AGES

Archaeological, Geographical & Environmental Sciences

Prof Ian Armit

Professor of Archaeology

Archaeological Sciences

Room:	Phoenix SW 1.24
Tel:	(01274) 235342
Email:	I.Armit@Bradford.ac.uk

Ian Armit joined the University of Bradford in November 2006, having previously taught at Queen’s University Belfast (1999-2006). Before this, he worked as an Inspector of Ancient Monuments with Historic Scotland (1992-9). He has a first degree in Archaeology from the University of Edinburgh (1985), where he also obtained his PhD (1990). Professor Armit is module co-ordinator for Celts, Greeks and Romans, Celtic Europe, and the Final Year Dissertation, and contributes to a range of other modules. He directs a range of research projects and has been awarded research grants totalling around £1.1 million since 2001. Professor Armit is Director of Research for AGES.

Professional activities

• Chair of AHRC Culture and Heritage Fellowships Panel (2011); Member of the AHRC Peer Review Panel (Postgraduate) for Classics, Ancient History and Archaeology (2007-8), and AHRC Peer Review Panels for Standard Research Grants (2009), Collaborative Doctoral Awards (2010) and Fellowships (2011); Member of the AHRC Peer Review College (2007-present). Member of the International Assessment Board for the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme, 2009-present.
• Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London (FSA) and Scotland (FSAScot).
• Advisory and Review boards for E-Keltoi: Journal of Interdisciplinary Celtic Studies; Editorial board for the Journal of Conflict Archaeology and the Journal of the North Atlantic. Trustee/Board member for SCAPE (Scottish Coastal Archaeology & the Problem of Erosion)
• External examiner for undergraduate programmes: University of Bradford (2000-4), University of Newcastle (2004-6)
• External examiner for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes: University of Exeter (2009-present)
• Organiser of international conferences; Neolithic Settlement in Ireland and Western Britain (2001), and Warfare and Violence in Prehistoric Europe (2005). Recent international conference presentations include: Université de Provence (2006); University of Aarhus (2007); University of Ghent (2010); University College Dublin (2000, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2009); European Association of Archaeologists conferences in St Petersburg (2003), Krakow (2006), Zadar (2007), Valletta (2008), Riva del Garda (2009), and Oslo (2011); Society of American Archaeologists conferences in Montreal (2004) and San Juan (2006).

Research

Ian’s research concentrates on two inter-linked themes:

• The social archaeology of Iron Age Britain and Europe
• Conflict and violence in prehistory

Current Projects

Broxmouth Hillfort: A four year project (2008-12) to publish the major 1970s excavations at Broxmouth hillfort, East Lothian, is now nearing completion. This is funded by Historic Scotland, and by AHRC through their Collaborative Doctoral Award scheme, which funds three PhD researchers (Mhairi Maxwell, Rachael Reader and Lindsey Büster). The project is managed by Dr Jo McKenzie, and employs several research assistants as well as a team of external collaborators.

Wetwang/Garton Slack: As the Broxmouth monograph nears completion, a new project begins in summer 2012 to undertake analysis and publication of the large scale excavations at Wetwang/Garton Slack, East Yorkshire, carried out from the 1960s to 1980s. Wetwang Slack contains Britain’s largest Iron Age cemetery, set within a densely settled landscape.

Iron Age landscapes of southern France: In 2007, work began on a programme of collaborative fieldwork examining the societal and landscape context of hillfort development in the southern French Iron Age. So far, this has included geophysical prospection and topographic survey at the iconic site of Entremont, near Aix-en-Provence (funded by the Society of Antiquaries), the oppidum of Le Castellan and open site of Vigne Gaste, Istres (British Academy), and a programme of archaeomagnetic dating on the oppidum of Verduron, Marseille (Nuffield Foundation).

Megara Hyblaea: colonial encounters and emerging urbanism in Iron Age Sicily: An initial season of geophysical survey was undertaken in November 2011, in collaboration with CNRS, at the Greek colony of Megara Hyblaea in Sicily. The project aims to examine the emerging urbanism of the earliest Greek colonial settlements.

Art, landscape and the body in Iron Age Europe: This collaboration with colleagues from Slovenia, Croatia and France, investigates the nature of Iron Age cultural identities at ‘gate-way’ regions, lying between the social worlds of the Mediterranean and temperate Europe. Initial networking grants were provided by HERA, and further developments are planned for 2011 and beyond.

Mobility, Climate and Culture: Re-modelling the Irish Iron Age: This collaborative project with palaeo-climatologist Dr Graeme Swindles (University of Leeds) and post-doctoral researcher, Dr Katharina Becker, formerly of University College Dublin, examines the changing picture of the Irish Iron Age made possible by 20 years of development-led archaeology, and examines cultural and demographic shifts during the 1st millennia BC and AD in relation to changes in the palaeoenvironmental record. It runs from 2010-11 and is supported by a British Academy BARDA grant.

Projects have been funded by AHRC, the British Academy, HERA, the Leverhulme Trust, the Nuffield Foundation, the National Museums of Scotland, the Prehistoric Society, Historic Scotland, English Heritage, CNRS, the National Roads Authority (Ireland), the Environment and Heritage Service of Northern Ireland, and a range of private trusts.

Recent publications

Armit, I. in prep 2014. Iron Age Lives in Britain and Ireland: 800 BC - AD 400. Routledge.

Armit, I., Hunter, F. and Dunwell, A. J. in prep 2014. The Hill at the Empire’s Edge: Excavations on Traprain Law 1999-2006. Edinburgh: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Monograph Series.

Armit, I. and McKenzie, J in prep 2013. An Inherited Place: Broxmouth Hillfort and the southern Scottish Iron Age. Edinburgh: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Monograph Series.

Armit, I. 2012. Headhunting and the Body in Iron Age Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Armit, I. in press 2012. Objects and ideas: Roman influence at Tara and beyond, in O’ Sullivan, M. Cunliffe, B, Cooney, G. & Scarre, C. (eds) Tara: From the Past to the Future. Wordwell. Dublin.

Armit, I., Dunwell, A. J. & Hunter, F. J. in press 2012. Recycling power and place: the many lives of Traprain Law, SE Scotland, in Gheorghiu, D. & Mason, P. (eds) Working with the past: towards an archaeology of recycling". British Archaeological Reports: Oxford.

Armit, I., Gaffney, C. & Hayes, A. 2012. Space and movement in an Iron Age oppidum: integrating geophysical and topographic survey at Entremont, Provence. Antiquity 86 (331): 191-206.

Shapland, F. & Armit, I. 2012. The useful dead: bodies as objects in Iron Age and Norse Atlantic Scotland. European Journal of Archaeology 15.1, 98-116.

Becker, K., Armit, I., Eogan, J. & Swindles, G. 2012. Later prehistoric radiocarbon dates from Ireland: an audit. Journal of Irish Archaeology, 19: 19-25.

Armit, I. 2011. Violence and society in the deep human past. British Journal of Criminology (special thematic issue: Evolutionary and Historical Perspectives on Violence). 51.3: 499-517. doi: 10.1093/bjc/azq076

Armit, I., Schulting, R. J., Knusel, C. J. & Shepherd, I. A. G. 2011. Death, decapitation and display: the Bronze and Iron Age human remains from the Sculptor’s Cave, Covesea, NE Scotland. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 77, 251-78.

Armit, I. 2011. Headhunting and social power in Iron Age Europe, pp. 590-607 in Moore, T. & Armada X.L. (eds) Atlantic Europe in the First Millennium BC: Crossing the Divide. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Armit, I. 2010. Porticos, pillars and severed heads: the display and curation of human remains in the southern French Iron Age, pp. 89-99 in Rebay-Salisbury, K., Stig Sørensen, M.-L. & Hughes, J. (eds.) Body parts and bodies whole. Oxford: Oxbow.

Armit, I. 2010. Janus in furs? Opposed human heads in the art of the European Iron Age, pp. 279-86 in Cooney, G., Becker, K, Coles, J., Ryan, M. & Sievers, S. (eds) Relics of old decency: archaeological studies in later prehistory (Festschrift in honour of Barry Raftery). Wordwell. Dublin.

Becker, K., Armit, I. & Swindles, G. 2010. The new Irish Iron Age - data to knowledge. Archaeology Ireland 24.3, 13.

McCarthy, M., Armit, I., Gaffney, C. & Friel, B. 2010. The Isle of Whithorn: towards a reassessment. Transactions of the Dumfries and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society 84, 43-55.

Schulting, R. J., Armit, I., & Knusel, C. J. 2010. Bronze Age deposition and Iron Age decapitation at the Sculptor’s Cave, Covesea, pp. 69-81 in Trythall, J. & Dalgarno, B. (eds) Beakers, Bones and Birnie. The Moray Society: Elgin.

Tucker, F. & Armit, I. 2010. Living with death in the Iron Age. British Archaeology 113, 42-7.

Armit, I. & P. Grant 2008. Gesture politics and the art of ambiguity: the Iron Age statue from Hirschlanden. Antiquity 82: 409-22.

Armit, I. 2008. Irish-Scottish connections in the 1st millennium AD: an evaluation of the links between Souterrain Ware and Hebridean ceramics. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 108C: 1-18.

Armit, I., Campbell, E. & Dunwell, A. J. 2008. Excavation of an Iron Age, Early Historic and Medieval settlement and metal-working site at Eilean Olabhat, North Uist. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 138, 27-104.

Armit, I., Horsley, T. & Marty, F. 2008. Istres, Vigne Gaste. Bilan Scientifique de la Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. 136.

Armit, I., Thomas, N. & Marty, F. 2008. Istres, Le Castellan. Bilan Scientifique de la Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. 135–6.

Armit, I., T. Horsley & F. Marty 2008. Geophysical survey on a southern French oppidum. PAST: Newsletter of the Prehistoric Society 58: 3-5.

Armit, I. 2007. Social landscapes and identities in the Irish Iron Age. In C. Haselgrove and T. Moore (ed.) The later Iron Age in Britain and beyond: 130-9. Oxford: Oxbow

Armit, I., Horsley, T. & Marty, F. 2007. Istres, Le Castellan. Bilan Scientifique de la Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. 140.

Armit, I. 2007. Foreword. In A. J. Dunwell and R. Strachan (ed.) Excavations at the Brown Caterthun and White Caterthun Hillforts, Angus, 1995-1997: vii. Perth: Tayside and Fife Archaeological Committee

Armit, I. 2007. Hillforts at war: from Maiden Castle to Taniwaha pa. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 73: 25-40.

Armit, I., A. J. Dunwell & F. J. Hunter 2007. Traprain Law: new light on East Lothian's past. East Lothian Life 59: 20-1.

Armit, I. & V. Ginn 2007. Beyond the grave: human remains from domestic contexts in Atlantic Scotland. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 73: 115-36.

Armit, I., C. Knüsel, J. Robb & R. J. Schulting 2007. Warfare and violence in prehistoric Europe: an introduction. Journal of Conflict Archaeology 2: 1-11.

Armit, I. & R. J. Schulting 2007. An Iron Age decapitation from the Sculptor's Cave, Covesea, NE Scotland. PAST: Newsletter of the Prehistoric Society 55: 1-2.

Armit, I. 2006. Inside Kurtz's compound: headhunting and the human body in prehistoric Europe. In M. Bonogofsky (ed.) Skull Collection, Modification and Decoration: British Archaeological Reports International Series No. 1539. 1-14. Archaeopress: Oxford

Armit, I. 2006. Anatomy of an Iron Age Roundhouse: the Cnip Wheelhouse Excavations, Lewis. Edinburgh: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.

Armit, I. 2006. Scotland's Hidden History. Stroud: Tempus.

Armit, I., A. J. Dunwell, F. J. Hunter, M. McCartney & E. Nelis 2006. Traprain Law. Current Archaeology 203: 602-7.

Armit, I., A. J. Dunwell, F. J. Hunter, M. McCartney & E. Nelis 2006. Archaeology from the ashes: new light on Traprain Law. Scottish Archaeological News 51: 4.

Armit, I. 2005. Celtic Scotland: Iron Age Scotland in its European Context (2nd edition). London: Batsford.

Armit, I. 2005. Land-holding and inheritance in the Atlantic Scottish Iron Age. In V. Turner, R. A. Nicholson, S. J. Dockrill and J. M. Bond (ed.) Tall Stories: 2 millennia of brochs: 129-43. Lerwick: Shetland Amenity Trust

Armit, I. 2005. Atlantic Roundhouses: a beginner's guide. In V. Turner, R. A. Nicholson, S. J. Dockrill and J. M. Bond (ed.) Tall Stories: 2 millennia of brochs: 5-10. Lerwick: Shetland Amenity Trust

Armit, I. 2005. Exploring the archaeology and architecture of brochs. Newsletter of the Scottish Castles Association 10/11: 58-62.

Armit, I., A. J. Dunwell, F. J. Hunter & E. Nelis 2005. Traprain Law: Archaeology from the ashes. PAST: Newsletter of the Prehistoric Society 47: 1-4.

Armit, I. & M. McCartney 2005. The new rock art discoveries at Traprain Law. PAST: Newsletter of the Prehistoric Society 47: 4-5.

Armit, I. 2004. The Iron Age. In D. Omand (ed.) The Argyll Book: 46-59. Edinburgh: Birlinn

Armit, I. 2004. Celtic migrations. In J. S. Donnelly (ed.) Encyclopaedia of Irish History and Culture: 79-81. New York: Macmillan

Mills, C., I. Armit, K. Edwards, P. Grinter & Y. Mulder 2004. Neolithic land-use and environmental degradation: a study from the Western Isles of Scotland. Antiquity 78: 88-95.

Armit, I. 2003. The palstave axe, pp. 77-8 in Suddaby, I. The excavation of two Late Bronze Age roundhouses at Ballyprior Beg, Island Magee, County Antrim. Ulster Journal of Archaeology 62: 45-91.

Armit, I. 2003. The Drowners: permanence and transience in the Hebridean Neolithic. In I. Armit, E. Murphy, E. Nelis and D. D. A. Simpson (ed.) Neolithic settlement in Ireland and western Britain: 93-100. Oxford: Oxbow

Armit, I. 2003. Towers in the North: the Brochs of Scotland. Stroud: Tempus.

Armit, I., E. Murphy, E. Nelis & D. D. A. Simpson 2003. Irish Neolithic houses. In I. Armit, E. Murphy, E. Nelis and D. D. A. Simpson (ed.) Neolithic settlement in Ireland and western Britain: 146-8. Oxford: Oxbow

Armit, I., E. Murphy, E. Nelis & D. D. A. Simpson 2003. Introduction. In I. Armit, E. Murphy, E. Nelis and D. D. A. Simpson (ed.) Neolithic settlement in Ireland and western Britain: 1-2. Oxford: Oxbow

Armit, I., E. Murphy, E. Nelis & D. D. A. Simpson (ed.) 2003. Neolithic Settlement in Ireland and Western Britain. Oxford: Oxbow.

Armit, I. & I. B. M. Ralston 2003. The coming of iron, 1000 BC - AD 500. In C. Smout (ed.) People and Woods in Scotland: a History: 40-59. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press

Armit, I. & I. B. M. Ralston 2003. The Iron Age. In K. Edwards and I. B. M. Ralston (ed.) Scotland after the Ice Age: environment, archaeology and history, 8000 BC - AD 1000: 169-94. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press

Dunwell, A. J., M. Johnson & I. Armit 2003. Excavations at Geirisclett chambered cairn, North Uist, Western Isles, 1996-7. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 133: 1-33.

Ralston, I. B. M. & I. Armit 2003. The Early Historic period: an archaeological perspective. In K. Edwards and I. B. M. Ralston (ed.) Scotland after the Ice Age: environment, archaeology and history, 8000 BC - AD 1000: 217-40. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press

Armit, I. 2002. Land and freedom: implications of Atlantic Scottish settlement patterns for Iron Age land-holding and social organisation. In B. Ballin-Smith and I. Banks (ed.) In the Shadow of the Brochs: 15-26. London: Tempus

Armit, I. & A. R. Braby 2002. Excavation of a burnt mound and associated structures at Ceann nan Clachan, North Uist. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 132: 229-58.

Armit, I., A. J. Dunwell & F. Hunter 2002. The hill at the Empire's edge: recent work on Traprain Law. Transactions of the East Lothian Antiquarian and Field Naturalists' Society XXV: 1-11.

Armit, I. 2001. Prehistory. In R. A. Houston and W. W. J. Knox (ed.) The New Penguin History of Scotland: from the earliest times to the present day: 1-27. London: Penguin

Armit, I. 2001. Mysterious ancestors?. In G. Menzies (ed.) In Search of Scotland: 1-23. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press

Armit, I. 2001. Great sites: Traprain Law. British Archaeology 57: 8-11.

Haselgrove, C., I. Armit, T. Champion, J. Creighton, A. Gwilt, J. D. Hill, F. Hunter & A. Woodward 2001. Understanding the British Iron Age: an Agenda for Action. Salisbury: Trust for Wessex Archaeology.

Dunwell, A. J., I. Armit & I. B. M. Ralston 2000. Excavations and survey at Coats Hill, near Moffat, 1990-1. Transactions of the Dumfries and Galloway Natural History and Archaeology Society LXXIV: 27-46.