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Department of Archaeology

Staff

Prof Chris Scarre, MA PhD FSA

Professor & Head of Department in the Department of Archaeology
Travel Approver, Department of Archaeology
Travel Reporter, Department of Archaeology

Contact Prof Chris Scarre (email at chris.scarre@durham.ac.uk)

Biography

Chris Scarre is a specialist in the prehistory of western Europe, with a particular interest in the archaeology of the Atlantic façade (Portugal, France, Britain & Ireland). He took his MA and PhD at Cambridge, the latter a study of landscape change and archaeological sites in western France. From 1990-2005 he was editor of the Cambridge Archaeological Journal and Assistant (later Deputy) Director of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge. In January 2006 he took up the position of Professor of Prehistory at the Department of Archaeology at Durham.

Chris has participated in fieldwork projects in Britain, France and Greece and has directed excavations at Neolithic settlement and mortuary sites in Portugal and western France. His early work was published in "Ancient France" (Edinburgh University Press 1983). From 1995-2004 he directed (together with French colleagues) a major excavation of the Neolithic long cairn at Prissé-la-Charrière in western France, but in 2001 he took time out from his European research to study the 17th century burial monuments to British traders at Surat in western India, a study that was published (2005) in The Antiquaries Journal. He subsequently (2006-8) directed a study of landscape, visibility and materiality in Portugal, focusing on the excavation of two megalithic chambered tombs (Anta da Lajinha & Cabeço dos Pendentes) coupled with palaeoenvironmental analysis and field survey.

In 2007 Chris completed an archaeological evaluation of Jethou in the Channel Islands, and this was followed by an AHRC-funded project on the buried prehistoric land surfaces associated with megalithic tombs on the neighbouring island of Herm. The project began in summer 2008 with a combination of geophysics, auger survey and excavation. Two further seasons of excavation followed in 2009 and 2010 and have led to a radical revision of the geomorphological history of the island and the context in which the Neolithic tombs were built. Provisional results were announced at a conference in Guernsey in Spring 2011, and a fourth and final season of excavation was undertaken in September 2011.

Chris’s key research interests are the relationship of prehistoric monuments to their landscape setting; the use of colour in prehistoric societies; and the development and character of early state societies. Recent papers have considered the meanings which prehistoric societies may have attached to natural landscape features in Brittany, and the manner in which those meanings were given material expression through the construction of burial mounds or settings of standing stones. The nature of early farming societies along the Atlantic façade in relation to theories of demographic displacement is reviewed in a number of articles published since 1992. He has also edited "Monuments and Landscape in Atlantic Europe" (London: Routledge, 2002) which includes papers on this theme by British, Irish, French, Iberian and Scandinavian archaeologists. Most recently he has researched the nature of pre-megalithic landscapes and the sources from which the megalithic materials were derived. This was the subject of a special 'Megalithic quarrying' session at the UISPP conference in 2006, the proceedings of which have been published (Scarre ed. 2009).

Chris has recently completed a book length study "Landscapes of Neolithic Brittany" published by Oxford University Press in February 2011. This develops further his arguments about the links between landscape and monumentality, and is the fruit of 15 years research on the Breton Neolithic.

Chris has wide interests within archaeology and is editor of the leading textbook on world prehistory "The Human Past" (London: Thames & Hudson, 2nd. ed. 2009). He is author with Brian Fagan of the textbook "Ancient Civilizations" (revised third edition New York: Prentice Hall 2007). He has also (with his brother the philosopher Geoffrey Scarre) co-edited a series of essays on "The Ethics of Archaeology" (Cambridge: CUP, 2006). A further major interest is the auditory and acoustic environment of prehistoric sites and monuments (Scarre & Lawson eds. "Archaeoacoustics" 2006), and in 2009 co-organised an AHRC Research Cluster on this theme.

In 2006 Chris was Professeur invité at the Collège de France and was also awarded the Felix Neuburgh Prize (University of Göteborg). In 2007 he was elected a Trustee of the Council for British Archaeology. He was one of two external members on the Expert Advisory Committee established by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in Dublin to review archaeological policy and practice in the Irish Republic. Chris is also convenor of the European Megalithic Studies Group which held its second meeting at Seville in November 2008 and its third in Kiel in May 2010. He joined the AHRC Peer-Review College in April 2009, and was appointed a member of the NERC Radiocarbon Facility Steering Committee in 2011. He has recently joined the Advisory Board of the National Geographic Global Exploration Fund Northern Europe.

Chris has been appointed Editor of the leading international journal "Antiquity" from January 2013.

Chris has supervised a number of successful PhDs on the Neolithic of Britain and western Europe, and is currently developing new proposals on Neolithic demography and disease. He is available to supervise PhD students in the following areas:

• Neolithic archaeology of Britain and France

• monumentality in early societies

• landscape change in Atlantic Europe

• archaeoacoustics

Research Interests

  • • island societies of north-west Europe and the transition to the Neolithic
  • • landscape and coastal change in Atlantic Europe during the early and mid-Holocene
  • • material culture and the social and cognitive development of post-Palaeolithic societies
  • • origins and development of the Neolithic monuments of western Europe
  • • sound and acoustics in prehistoric societies

Indicators of Esteem

  • 2009: : Fellow of AHRC Peer-Review College
  • 2008: : Member of Irish Government Expert Advisory Committee on Archaeological Policy and Practice
  • 2007: : Trustee, Council for British Archaeology
  • 2006: : Invited lecturer at Collège de France (February-March)
  • 2006: Felix Neubergh Prize: Felix Neubergh Prize and Lecture, University of Göteborg, September 2006
  • 2005: : Editor, Cambridge Archaeological Journal (1991-2005)
  • 2004: : Member of the Comité Scientifique du Congrès du Centenaire of the Société Préhistorique Française 2004
  • 2003: : Annual Taft Lecture, University of Cincinnati (April 2003)

Publications

Articles: magazine

Books: authored

  • Scarre, Chris (2011). Landscapes of Neolithic Brittany. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Scarre, Chris (2007). The Megalithic Monuments of Britain and Ireland. London and New York: Thames & Hudson.
  • Scarre, Chris (2005). Les Monuments Mégalithiques de la Grande Bretagne et d'Irlande. Paris: Errance.
  • Scarre, Chris & Fagan, Brian M. (2002). Ancient Civilizations. New York: Prentice Hall.
  • Mohen, Jean-Pierre & Scarre, Chris (2002). Les Tumulus de Bougon. Complexe mégalithique du Ve au IIIe millénaire. Paris: Errance.

Books: edited

Books: sections

  • Scarre, Chris (2012). Significant stones, significant places: monumentality and landscape in Neolithic Western Europe. In The Construction of Value in the Ancient World. Papadopoulos, John & Urton Gary Cotsen Institute of Archaeology. 51-65.
  • Scarre, Chris (2012). Social Stratification and the State in Prehistoric Europe: The Wider Perspective. In The Prehistory of Iberia: Debating Early Social Stratification and the State. Cruz Berrocal, María García Sanjuán, Leonardo & Gilman, Antonio Routledge.
  • Scarre, Chris, García Sanjuán, Leonardo & Wheatley, David (2011). Exploring Time and Matter in Prehistoric Monuments: debating absolute chronology and rare rocks in European megaliths. In Exploring Time and Matter in Prehistoric Monuments: debating absolute chronology and rare rocks in European megaliths. Scarre, Chris, García Sanjuán, Leonardo & Wheatley, David Junta de Andalucía. 11-23.
  • Scarre, Chris (2011). Marking time: the problem of chronology in studying European Neolithic monuments. In Exploring Time and Matter in Prehistoric Monuments: debating absolute chronology and rare rocks in European megaliths. Scarre, Chris, García Sanjuán, Leonardo & Wheatley, David Junta de Andalucía. 53-74.
  • Scarre, Chris (2011). Monumentality. In Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Ritual and Religion. Insoll, Timothy Oxford University Press. 9-23.
  • Scarre, Chris (2011). Stone people: monuments and identities in the Channel Islands. In Megaliths and Identities: Early Monuments and Neolithic Societies from the Atlantic to the Baltic. Furholt, Martin, Lüth, Friedrich & Müller, Johannes Bonn: Dr Rudolf Habelt. 1: 95-104.
  • Scarre, Chris (2010). Megaliths, memory and the power of stones. In Monumental Questions: Prehistoric Megaliths, Mounds, and Enclosures. Calado, David, Baldia, Maximilian & Boulanger, Matthew Oxford: Archaeopress. 91-96.
  • Scarre, Chris & Oosterbeek, Luiz (2010). The megalithic tombs of the middle Tagus basin and agro-pastoral origins in Western Iberia. In Beiträge zur Vor- und Frühgeschichte der Iberischen Halbinsel und Mitteleuropas. Studien in honorem Philine Kalb. Armbruester, Tanya & Hegewisch, Morten Habelt. 97-110.
  • Scarre, Chris (2009). Stones with character: animism, agency and megalithic monuments. In Materialitas: working stone, carving identity. O'Connor, Blaze, Cooney, Gabriel & Chapman, John Oxford: Oxbow Books. 9-18.
  • Scarre, Chris (2007). Appendix A. Quantitative analysis of finds from the trenches. In Keros, Dhaskalio Kavos: the investigations of 1987-88. Renfrew, Colin, Doumas, Christos, Marangou, Lila & Gavalas, Giorgog Cambridge: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. 105-111.
  • Scarre, Chris (2007). Other finds of stone, B: stone and shell pestles. In Keros, Dhaskalio Kavos: the investigations of 1987-88. Renfrew, Colin, Doumas, Christos, Marangou, Lila & Gavalas, Giorgos Cambridge: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. 360-363.
  • Renfrew, Colin, Scarre, Chris, Whitelaw, Todd & Brodie, Neil (2007). The excavated areas. In Excavations at Phylakopi in Melos 1974-77. Renfrew, Colin London: British School at Athens. 19-90.
  • Scarre, Chris (2006). Stone vessels and implements. In Markiani, Amorgos. An Early Bronze Age fortified settlement. Overview of the 1985-1991 investigations. Marangou, Lila, Renfrew, Colin, Doumas, Christos & Gavalas, Giorgos London and New York: British School at Athens. 174-191.
  • Scarre, Chris (2005). Holocene Europe. In The Human Past: A Textbook of World Prehistory. Scarre, Chris London and New York: Thames & Hudson. 392-431.
  • Scarre, Chris (2005). The human past: retrospect and prospect. In The Human Past: A Textbook of World Prehistory. Scarre, Chris London and New York: Thames & Hudson. 716-720.
  • Scarre, Chris (2005). The world transformed: from foragers and farmers to states and empires. In The Human Past: A Textbook of World Prehistory. Scarre, Chris London and New York: Thames & Hudson. 176-199.

Edited works: contributions

Essays in edited volumes

  • Scarre, Chris (2009). Stony ground: outcrops, rocks and quarries in the creation of megalithic monuments. In Megalithic Quarrying: Sourcing, extracting and manipulating the stones. Scarre, Chris Oxford: Archaeopress. 3-20.
  • Scarre, Chris (2008). Shrines of the land and places of power: religion and the transition to farming in western Europe. In Belief in the Past. Theoretical approaches to the archaeology of religion. Whitley, David S. & Hays-Gilpin, Kelley Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press. 209-226.
  • Scarre, Chris (2007). Changing places: monuments and the Neolithic transition in western France. In Going Over: The Mesolithic-Neolithic Transition in North-West Europe. Cummings, Vicki & Whittle, Alasdair London: The British Academy. 243-261.
  • Scarre, Chris (2007). Monuments and miniatures: representing humans in Neolithic Europe 5000-2000 BC. In Material Beginnings: a global prehistory of figurative representation. Renfrew, Colin & Morley, Iain Cambridge: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. 25-37.
  • Scarre, Chris (2006). Megalithic and non-megalithic burial mounds of southern Britain. In Origin and Development of the Megalithic Monuments of Western Europe. Laporte, Luc, Joussaume, Roger & Scarre, Chris Bougon: Musée des Tumulus de Bougon. 187-215.
  • Scarre, Chris (2006). Sound, place and space: towards an archaeology of acoustics. In Archaeoacoustics. Scarre, Chris & Lawson, Graeme Cambridge: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. 1-10.
  • Scarre, Chris (2004). Choosing stones, remembering places: geology and intention in the megalithic monuments of western Europe. In Soils, Stones and Symbols. Cultural perceptions of the mineral world. Boivin, Nicole & Owoc, Mary-Ann London: UCL Press. 187-202.
  • Scarre, Chris (2004). Displaying the stones: the materiality of 'megalithic' monuments. In Rethinking Materiality: the engagement of mind with the material world. DeMarrais, E., Gosden, C. & Renfrew, C. Cambridge: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. 141-152.
  • Scarre, Chris (2003). Diverse inspirations: landscapes, longhouses and the Neolithic monument forms of northern France. In Stones and Bones. Formal disposal of the dead in Atlantic Europe during the Mesolithic-Neolithic interface 6000-3000 BC. Burenhult, Göran Oxford: Archaeopress. 39-52.
  • Soler, Ludovic, Joussaume, Roger, Laporte, Luc & Scarre, Chris (2003). Le tumulus néolithique C de Péré à Prissé-la-Charrière (Deux-Sèvres): le niveau funéraire de la chambre mégalithique 1 (phase II du monument). In Les pratiques funéraires néolithiques avant 3500 av. J.-C. en France et dans les régions limitrophes. Chambon, Philippe & Leclerc, Jean Paris: Société Préhistorique Française. 247-258.
  • Arias, Pablo, Burenhult, Göran, Fano, Miguel A., Oosterbeek, Luiz, Scarre, Chris, Schulting, Rick, Sheridan, Alison & Whittle, Alasdair (2003). Megalithic chronologies. In Stones and Bones. Formal disposal of the dead in Atlantic Europe during the Mesolithic-Neolithic interface 6000-3000 BC. Burenhult, Göran Oxford: Archaeopress. 65-111.
  • Scarre, Chris (2003). Pioneer farmers? The Neolithic transition in western Europe. In Examining the Language/Farming Dispersal Hypothesis. Bellwood, Peter & Renfrew, Colin Cambridge: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. 395-407.
  • Scarre, Chris (2002). A place of special meaning: interpreting prehistoric monuments through landscape. In Inscribed Landscapes: marking and making place. David, Bruno & Wilson, Meredith Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. 154-175.
  • Scarre, Chris (2002). Coast and cosmos: the Neolithic monuments of northern Brittany. In Monuments and Landscape in Atlantic Europe. Scarre, Chris London: Routledge. 84-102.
  • Scarre, Chris (2002). Epilogue: Colour and materiality in prehistoric society. In Colouring the Past. Jones, Andrew & Macgregor, Gavin Oxford: Berg. 227-242.
  • Scarre, Chris (2002). Situating monuments: the dialogue between built form and landform in Atlantic Europe. In Monuments and Landscape in Atlantic Europe. Scarre, Chris London: Routledge. 1-14.
  • Scarre, Chris (2001). Enclosures and related structures in Brittany and western France. In Neolithic Enclosures in Atlantic North-West Europe. Darvill, Timothy & Thomas, Julian Oxford: Oxbow Books. 24-42.

Journal papers: academic

Supervises