An Intellectual Adventurer in Archaeology: Reflections on the work of Charles Thomas

Andy M. Jones

jun 2018 · Archaeopress Publishing Ltd

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Charles Thomas (1928-2016) was a Cornishman and archaeologist, whose career from the 1950s spanned nearly seven decades. This period saw major developments that underpin the structures of archaeology in Britain today, in many of which he played a pivotal part. He campaigned for the Chair of Cornish Studies at the University of Exeter, which he then held from 1972 until retirement, after teaching archaeology at Edinburgh and Leicester Universities.

The ‘Intellectual Adventure in Archaeology’ was to Charles the mental stimulation of developing narratives for the past, especially in the areas in which he was a leading authority, including the early church in Britain, the early medieval period more generally, and Cornish studies. The contributions to this volume demonstrate the extent to which his scholarship and character has underpinned the work of others, in Cornwall and beyond. Contributions come from life-long friends and from archaeologists at all of stages of their careers. Their subjects are predominantly Cornish, Gwithian, Tintagel and Scilly, but also range from Scotland to Southern France. The whole is brought to life by a series of Charles’ watercolours, previously unpublished.

The volume should appeal to all those interested in the development of archaeology in the later 20th century and of Cornwall from prehistory to its distinctive present.

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Andy Jones BA PhD FSA MCIfA is Principal Archaeologist with the Cornwall Archaeological Unit. His PhD focused on the Earlier Bronze Age barrow and monument complexes in Cornwall and South West Britain. His research interests include the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods, as well as the archaeology of the upland and coastal areas of western Britain. Significant publications include Settlement and Metalworking in the Middle Bronze Age and Beyond and Preserved in the Peat: an Extraordinary Bronze Age Burial on Whitehorse Hill, Dartmoor, and its Wider Context. He recently worked with Charles Thomas on the North Cliffs project.

Henrietta Quinnell BA FSA MCIfA was formerly Lecturer in Archaeology at the Department of Adult Education, Exeter University. Her acquaintance with the late Charles Thomas began in the late 1960s. She has worked in South West Britain ever since, is an authority on the prehistory of the region and has published extensively. She now works as a consultant for the region’s prehistoric ceramics.