Professor Paul Nicholson

Biography

Education and qualifications

B.A. in Prehistory & Archaeology, Sheffield University (1^st Hons.). Awarded 1981.

PhD in Archaeology, Sheffield University. Awarded 1987.

Certificate in Egyptology. 1993. University of Manchester.

Career overview

2014-Present Professor of Archaelogy, Cardiff University

2009-2014 Reader in Archaeology, Cardiff University

1999-2009 Senior Lecturer in Archaeology, Cardiff University

1994-1999 Lecturer in Archaeology, Cardiff University

1991-1994 De Velling Willis Research Fellow at the Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield.  (Researching production and distribution in ancient Egypt, with particular reference to ceramics)

1990-1991 British Academy & Egypt Exploration Society Research Associate at the Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield (Petrology of Egyptian Pottery)

1988-1990 S.E.R.C. Postdoctoral Research Fellowship held at the Universities of Cambridge and Sheffield (Scientific examination of Egyptian pottery from Amarna).

1985-1987 Leverhulme Trust Research Assistantship at the Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield.  (Egyptian Pottery)

Notable achievements

Worked on excavations in Egypt since 1983 and directed projects there from 1993.

Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society - Elected 1991

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London - Elected 2004

Honours and awards

Awards

Andante Travels Archaeological Award (2001)

Professional memberships

Professional Memberships

• Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London
• Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
• President of the Ancient Egypt and Middle East Society
• Member of the Prehistoric Society
• Member (and former Vice Chairman) of the Egypt Exploration Society
• Member of ICOM

Academic positions

Previous Academic Positions

• 2014-Present Professor of Archaelogy, Cardiff University
• 2009-2014 Reader in Archaeology, Cardiff University
• 1999-2009 Senior Lecturer in Archaeology, Cardiff University
• 1994-1999 Lecturer in Archaeology, Cardiff University
• 1991-1994 De Velling Willis Research Fellow at the Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield.  (Researching production and distribution in ancient Egypt, with particular reference to ceramics)
• 1990-1991 British Academy & Egypt Exploration Society Research Associate at the Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield (Petrology of Egyptian Pottery)
• 1988-1990 S.E.R.C. Postdoctoral Research Fellowship held at the Universities of Cambridge and Sheffield (Scientific examination of Egyptian pottery from Amarna).
• 1985-1987 Leverhulme Trust Research Assistantship at the Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield.  (Egyptian Pottery)

Speaking engagements

Selected Recent Speaking Engagements

• May 2021 Ancient Egypt and Middle East Society
• December 2020 Essex Egyptology Society (Zoom meeting with international audience)
• September 2020 'Gods and Humans in Ancient Egypt' Hyperion University Bucharest (International Zoom meeting)
• August 2020 National Stereoscopic Association Tacoma
• March 2020 Egyptology and Assyriology 6th Form event, London

Committees and reviewing

Committees and Reviewing

• Chair of the Amarna Trust (Charity No. 1161292)
• Board member for Interdisciplinary Egyptology
• Board Member of the Sudan Archaeological Research Society (Charity No.1005966)
• Paper Reviewer for Journal of Archaeological Science
• Paper Reviewer for Archaeometry

Publications

We are currently unable to retrieve the list of publications. Visit our institutional repository.

Teaching

Undergraduate

• Mediterannean Societies (Egypt lectures)
• Egyptian Funerary Archaeology -
• Pharaohs of the Sun - 20 credits
• Dissertation and Independent Study co-ordinator (with Dr. Steve Mills)
• Contributions to other undergraduate modules.

Postgraduate

• Masters scheme co-ordinator for archaeology
• Death and Commemoration
• MA Project supervisor
• PhD Supervisor (including co-supervision of DTP Student)

Projects

The Catacombs of Anubis, Saqqara

An examination of the burial catacombs for the dogs sacred to Anubis. Complete planning of the Catacomb and examination of the species present among the mummified remains. Funding received from: National Geographic, Andante Travels, Thames Valley Ancient Egypt Society.  This work is currently in press and will appear as a monograph in 2021.  Meanwhile, a short summary of the work can be found in Antiquity 89, (345), 645-661.

• National Geographic:Millions of Puppy Mummies in Egypt Labyrinth
• Dog Catacomb beneath the desert
• Andante Archaeological Travel

Views of an Antique Land

This project was begun with Heritage Lottery Funding and is jointly run by Dr. Steve Mills and myself. The project has collected photographs of Egypt and Palestine taken during the First World War with a view to documenting archaeological sites and landscapes as they appeared at that time as well as recording aspects of a less well known theatre of the war.

The project worked with donors, who provided the images and, where possible, background information and with volunteers who continue to help to research the images and upoad them to the website https://ww1imagesegypt.org.uk/

We have produced films about some aspects of the project (in Welsh and English) and these can be viewed at:

https://vimeo.com/channels/viewsofanantiqueland?fbclid=IwAR0aBj8isMQKWC8uGbk-BwzVOh8kelzFR7uOmXc56Sf1vK6XpAVDxw1RUqA

Site P5, Sudan

A new field project is currently planned to examine a settlement site of the Kerma period (c.2500-1500 B.C.) in the north Dongla Reach area of Sudan.  This will be carried out jointly between Cardiff University and the Sudan Archaeological Research Society and will take place with the co-operation and collaboration of our Sudanese colleagues in the National Corporation for Antiquites and Museums.  The project is directed by Steve Mills, Robert Morkot (Exeter University) and myself.

Supervision

Supervised areas

I am interested in supervising PhD students in the following areas:

• Egyptology
• Early technology, especially faience and glass
• Animal cults
• Archaeological photography
• History of archaeology

Past projects

Postgraduate Research Projects

(Primary supervisor listed first unless otherwise stated).

• Henry Bishop-Wright (Current DTP Student) Meroitic Connectivity. Supervisors: 1. Dr. Robert Morkot (Exeter University), 2. Prof. P.T. Nicholson. (50% each).

• Tessa Baber (Current) The  Mummy Pits Of Ancient Egypt: An Investigation into a lost burial form. Supervisors: 1. P.T. Nicholson, 2.Dr. Peter Guest.

• James Christopher Wilkins. An Examination of Portable X-ray Fluorescence on Applied Blue faience Glazes: a study using replicate glazes of Late Ptolemaic adn Roman Period Egypt. Supervisors: 1. Dr. Panagiota Manti, 2. Prof. P.T.Nicholson.  Awarded 2019.
• Scott Williams. Visualising a Complex Ritual Landscape: gaining a new perspective on the Late Period/early Ptolemaic sacred landscape of North Saqqara through the application of digital technologies.  Supervisors: 1. Prof. P.T. Nicholson, 2. Dr.Steve Mills. (50% each). Awarded 2018.
• Gillian Woods. In the Beginning... the Origins of Predynastic Egyptian Beliefs. Supervisors: 1. Prof. P.T. Nicholson. 2. Prof.Miranda Aldhouse-Green. Awarded 2016
• Sarah Doherty. The Origins and Use of the Potters Wheel in Ancient Egypt. Supervisors: 1. Prof. P.T. Nicholson, 2. Prof. Ian Freestone. Awarded 2013
• Mathilde Khan (MPhil Student) The Candid Gods In The Pyramid Texts, One Or Many? Supervisors: 1. Prof. P.T. Nicholson 2. Prof. Denys Pringle. Awarded 2010.
• Kevin Brown. A pluralistic contextual approach for the interpretation of Egyptian archaelogical sites. Supervisors: 1. P.T.Nicholson. 2. Prof. Alasdair Whittle. Awarded 2009.