Andrew Shapland

Curator
Greek Bronze Age (Cycladic, Minoan and Mycenaean) Department: Greece and Rome

 

Andrew Shapland is responsible for the Greek Bronze Age collection. His PhD thesis, ‘Over the Horizon: Human-Animal Relations in Bronze Age Crete’, re-assessed the ‘nature-loving Minoans’ stereotype, arguing that animal depictions and animal remains were a key part of socially significant activities such as hunting and bull-leaping. A particular focus has been the iconography of Bronze Age sealstones, which frequently show animals. In general, his research interests centre on the role of material culture in human-animal relations.

He is currently involved in the Knossos Urban Landscape Project, with responsibility for the Middle Minoan pottery. Previous work includes archiving at Bristol Zoo, excavation projects and contract archaeology in the UK and abroad. He studied at Cambridge University and the UCL Institute of Archaeology before joining the department in 2009.

Contact

ashapland@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
+44 (0)20 7323 8780

Current projects

  • Complete documentation of Greek Bronze Age material

  • British Salonika Force collection

  • Asahi Shimbun displays

External fellowships/ honorary positions/ membership of professional bodies

 

Recent publications

A. Shapland, 'Η συλλογή της British Salonica Force (Βρετανική Δύναμη Θεσσαλονίκης) στο Βρετανικό Μουσείο/The British Salonika Force collection at the British Museum', in P. Adam-Veleni & A. Koukouvou, Αρχαιολογία στα μετόπισθεν. Στη Θεσσαλονίκη τωω ταραγμένον χρώνων 1912-1922/Archaeology behind Battle Lines. In Thessaloniki of the Turbulent Years 1912-1922. (Thessaloniki, Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, 2013), pp. 75-81. pdf

A. Shapland, 'Jumping to conclusions: bull-leaping in Minoan Crete', Society and Animals, 21 (2013), pp. 194-207

A. Shapland, ‘The Minoan Lion: Presence and absence on Bronze Age Crete’, World Archaeology, 42 (2) (2010), pp. 273–289.

A. Shapland, ‘Wild Nature? Human-animal relations on Neopalatial Crete’, Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 20 (1) (2010), pp. 109–127. Link to abstract  pdf

A. Shapland, 'The Naturalistic Spirit? Human-animal relations in Bronze Age Crete', Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies 53 (2) (2010), pp. 125-126

A. Shapland with D. van Reybrouck, ‘Reconciling natural and historical heritage values: the Penguin Pool at London Zoo’, International Journal of Heritage Studies, 14 (1), (2008), pp. 10–29.

A. Shapland, 'Endangered species or endangered buildings? The problem with conservation', in D. Barrowclough (ed.), Our Precious Past: Sharing Responsibility for our Archaeological Heritage (Cambridge, Red Dagger Press, 2004), pp. 69–80.

A. Shapland, ‘The changing nature of the Monkey Temple at Bristol Zoo’, Anthrozöos 17 (3), (2004), pp. 194–209.