the Arts and Humanities Research Council is a British Research Council and non-departmental public body that provides approximately £102 million from the Government to support research and postgraduate study in the...
and the National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
. During excavations of sites surrounding Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
– including Stonehenge Cursus
Stonehenge Cursus
The Stonehenge Cursus is a large Neolithic cursus monument next to Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England....
, the Avenue
Stonehenge Avenue
Stonehenge Avenue is an ancient avenue marked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discovered in the 18th century, it measures nearly 3 kilometers, connecting Stonehenge with the River Avon...
and Woodhenge
Woodhenge
Woodhenge is a Neolithic Class I henge and timber circle monument located in the Stonehenge World Heritage Site in Wiltshire, England. It is north-east of Stonehenge in the parish of Durrington, just north of Amesbury.-Discovery:...
– Thomas found evidence of a large settlement of Neolithic houses, at Durrington Walls
Durrington Walls
Durrington Walls is the site of a large Neolithic settlement and later henge enclosure located in the Stonehenge World Heritage Site. It is 2 miles north-east of Stonehenge in the parish of Durrington, just north of Amesbury...
, nearby and discovered the prehistoric henge
Henge
There are three related types of Neolithic earthwork which are all sometimes loosely called henges. The essential characteristic of all three types is that they feature a ring bank and ditch but with the ditch inside the bank rather than outside...
and stone circle
Stone circle
A stone circle is a monument of standing stones arranged in a circle. Such monuments have been constructed across the world throughout history for many different reasons....
, known as "Bluestonehenge
Bluestonehenge
"Bluestonehenge" or "Bluehenge" is a prehistoric henge and stone circle monument that was discovered by the Stonehenge Riverside Project about south-east of Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England...
", on the west bank of the Avon. Thomas speculates that the 25 bluestone
Bluestone
Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including:*a feldspathic sandstone in the U.S. and Canada;*limestone in the Shenandoah Valley in the U.S...
s at Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
– originating in the Preseli Hills
Preseli Hills
The Preseli Hills or Preseli Mountains are a range of hills in north Pembrokeshire, West Wales...
, 250 kilometres (155.3 mi) away in modern day Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
– stood in a circle, surrounded by a henge
Henge
There are three related types of Neolithic earthwork which are all sometimes loosely called henges. The essential characteristic of all three types is that they feature a ring bank and ditch but with the ditch inside the bank rather than outside...
, at Bluestonehenge
Bluestonehenge
"Bluestonehenge" or "Bluehenge" is a prehistoric henge and stone circle monument that was discovered by the Stonehenge Riverside Project about south-east of Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England...
for around 500 years before being dismantled and moved to their current location around 2500 BCE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
.
Thomas has been Vice President of the Royal Anthropological Institute since his election in 2007 and 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...
(also since 2007).
Thomas is married to Catherine, and has two daughters – Morag and Rowan.and two step-daughters Lucie and Anna
Sole author
- Rethinking the Neolithic (1991), revised and republished as Understanding the Neolithic (1999)
- Time, Culture and Identity: An Interpretive Archaeology (1998)
- Archaeology and Modernity (2004)
Co–author
- Writing the past in the present (1990) by Frederick BakerFrederick BakerFrederick Douglas Stephan "Fred" Baker is an Austrian-British filmmaker and film producer.He was born in Salzburg, was brought up in London, and studied Anthropology and Archaeology at St John’s College, Cambridge, Tübingen and Sheffield Universities, finishing with a Master of Philosophy.He...
, Julian Thomas - Anglesey archaeological landscape project: second interim report 1991 (1992) by Mark Edmonds, Julian Thomas, Matthew Johnson, St. David's University CollegeUniversity of Wales, LampeterUniversity of Wales, Lampeter is a university in Lampeter, Wales. Founded in 1822 by royal charter, it is the oldest degree awarding institution in Wales and may be the third oldest in England and Wales after Oxford and Cambridge...
, (LampeterLampeterLampeter is a town in Ceredigion, South West Wales, lying at the confluence of the River Teifi and the Afon Dulas.-Demographics:At the 2001 National Census, the population was 2894. Lampeter is therefore the smallest university town in both Wales and the United Kingdom...
, Wales), Department of Archaeology - Place and Memory: Excavations at the Pict's Knowe, Holywood and Holm Farm by Julian Thomas, Matt Leivers, Julia Roberts, Rick Peterson
- Overcoming the modern invention of material culture: proceedings of the TAG session, Exeter 2006 (2007) by Vítor Oliveira Jorge, Julian Thomas, Theoretical Archaeology Group (England). Conference
Editor or co–editor
- Interpretive archaeology: a reader (2000), edited by Julian Thomas
- Destruction and conservation of cultural property (2001), edited by Robert Layton, Julian Thomas, Peter G. Stone
- Neolithic enclosures in Atlantic northwest Europe (2001), edited by Timothy Darvill, Julian Thomas
- Handbook of landscape archaeology (2008) edited by Bruno David, Julian Thomas
Chapters in books
- 'Some Problems with the Notion of External Symbolic Storage, and the case of Neolithic Material Culture in Britain', Cognition and Culture: The Archaeology of External Symbolic Storage (1998)
- 'The identity of place in Neolithic Britain: examples from south-west Scotland', Neolithic Orkney in its European Context (2000)
- 'Reconfiguring the social, reconfiguring the material', Social Theory in Archaeology (2000)
- 'Intersecting landscapes', Contested Landscapes: Movement, Exile and Place (2001)
- 'Archaeologies of Place and Landscape', Archaeological Theory Today (2001)
- 'Taking power seriously', The Dynamics of Power (2002)
- 'Archaeology's humanism and the materiality of the body', Thinking Through the Body (2002)
- 'In the Kinship of Cows: the Social Centrality of Cattle in the Earlier Neolithic of Southern Britain', Food, Culture and Identity in the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age (2003)
- 'The ritual universe', Scotland in Ancient Europe (2004)
- 'The later Neolithic architectural repertoire: the case of the Dunragit complex', Monuments and Material Culture: Papers on Neolithic and Bronze Age Britain in Honour of Isobel Smith (2004)
- 'The great dark book: archaeology, experience and interpretation', A Companion to Archaeology (2004)
- 'Notions of the person', Archaeology: The Key Concepts (2004)
- 'Materiality, authenticity, and skilled engagement: a commentary', Archaeology and Performance (2004)
- 'Materiality and traditions of practice in Neolithic south-west Scotland', The Neolithic of the Irish Sea: Materiality and Traditions of Practice (2004)
- 'Identity, power and material culture in Neolithic Britain', Cultural Diversity and the Archaeology of the 21st Century (2004)
- 'Archaeology, modernity and society', Cultural Diversity and the Archaeology of the 21st Century (2004)
- 'Materiality and the social', Global Archaeological Theory: Contextual Voices and Contemporary Thoughts (2005)
- 'Ceremonies of the horsemen? From megalithic tombs to Beaker burials in prehistoric Europe', Bell Beakers in the Iberian Peninsula and Their European Context (2005)
- 'Phenomenology and material culture', Handbook of Material Culture (2006)
- 'The Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in Britain', Prehistoric Britain (2008)
- 'Archaeology, landscape and dwelling', Handbook of Landscape Archaeology (2008)
- 'Sigmund Freud's Archaeological Metaphor and Archaeology's Self-understanding', Contemporary Archaeologies: Excavating Now (2009)
Journal articles
- "The socio-semiotics of material culture", Journal of Material Culture (1998)
- "Death, identity and the body in Neolithic Britain", Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute (2000)
- "Thoughts on the 'repacked? Neolithic revolution' ", Antiquity (2003)
- "Recent debates on the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in Britain and Ireland", Documenta Praehistorica (2004)
- "Archaeology's place in modernity", Modernism/Modernity (2004)
- "Between 'material qualities' and 'materiality' " Archaeometry (2005)
- "Ambiguous symbols: why there were no figurines in Neolithic Britain", Documenta Prehistorica (2005)
- "On the origins and development of cursus monuments in Britain", Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society (2006)
- "Gene-flows and social processes: the potential of genetics and archaeology", Documenta Prehistorica (2006)
- "From dwelling to building", Journal of Iberian Archaeology (2006)
- "A reply to Christopher Witmore, Håkon Glørstad, Søren Kjørup and Ola W. Jensen", Norwegian Archaeological Review (2006)
- "The trouble with material culture", Journal of Iberian Archaeology (2007)
- "Mesolithic-Neolithic transitions in Britain: from essence to inhabitation", Proceedings of the British Academy (2007)
- "Comments on ‘Past Practices: Rethinking Individuals and Agents in Archaeology’ by A. B. Knapp and P. van Dommelen", Cambridge Archaeological Journal (2008)
Other
- Proposals for a tunnel at Stonehenge: an assessment of the alternatives (1999), report to the World Archaeological Congress Executive by Robert Layton and Julian Thomas.