Staff Profiles
Professor Andrea Dolfini
Chair of Archaeology
- Email: andrea.dolfini@ncl.ac.uk
- Telephone: +44 (0)191 2083402
- Address: School of History, Classics and Archaeology
Armstrong Building
Newcastle University
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 7RU - UK
Roles and Responsibilities
Director of Postgraduate Research Students, School of History, Classics & Archaeology
Co-convenor of the Materiality, Artefacts & Technologies in Culture & History (MATCH) Faculty Research Group
Qualifications
2010 PhD in Archaeology, St. John's College, University of Cambridge (UK)
2003 Post-Graduate Diploma in European Prehistory, University of Milan (Italy)
1998 First Degree in Classics and Archaeology, University of Milan (Italy)
Previous Positions
2016-22 Senior Lecturer in Later Prehistory, Newcastle University
2008-16 Lecturer in Later Prehistory, Newcastle University
2004-05 Lecturer in European Prehistory, Golden Age University, Milan (Italy)
Indicators of Esteem
Member of the European Association of Archaeologists' Scientific Advisory Committee
Member of the Editorial Board, Bullettino di Paletnologia Italiana
Expert Evaluator for the European Commission
Google Scholar
Research Interests
- Prehistoric metallurgy (especially copper alloys) and metalwork wear analysis
- The later prehistory of Italy in its central Mediterranean context
- Prehistoric weaponry, warfare and violence
- Experimental archaeology
- Technological change, invention and innovation
- The archaeology of death and burial
Recent and Current Projects
Forthcoming EgypToolWear - Metalwork Wear Analysis of Ancient Egyptian Tools. HorizonEurope Marie-Curie Individual Fellowship investigating the function and social meaning of early Egyptian metal crafting tools (Fellow: Dr Martin Odler)
2021-now WHAM - What this awl means. Horizon 2020 Marie-Curie Individual Fellowship investigation the function of prehistoric copper-alloy awls in Europe (Fellow: Dr Stefano Viola).
2019-21 Euro-Dag - The First European Daggers: Function, meaning, and social significance. Horizon2020 Marie-Curie Individual Fellowship investigating early lithic and metal daggers from Europe (Fellow: Dr Isabella Caricola)
2015-17 TEMPI - The Time of Early Metalwork in Italy. Horizon2020 Marie-Curie Individual Fellowship investigating the chronology and classification of early Italian metalwork (Fellow: Dr Cristiano Iaia)
2015-17 The First Halberds in Europe. Project investigating the chronology and function of early Italian halberds by radiocarbon dating and use-wear analysis (funding body: The Prehistoric Society)
2014-17 BATWEP - Bronze Age Tree-felling and Woodworking Experimental Project. Project investigating the use-value of Bronze Age axes by field and lab tests and wear analysis (with T. Joyce, J. Desrosier & L. Ansley)
2013- Bronze Age Combat: An Experimental Approach. Project investigating Late Bronze Age sword, spear, axe and shield fighting through field experiments, combat tests, and wear analysis (with R. Crellin, R. Hermann, M. Uckelmann, Q. Wang and others; funding bodies: Newcastle University and the British Museum)
2013- Case Bastione Archaeological Project. Excavation and analysis of a multi-stratified settlement site in Sicily, third-second millennia BC (with E. Giannitrapani, F. Ianni' and others)
In 2011-12 I also contributed (as a specialist advisor) to The Cutting Edge, an innovative online archive of archaeological and ethnographic objects with sharp edges held in the Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums (TWAM)
A broad selection of my research papers can be downloaded from my Academia.edu webpage.
Postgraduate Supervision
I am keen to supervise doctoral students working on any of my research areas; informal enquires are welcome. I am currently supervising the following students:
2021 - Justine McLean
2020 - John Pearson
2019 - Alessandro Armigliato
2018- Eleonora Montanari
Undergraduate Teaching as Module Leader
ARA1026 - Introduction to Archaeological Science
ARA3100 - Archaeologies of the Middle Sea
Postgraduate Teaching as Module Leader
ARA8131 - Archaeologies of the Middle Sea
ARA8186 - Ancient Metals: Technology and Scientific Analysis