Candidate Profile

THE CRUISE SHIP ENRICHMENT NETWORK
ONLY REGISTERED AND AUTHORISED USERS CAN VIEW FULL CONTACT DETAILS
EXPERTISE
Archaeology
Author / Writer
History - Classical
History - General
Religion & Ethics
Shore Excursion Escorts
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH:
BIOGRAPHY
Professor Ken Dark is an archaeologist and historian specialising in the Classical and medieval worlds, early Christianity, and long-term comparative studies of political development. Receiving his PhD in archaeology and history from Cambridge, he taught there and at Oxford before moving to the University of Reading, where he became Professor of Archaeology and History. Ken left Reading in 2021 and is currently attached to King's College London.

Awarded honorary professorial titles from five other universities, he has written over 100 academic publications, including 14 books, and directed excavations and surveys in Europe and the Middle East, including at Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, at Nazareth, and on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

A Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, the Royal Historical Society and Royal Anthropological Institute, and a Member of the Royal Institute of International Affairs and the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, he is the only person ever elected to all of these learned societies.

One of the few living archaeologists who really has found a lost Roman city, explored a medieval tunnel with a burning torch, and discovered Byzantine imperial palaces, he is most famous for finding the 1st century house in Nazareth believed by many to have been the childhood home of Jesus, described as ‘one of the most important archaeological discoveries ever’.

With 30+ years of successful experience of guiding tours and giving evening classes, he can speak about an exceptionally wide range of topics with authority and ease, explaining archaeological sites and historical facts to anyone from school children to world experts, while his adventurous and exciting life gives him a wealth of fascinating and amusing anecdotes.





(Click image for full size)
LECTURE SERIES
Specialist areas include the archaeology and history of:

The Roman and Byzantine empires
Celtic Britain and Ireland
Europe (including Scandinavia) and the Middle East from the 5th- to 11th-centuries
Early Christianity
Ancient and medieval cities
Long-distance maritime contacts and trade

and the archaeology, history and anthropology of:

The origins and collapse of states and empires
Non-state societies
Early island societies

Exceptional geographical range:

Although Ken is primarily an expert on Roman and post-Roman Europe, including Britain, the Mediterranean region and the Middle East, decades of comparative research on the origins and collapse of states, non-state societies, ancient and medieval urbanism, and long-distance maritime interactions in the ancient world, mean that he is also very well informed on many other subjects in world archaeology, for example the archaeology of the Pacific islands and ancient states and urban centres in Asia and the Americas.

Examples of specific talks:

The following is just a sample of what can be offered – Ken can give talks on a wide range of topics concerning global archaeology or history , and his talks will be designed for each itinerary on an individual basis.

Illustrated throughout, they combine authoritative factual information based on the latest research with anecdotes and humour drawn from decades of actually doing archaeology.

Typical recent audience comments include: ‘inspiring and enthusiastic’, 'his passion for the subject is infectious', ‘incredibly engaging’ and ‘informative and enjoyable’.

The adventure of archaeology

1.‘Understanding archaeology’.
2. ‘Discovering the past: the story of modern archaeology’.
3. ‘‘Changing history – how archaeological research shed light on the Dark Ages’.
4. ‘Adventuring in archaeology’ (Stories from Ken’s own exciting life in archaeology, ranging from London and Cornwall to Istanbul and Nazareth).

Archaeology and the sea

1. ‘Investigating the archaeology of ancient ships, ports and trade’.
2. ‘Trading on the blue Mediterranean – how commerce tied together the Roman empire’.
3. ‘Connecting ancient worlds: Roman maritime contacts with Africa and Asia’.
4. ‘Navigating the Pacific – the archaeology of pre-colonial island settlement’.’.

Archaeology and the Bible

1. ‘Exploring Jerusalem from the First Temple to the Arab conquest’
2. ‘Understanding the archaeology of the Gospels’.
3. ‘Discovering Nazareth, Jesus’ childhood home’.
4. ‘Fishing and farming around the Sea of Galilee – the landscape of St. Peter’.

Roman archaeology and architecture

1. ‘Introducing the Roman empire’.
2. ‘Making Roman rule: war, the legions and diplomacy’.
3. ‘Understanding Roman architecture’.
4. ‘Entertaining the Romans: food, fun and (gladiatorial) games’.

Ancient cities

1. ‘Discovering ancient Rome’.
2. ‘Understanding Athens’.
3. ‘Fighting for civilization: Sparta, Thermopylae and the Persian wars’.
4. ‘Making myths – the archaeology of Troy’.

Barbarians! The end of the Roman empire and the origins of Europe

1. ‘Ruling the world, the Roman empire triumphant’.
2. ‘Collapsing worlds – how the Roman empire ended’.
3. ‘Living with barbarians: the origins of European peoples and kingdoms’.
4. ‘Surviving in fragments – Roman civilization after the fall of Rome’.’.

Celtic Britain and Ireland

1. ‘Finding the truth about King Arthur’.
2. ’Fighting and feasting – kings and warriors in Celtic Britain and Ireland’.
3. ‘Understanding Boudica, Britain’s warrior queen, and her world’.
4. ‘Discovering Britain’s heroic age’.

Byzantium – the lost empire of the East

1. ‘Remembering Byzantium: history of a forgotten empire’.
2. ‘Exploring Constantinople: archaeology of the Byzantine capital city’.
3. ‘Understanding Byzantine art and architecture’.
4. ‘Building Orthodoxy: the cathedral of Hagia Sophia’.

The origins of the state in Asia

1.' Explaining the origins of the state'
2. 'The earliest states of Mesopotamia'
3. 'Ancient China'
4.' Early Japan'

Archaeology of the Pacific islands

1.’Introducing the importance of island archaeology’
2. ‘Understanding the archaeology of the Pacific’
3. ‘’Excavating classic chiefdoms – an archaeology of Hawaii'
4. ‘Exploring Maori Archaeology’
RECENT PAST CRUISES COMPLETED
The following recent Cruise History has been recorded for this candidate.
SHIP REF CRUISE DESCRIPTION NIGHTS SAILING FROM DEPARTURE DATE
Viking Venus VE231128 Cities of Antiquity & the Holy Land 14 Civitavecchia (for Rome) Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Viking Venus VE230415 British Isles Explorer 14 Bergen Saturday, April 15, 2023
Viking Sky SK221008 Venice, the Adriatic and Greece 7 Venice Saturday, October 8, 2022
Viking Sky SK221001 Italian Sojourn 7 Civitavecchia (for Rome) Saturday, October 1, 2022