Prof. Peter Stone
Prof of Heritage Studies

vCardProf. Peter Stone

Peter was appointed to the University in 1997, as Director of the International Centre for Cultural and Heritage Studies in the School of Arts and Cultures in 2001, and as Head of School in 2006. Peter teaches and researches in heritage management, interpretation and education. Between 1998/2008 he was Chief Executive Officer of the World Archaeological Congress. In 2003 he was archaeological advisor to the UK Ministry of Defence prior to the invasion of Iraq and is currently involved in research into the practicalities and ethics of cultural heritage experts working with the military.

He is married with four children.

Research Interests

Peter Stone is Professor of Heritage Studies in the International Centre for Cultural and Heritage Studies. He has published widely on heritage management, interpretation and education. Peter has worked extensively overseas and advised UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre on the development of the World Heritage Education Programme.

In 2003 Peter was the advisor to the Ministry of Defence with regard to the identification and protection of the archaeological cultural heritage in Iraq. He recently gave evidence to the Parliamentary Select Committee regarding the Draft Cultural Heritage (Armed conflicts) Bill, that was intended to enable the UK to ratify the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of the Cultural Heritage in Times of Armed Conflict.

Peter co-edited, with Joanne Farchakh Bajjaly, The Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Iraq (2008). In 2008 he worked with staff of the Oriental Institute in Chicago to produce a travelling version of their exhibition 'Catastrophe! The Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Iraq'.

Before joining Newcastle University in 1997 Peter previously worked for ten years for the English Heritage Education Service during which time he was seconded for a year to be Regional Administrator for the South West, where he was responsible for the day-to-day management of 104 properties including Stonehenge and Avebury. He led the operational arrangements and policy for Stonehenge at the summer solstice and other calendar events for three and a half years.

Other Expertise

Among his many heritage roles Peter was Honorary Chief Executive Officer of the World Archaeological Congress between 1998 and 2008 and had worked for the organisation since 1984. He was Executive Series Editor for the One World Archaeology series between 1999 & 2003. He is a member of the Culture Committee of the UK National Commission for UNESCO, Chair of the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site Management Plan Committee, and a member of the National Trust’s Archaeology Advisory Panel. In 2004 he worked with the North East Regional Development Agency regarding the economic value of World Heritage Sites to the region. In 2008 he worked with the International Centre for Chinese Heritage and Archaeology (ICCHA), a collaborative project between the School of Archaeology and Museology of Peking University and the Institute of Archaeology of University College London, to organise a major conference in China on ‘Sharing Archaeology’.

Current Work

Peter is currently working on two books with Dr Laurie Rush an archaeologist working for the US Army: ‘Planning for protection of cultural heritage in times of conflict’ and ‘Cultural heritage, ethics and the military’. He is also been heavily involved in lobbying the UK Government to ratify the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

He is also working on a book steming from the 2008 conference 'Sharing Archaeology' held in China with Professor Zhouhui of Peking University.

Selected Publications

More Publications

Future Research

Peter is collaborating with a number of colleagues to produce a publication on the changing emphasis of management along Hadrian's Wall.

Postgraduate Supervision

Peter currently supervises 5 PhD students who are researching a variety of topics relating to heritage management, interpretation and education. Peter's students are:

1] Arwa Badran (Doctor of Philosophy)
Thesis title: Utilising Archaeology Museums for Teaching Citizenship in Jordanian Primary Schools

2] Michal Ryszard Koskowski (Doctor of Philosophy - part-time)
Thesis title: The management of castles in Poland in the early 21st century

3] Aspasia Mantzouri (Doctor of Philosophy)
Research question: How can the theory associated with New Museology enable objects depicting Greek myths to be better represented and interpreted in archaeological museums in Greece and England

4] Hamimi Omar (Doctor of Philosophy)
Heritage Tourism Mangagement in Malaysia

5] Suzanne Thomas (Doctor of Philosophy - part time)
Thesis title: The relationships between archaeologists and metal detector users in England and Wales: impact of past and implications for the future

Recent graduates supervised by Peter include:

Shatha Abu Khafajah (Doctor of Philosophy)
Thesis title: Towards a sustainable architectural heritage management: a planning model based on the architectural heritage within the urban context of Jordan

Joanne Lea (Doctor of Philosophy)
Public archaeology, education and the development of a stewardship ethic

Esteem Indicators

2005 Nominated Member for the Culture Committee of the UK National Commission for UNESCO.
2005 Invited Member of the National Archaeology Panel for the National Trust.
2005 Elected Chair, Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site Management Plan Committee
2004 Visitor, Department of Archaeology, University of Auckland, New Zealand (October – December)
2004 Visiting Scholar, Department of Archaeology, University of Adelaide, Australia (July-October)
2002 – present Invited Member, Editorial Advisory Board Journal for Tourism and Cultural Change
2001 – 2006 Appointed Member, Education and Training Committee, ICOMOS UK
2000 Appointed Member Working Party on Public access and interpretation, Government Review of Heritage
2000 - present Elected Member of the York Archaeological Trust
2000 – present Appointed Member, Education Committee, York Archaeological Trust
2000 – present Invited Member, Editorial Advisory Board Public Archaeology
1999 - 2005 Appointed Representative Council for British Archaeology, Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site Management Plan Committee
1998 - 1999 Appointed Member, Cultural Heritage National Training Organisation Standards Review Steering Committee
1998 - present Appointed Chief Executive Officer, World Archaeological Congress
1998 - 2004 Appointed Executive Series Editor, One World Archaeology, Routledge, London.
1998 Appointed Member, Advisory Panel on archaeology A’Level to Qualification and Curriculum Authority
1997 - 1999 Appointed Special Adviser on Stonehenge, Council for British Archaeology
1997 - 2003 Appointed Chair, Council for British Archaeology, Education Committee
1997 - present Appointed Series Editor, Issues in Heritage Management. English Heritage/Routledge, London
1996 -1998 Appointed Member, Advisory and Drafting Team to UNESCO for the World Heritage Education Project and Kit
1989 - 1991 Founder Member, Editorial Board, Archaeology and Education (International Newsletter)
1988 - 1990 Appointed Associate Editor, Journal of Indigenous Studies
1988 - 1991 Appointed Member, Scientific Committee of the European Centre for the Cultural Heritage, Barcelona
1988 - 1989 Appointed Honorary Vice Chairman, Institute of Field Archaeologists

Background

After obtaining a first degree in modern history, and a Diploma in Education, Peter taught history in England and English in Greece. In his spare time he worked as an archaeologist on the Anglo-Scandinavian site of Coppergate in York and on the Neolithic excavations at Hambledon Hill in Dorset. He then took an MA in archaeological method and theory before setting up with Professor Peter Ucko, and then running, the 'Archaeology and Education Project' at the University of Southampton. Peter's thesis investigated the teaching of the past, with special reference to prehistory, in the English primary curriculum.

He joined the English Heritage Education Service in 1988. While at English Heritage he was seconded for a year to be regional administrator where he had day-to-day responsibility for over 100 sites and properties in the South West. As part of this post he was responsible for Stonehenge at the summer solstice and other calendar events when these were a source of major social conflict - a responsibility he kept for over three years.

Peter has been heavily involved in the creation and development of the World Archaeological Congress (WAC) and was the Honorary Chief Executive Officer of WAC between 1998 and 2008. He has worked as a consultant and advisor regarding heritage education, interpretation and management in many parts of the world and was part of the team that developed the World Heritage Education project for UNESCO. Peter joined the staff at Newcastle in 1997.

In 2003 Peter became the special advisor to the UK Ministry of Defence regarding the identification and protection of the cultural heritage in Iraq. He is currently the Chair of the Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site Management Plan Committee, a member of the Culture Committee of the UK National Commission for UNESCO, and a member of the National Archaeology Panel of the National Trust.

Roles and Responsibilities

Professor of Heritage Studies and Head of School of Arts and Cultures

Qualifications

1979 BA History, University of Stirling
1979 Diploma in Education, University of Stirling (DipEd)
1983 MA Archaeological Method and Theory, University of Southampton
1991 PhD Teaching the Past, with Special Reference to Prehistory, in English Primary Education, University of Southampton

Previous Positions

August 2001 – Dec 2005 Director of ICCHS
August 2000 – present Senior Lecturer in Heritage Studies, ICCHS
Oct 1997 – August 2000 Lecturer in Heritage Studies, Department of Archaeology/International Centre for Cultural and Heritage Studies, University of Newcastle
Nov 1995 - Sept 1997 Education Officer for Further, Adult and Higher Education, English Heritage
Nov 1991 - Dec 1992 Acting Regional Administrator, (Temporary secondment) South West Properties in Care, English Heritage
March 1988 – Nov 1995 Regional Education Officer, South West Historic Properties, English Heritage
Feb 1985 - March 1988 Project Manager and Co-ordinator, Archaeology and Education Project, University of Southampton
Oct 1980 - June 1981 Teacher of English Frontesterion of Foreign Languages, Athens
Jan 1979 - July 1980 Teacher of History, St Peter's High School, Doncaster

Between June 1981 and February 1985 I held a number of short term academic and archaeological field contracts in England.

Memberships

Council for British Archaeology, English Heritage, The International Council on Monuments and Sites, National Trust, World Archaeological Congress.

Honours and Awards

1986 Elected Associate of the Institute of Field Archaeologists (AIFA)
1991 Elected Member of the Institute of Field Archaeologists (MIFA)
1997 Elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (FSA)

Undergraduate Teaching

Peter does not teach any undergraduate courses at present.

Postgraduate Teaching

Peter developed the MA in Heritage Education and Interpretation in the International Centre for Cultural and Heritage Studies (ICCHS) and contributes to modules across the whole suite of MA programmes offered in ICCHS.

At present his teaching opportunities are restricted by his role as Head of School.