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Barry CunliffeBritish archaeologist
Date of Birth: 10.12.1939
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
- Barry Cunliffe: A Renowned British Archaeologist
- Academic Career
- Important Excavations
- Expertise and Legacy
Barry Cunliffe: A Renowned British Archaeologist
Early Life and EducationBarry Cunliffe's passion for archaeology ignited at the tender age of nine when he stumbled upon Roman ruins on his uncle's farm in Somerset. He received his formal education at Portsmouth Northern Grammar School (now Mayfield School) and went on to pursue degrees in archaeology and anthropology at the University of Cambridge.
Academic Career
After teaching archaeology and anthropology at Cambridge University, Cunliffe was appointed as a lecturer at the University of Bristol in 1963. He actively participated in the exploration and excavation of Roman ruins near the city of Bath. In 1966, he became a remarkably young professor at the newly founded Department of Archaeology at the University of Southampton.
Important Excavations
Cunliffe's notable excavations include the Roman palace at Fishbourne, Sussex (1961-68). From 1969 to 1988, he led extensive summer excavations of the Iron Age hillfort at Danebury, Hampshire. He later initiated the Danebury Environs Programme from 1989 to 1995.
Expertise and Legacy
Cunliffe is renowned for his expertise in the archaeology of Atlantic Europe during the Iron Age, particularly the Celtic world, and ancient Rome. He held the position of Professor of European Archaeology at the University of Oxford from 1972 to 2007, becoming an emeritus professor after his retirement. Cunliffe's influential works have significantly contributed to our understanding of prehistoric and Roman Britain.
