Excavations and other fieldwork
Rome, Italy (September 2005): study of medieval buildings and imported pottery from Islamic lands.
Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi (monastery of St. Moses the Abyssinian), near Nabk, north of Damascus, Syria (August-September 2004; August-September 2005): study of excavated medieval pottery and other finds, archaeological field reconnaissance; study of monuments and finds at Palmyra.
Amalfi, Italy (August-September 2003): study of in-situ medieval mosaics made with tesserae of pottery made in the Middle East, and Middle-Eastern pottery from excavations.
Tell al-Acharneh, Syria (May-June 2002): study of excavated medieval pottery and other finds, and military architecture. Study of military architecture and pottery from excavations at Masyaf, Hama; architecture at Damascus.
Aleppo, Syria (September 1998; August-September 1999; August-September 2000; August-September 2001): Study of pottery from excavations in Citadel, and the military architecture. Study of military architecture at Qal'at Salah al-Din, Marqab, Shayzar, Qal'at al-Hisn (Crac de Chevaliers), Tartus, Qal'at Ja'bar, Marqab, Abu Qobays, Rasafa, Qal'at Seman, Qal'at Najm, Harim. Study of traditional industry in Aleppo (ironworking) and Armanaz (pottery and glass).
Iran (August-September 1996): Study of sherd collections from excavations at Tehran, Nishapur, Mashhad and Isfahan; monuments at Nishapur, Mashhad, Kashan, Natanz, Varamin and Isfahan; study of traditional potters at Isfahan (Shahreza) and Natanz; and examination of raw materials at Kashan, Nishapur, Shahreza and Natanz.
Central Asia (March-April 1989): Study of sherd collections from excavations at Samarqand, Tashkent, Khorezm, Penjikent and Ribat-i Malik; and monuments at Samarqand, Afrasiyab and Penjikent.
Zabid, Yemen (November 1987-January 1988): Site supervisor and project geologist. Excavations of urban settlement (9th-17th century AD), suburban villa (12th-14th century AD) and kiln site (9th-10th century AD); field survey of rural to urban sites 5th to 20th centuries AD; examination of raw materials for ceramic industry; study of traditional potters; study of monuments at Zabid and Sana'a.
Calgary, Alberta (October 1981) Site assistant. Prehistoric settlement and buffalo-kill sites. Arguably the lowest point in my life, until the last 4 months of 2005.
Six Dials excavations, Southampton, U.K. (May 1981-August 1981 and October 1979-June 1980) Site assistant/area supervisor. Important mid-Saxon (8th-9th century AD) urban site of Hamwih
Melbourne Street excavations, Southampton, U.K. (July 1980-April 1981): Assistant site supervisor-acting supervisor. Multi-period site, ranging from Late Bronze Age (circa 8th century BC) settlement; through Iron Age (1st century BC) industrial; and late Saxon urban (10th-11th century AD), to motte-and-bailey type castle (11th century AD to present).
Launceston Castle, Launceston U.K. (September 1979): Site assistant. Medieval motte-and-bailey type castle.
Westgate site excavations, Southampton, U.K. (April 1979-August 1979) Site assistant. Chiefly of important Late-Saxon to medieval urban site of Southampton, with some prehistoric traces.
Hofuf, Saudi Arabia (December 1977) ok, this was actually just a holiday visiting my parents, but it was my first trip to the Middle East!
"Hamwih" excavations, Southampton, U.K. (summers of 1974, 1975, 1976). Very young site assistant on important Anglo-Saxon site!
A fresco from an earlier phase of the duomo at Amalfi, preserved within a wall of a later phase; a testament to miraculous survival!
Zabid, Yemen, excavations, with workmen, 1988 (photo courtesy Ed Keall)
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