An Archaeologist?

To be completely honest, I was trained as an Ancient Historian, rather than an archaeologist, but as so often happens in life, circumstances seem to have dictated the outcome. Although my main interest is in the Roman period, I have dug holes in things ranging from the late Neolithic/early Bronze Age, through the Roman and medieval periods, to post-medieval ploughing (the last being a polite way of saying that sometimes I don't find anything of significance!). As a beginner, I dug on a range of sites in Britain, including the Roman fortresses at Usk and Caerleon (Gwent). I have been involved in field survey in Jordan and environmental sampling in the Inner Hebrides (Colonsay). I also learned how to be an archaeological illustrator... twice (I know, it seems greedy). In more recent years, I have directed excavations on the Roman fort at Chester-le-Street (Co. Durham), on the extramural settlement of the newly-discovered Flavian-period fort at Roecliffe (North Yorkshire), on a late Iron Age/early Roman rural settlement at Melton (East Yorkshire), on a late Roman rural site near Garforth (West Yorkshire), and on the civil settlement outside the Roman fort at Inveresk, near Edinburgh. I have also led tours of the monuments of Syria.

Excavations at Roecliffe, North Yorkshire, looking northwards towards the River Ure. The site of the new fort at Roecliffe lies off the left edge of the picture. Two box ramparts of the late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age met near the centre of the trench. Purpose: unknown! Ancient history and classics Bellum Catilinae Classics resources on the Web Archaeological links ROMARCH Roman resources on the Web ARGE Archaeological resources (of all periods) on the Web Internet Archaeology An archaeology journal on the Web Current Archaeology An archaeology journal on paper Roman military sites in Britain Just what it says, really

So much for the stuff that earns the crusts. But if you want to know what really interests me, why not take a look at part of the Roman site at Corbridge?

Any comments to mcbishop@pobox.com

This page was last updated on October 15th 1999

---

---