View Profile

Dr Benjamin Roberts, B.Sc., M.Phil., Ph.D.,

Personal web page

(email at benjamin.roberts@durham.ac.uk)

I completed my PhD on the Origins and Early Development of Metallurgy in Western Europe at the University of Cambridge in early 2007. I subsequently worked until mid 2012 at the British Museum as the Curator for the European Bronze Age collections. This was a wide ranging role which, in addition to the existing museum collections, also encompassed the recording of Bronze Age hoards found by metal-detecting in England and the researching and co-writing of 41 programmes in the British Museum/BBC Radio 4 series and accompanying book A History of the World in 100 Objects.  

My research focuses on understanding the transmission of new objects and technologies in northwest and southeast Europe from the Neolithic to the Early Iron Age. I am currently collaborating on a major AHRC funded project The Rise of Metallurgy in Eurasia, an international and interdisciplinary project exploring copper production sites in Serbia which have produced the earliest evidence for metallurgy in the world. I am also involved with numerous smaller projects in Britain ranging from a Beaker/Early Bronze Age barrow (Reffley Wood) to a Bronze Age shipwreck (Salcombe) to a Late Iron Age hoard (Salisbury).

I am also interested in the impact of Treasure Act (1996, 2002) and the Portable Antiquities Scheme and the promotion of archaeology  in museums and the media. My teaching covers courses on Neolithic, Copper Age and Bronze Age Europe as well as on Museum Archaeology.

Research Groups

Department of Archaeology

• Prehistory of Eurasia Research Group

Research Interests

• Neolithic, Bronze Age and Early Iron Age archaeology of Britain and western Europe
• Origins and early development of metal
• Cultural connections from the spanning Europe, North Africa and Asia c. 5000–500 BC
• Archaeology, Museums and Popular Communication

Publications

Articles: magazine

• Roberts, B.W. & Veysey, C. (2011). Trading Places. British Museum Magazine 70: 44-45.

Books: edited

• Roberts, B.W. & Vander Linden, M. (2011). Investigating Archaeological Cultures: material culture, variability, and transmission. Springer.
• Kienlin, T.L. & Roberts,B.W. (2009). Metals and Societies. Studies in honour of Barbara S. Ottaway. Universitätsforschungen zur prähistorischen Archäologie. Habelt.

Books: sections

• Roberts, B.W. & Frieman, C. (2012). Drawing boundaries and building models: investigating the concept of the ‘Chalcolithic frontier’ in Northwest Europe. In Is there a British Chalcolithic: people, place and polity in the later 3rd millennium. Allen, M. Gardiner,J. & Sheridan, A. Oxbow. 27-39.
• Vander Linden, M. & Roberts, B.W. (2011). A Tale of Two Countries: Contrasting Archaeological Culture History in British and French Archaeology. In Investigating Archaeological Cultures: Material Culture, Variability and Transmission. Roberts, B.W. & Vander Linden, M. Springer. 23-40.
• Roberts, B. W. (2011). Ancient Technology and Archaeological Cultures: understanding the earliest metallurgy in Eurasia. In Investigating Archaeological Cultures: material culture, variability and transmission. Roberts, B.W. & Vander Linden, M. 137-150.
• Roberts, B.W. & Vander Linden, M. (2011). Introduction. In Investigating Archaeological Cultures: Material Culture, Variability and Transmission. Roberts, B.W. & Vander Linden, M. 1-23.
• Roberts, B.W. (2009). Origins, Transmission and Traditions: analysing early metal in Western Europe. In Metals and Societies. Studies in honour of Barbara S. Ottaway. Kienlin,T.L. & Roberts, B.W. Habelt. 129-142.
• Roberts, B.W. (2009). Subsistence, Structures and Craftworking: analysing economic dynamics in Britain 2500-800 BC. In The Economic Foundations of the European Bronze Age. Bartelheim, M. & Stäuble, H. Verlag Marie Leidorf. 65-84.
• Roberts, B.W. (2008). The Bronze Age. In The Handbook of British Archaeology. Atkins, L., Atkins, R. & Leitch, V. Constable and Robinson. 60-91.
• Ottaway, B.S. & Roberts, B.W. (2008). The Emergence of Metallurgy. In Prehistoric Europe: Theory and Practice. Jones, A. Blackwell. 193-225.

Journal papers: academic

• Thornton, C.P., Golden, J.M. Killick, D.J. Pigott, V.C. Rehren,Th. & B.W. Roberts, (2010). A Chalcolithic Error: Rebuttal to Amzallag 2009. American Journal of Archaeology 114: 305–15.
• Roberts, B.W. (2009). Creating Traditions and Shaping Technologies: understanding the emergence of metallurgy in Western Europe c. 3500-2000 BC. World Archaeology 40(3): 354-372.
• Roberts, B. W. Thornton, C.P. & Pigott, V.C. (2009). Development of metallurgy in Eurasia. Antiquity 83(322): 1012–1022.
• Thornton, C.P. & Roberts, B.W. (2009). Introduction: The Beginnings of Metallurgy in Global Perspective. Journal of World Prehistory. Journal of World Prehistory 22(3): 181-4.
• B.W. Roberts (2008). Migration, craft expertise and metallurgy: analysing the ‘spread’ of metal in Europe. Archaeological Review from Cambridge 23 (2): 27-45.
• Roberts, B.W. (2007). Adorning the living but not the dead: a reassessment of Middle Bronze Age ornaments in Britain. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 73: 135-167.
• Roberts,B.W. (2007). Evidence of Roman agricultural drainage: excavation south of the former A120, Takeley, 2003. Essex Archaeology and History 38 : 53-65.
• Roberts,B.W. (2007). Excavations at the former Dovercourt Motors site, Spital Road, Maldon, 2002. Essex Archaeology and History 38: 109-119.
• O’Brien, L. & Roberts, B.W. (2007). Excavations at the former Shell Garage site, 84-88 Moulsham Street, Chelmsford. Essex Archaeology and History 38: 102-108.
• Nicholson, K. & Roberts, B.W. (2007). Roman deposits at Lynmouth Gardens/Parkway, Chelmsford; excavations 2003. Essex Archaeology and History 38: 89-101.
• O'Brien, L. & Roberts, B.W. (2004). Excavations on Roman Ermine Street at the New Restaurant Facility, GlaxoSmithKline, Ware. Hertfordshire Archaeology and History 14: 3-39.
• Roberts,B.W. & Ottaway, B.S. (2003). The use and significance of socketed axes during the Late Bronze Age. European Journal of Archaeology 6(2): 119-140.

Media Contacts

Available for media contact about:

• European Prehistory: