Interview with Professor Andrew Reynolds

Please give us a brief description of your job at IoA

I am professor of medieval archaeology here at the IoA. I have been here since the 90s when I started as an undergraduate student. Currently I teach an introductory course to first year students in archaeology, which I enjoy immensely. I also teach a course on medieval archaeology to 2nd and 3rd years. I am involved in several research projects – currently in Britain and Spain - where I collaborate with fellow researchers, including my PhD students.

What is your current research project?

Medieval Europe is my main research field. I find it interesting because much of the structure of the modern landscape that we live in is based upon it. My research is interdisciplinary and involves working extensively with texts and place-names in combination witharchaeological evidence. I am currently researching public assemblies to understand social complexity in medieval times and I am just about to start a research project funded by the Leverhulme Trust on travel and communication in early medieval Britain.

What made you decide to study or work in archaeology?

I grew up in the Avebury region in south western England and being among the monoliths and barrows inspired me. That particular archaeological landscape has a deep impact if you spend a lot of time in it.

If you were to travel back in time, where would you go?

I would love to go back to the early middle ages, the 8th and 9th centuries, if only to see how far off the mark I am with my own work on the period, although to live back then might not be that enjoyable. It would also be great to visit the famous archaeological sites of the Avebury region when they were being built and used and to take snapshots of them all.

What you would you like to say to kids who want to be archaeologists in the future?

I’d say two things. First, archaeology is the only way that we can understand the past for the majority of the existence of humanity – and studying it goes along way to satisfying the inbuilt curiosity of the human mind. Second, is the remarkable value of an archaeological mind in whatever walk of life one ends up in. It truly makes one see the world differently, with insight, depth and inspiration.

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