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. Previously 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 8411
Current projects
-
Complete documentation of Greek Bronze Age material
External fellowships/ honorary positions/ membership of professional bodies
-
Honorary Research Associate, UCL Institute of Archaeology
-
Associate, UCL Centre for Museums, Heritage and Material Culture Studies
Recent publications
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.