Miles Russell

Dr Miles Russell

  • Principal Academic in Archaeology
  • Christchurch House C117, Talbot Campus, Fern Barrow, Poole, BH12 5BB
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Biography

Dr Miles Russell is Principal Academic in Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology and Director of Fieldwork in the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology.

He graduated from the Institute of Archaeology, University College London in 1988 and worked as a Field Officer for the UCL Field Archaeology Unit and then as a Project Manager for the Oxford Archaeological Unit, joining Bournemouth University in 1993. He has conducted fieldwork across the UK as well as in Germany, Sicily and Russia. He is currently director of the departmental training excavation, director of Regnum and co-director of the Durotriges Project (the latter two investigating the transition from the Iron Age to Roman period across SE and SW Britain) and previously Council for British Archaeology representative for Dorset and President of the Brighton and Hove Archaeological Society.

He gained his doctorate, on Neolithic monumental architecture, in 2000 and was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 2006.

He has authored fifteen books, including Piltdown Man: the Secret Life of Charles Dawson, Piltdown Man: Case Closed, Monuments of the British Neolithic: the roots of Architecture, Flint Mines in Neolithic Britain, Arthur and the Kings of Britain, Rough Quarries Rocks and Hills: John Pull and the Neolithic Flint Mines of Sussex, The Early Neolithic Architecture of the South Downs, Prehistoric Sussex, Roman Sussex, Digging Holes in Popular Culture: Archaeology and Science Fiction, Bloodline: the Celtic Kings of Roman Britain, Bignor Roman Villa (with David Rudling) and (with Stuart Laycock) UnRoman Britain: Exposing the Myth of Britannia...

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Favourites

Journal Articles

Books

Chapters

  • Gerdau-Radonić, K., Sperrevik, J., Smith, M., Cheetham, P.N. and Russell, M., 2022. Deathways of the durotriges: Reconstructing identity through archaeothanatology in later Iron Age southern Britain. The Routledge Handbook of Archaeothanatology: Bioarchaeology of Mortuary Behaviour. 243-262.
  • Russell, M., 2004. The Treachery of Images: Deconstructing the Neolithic Monumental Architecture of the South Downs. In: Cotton, J. and Field, D., eds. Towards a New Stone Age: Aspects of the Neolithic in South-East England. York: Council for British Archaeology.
  • Russell, M., 2002. Excavations at Mile Oak Farm. In: Rudline, D., ed. Downland Settlement and Land-use: The Archaeology of the Brighton Bypass. London: Archetype Publications, 5-81.
  • Russell, M., 2002. No More Heroes Any More: The Dangerous World of the Pop Culture Archaeologist. Digging Holes in Popular Culture: Archaeology and Science Fiction. Oxford: Oxbow Books, 38-54.
  • Russell, M. and Darvill, T., 1999. Excavations at the multi-ditched enclosure on Skibrick Hill 1998. Billown Neolithic Landscape Project, Isle of Man: fourth report: 1998. Poole, England: School of Conservation Sciences, Bournemouth University in association with Manx National Heritage, 7-16.
  • Russell, M., 1997. NEO- “Realism?”: An alternative look at the Neolithic chalkland database of Sussex. In: Topping, P., ed. Neolithic Landscapes. Oxford: Oxbow Books, 69-76.
  • Russell, M., 1997. Relief-patterned Daub (Section Fifteen). In: Betts, I., Black, E. and Gower, J., eds. Journal of Roman Pottery Studies, Volume 7: A Corpus of Relief-Patterned Tiles in Roman Britain. Oxford: Oxbow Books, 45-81.
  • Russell, M., 1997. Notes on the interpretation and affinities of enclosure F318/323. In: Darvill, T., ed. Billown Neolithic Landscape Project, Isle of Man, 1996. Poole, England: Bournemouth University School of Conservation Sciences, 68-70.
  • Russell, M. and Darvill, T., 1995. Test-pitting. Billown Neolithic Landscape Project, Isle of Man, 1995. Poole, England: Bournemouth University School of Conservation Sciences, 12-13.

Conferences

  • Russell, M., 2019. God’s Chosen People: dangerous narratives in Early Medieval ‘history’. In: Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference 16-18 December 2019 University College London.
  • Russell, M., 2019. An Archaeology of Myth-Fulfilment. In: Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference 2019 16-18 December 2019 University College London.
  • Russell, M., 2019. The Durotriges Project: Rethinking Late Iron Age Dorset. In: Living in the LateIron Age:communities, crafts and cross-Channel trade 16 November 2019 Winchester University.
  • Russell, M., 2019. Life and death in the Late Iron Age. In: Prehistoric Dorchester conference in memory of Peter Woodward 2 November 2019 Dorchester.
  • Russell, M., 2019. Finding Nero (and other Roman Emperors) - Roman portrait sculpture in Sussex and beyond. In: ASPROM (Association for the Study and Preservation of Roman Mosaics) 2019 8 June 2019 Fishbourne Roman Palace.
  • Cheetham, P., Russell, M. and Stewart, D., 2018. The Temple or Room? The Interpretation of Frampton Roman Temple/Villa Site in the LIght of Recent Geophysical Survey Results. In: LInford, P., ed. Recent Work in Archaeological Geophysics 2018 4 December 2018 The Geological Society, Burlington House, London.
  • Russell, M., 2018. FINDING KING ARTHUR: THE HISTORICAL TRUTH BEHIND THE MYTHS. In: Chalke Valley History Festival 2018 22 June-1 July 2018 Broad Chalke, Salisbury.
  • Russell, M., 2017. King Arthur and the Origin Myths of Britain. In: BBC History Conference 24-26 November 2017 York.
  • Russell, M., 2017. Friends, Trojans, Countrymen: Arthur and the Origin Myths of Britain. In: BBC History Conference 6-8 October 2017 Winchester.
  • Russell, M., 2017. FINDING NERO – using 3D laser scanning to identify Roman emperors in British stately home collections. In: Hidden Heritage 9-10 April 2016 Dorchester, UK.
  • Russell, M., 2016. A History for Prehistory? - Rediscovering the lost voices of the British Iron Age. In: Theoretical Archaeology Conference 19-21 December 2016 Southampton University.
  • Russell, M., 2016. Digging the Durotriges: life and death in Iron Age Dorset. In: Festival of Archaeology 2016 23-24 July 2016 Salisbury.
  • Russell, M., 2016. The 'face' of Roman Britain: sculpture and meaning in the province of Britannia. In: BBC History - Roman Britain 27-28 February 2016 Bristol, MShed, UK.
  • Russell, M., 2015. Trading Places: Wessex and the Wider World (100 BC - AD 100). In: Council for British Archaeology: Trade and Crafts: The art, craft and archaeology of trade in Wessex 7-8 November 2015 Amesbury, UK.
  • Russell, M., 2015. Finding Duropolis. In: Festival of Archaeology 2015 18-19 July 2015 Salisbury Museum.
  • Russell, M., 2014. Geoffrey of Monmouth and the Lost Voice of Celtic Britain. In: BBC History Conference 16-19 October 2014 Malmesbury, Wiltshire UK.
  • Russell, M. and Cheetham, P., 2014. Rome is where the hearth is? Discovering, recording and trying to understand villas and long houses in late Roman Wessex. In: Hearth and Home: the archaeology of domestic buildings in Wessex 1-2 November 2014 Larkhill, UK.
  • Gerdau-Radonic, K., Smith, M., Russell, M., Cheetham, P., Hambleton, E., Manley, H. and Evans, D., 2014. Death Ways of the Durotriges: Dealing with the Dead in Late Iron Age and Early Roman Dorset. In: European Association of Archaeologists 10-14 September 2014 Istanbul, Tukey.
  • Russell, M., 2014. Finding Nero and other Roman emperors: Investigating Roman sculpture in Sussex and Roman Britain. In: Sussex Archaeology Symposium 15-16 March 2014 University of Brighton, UK.
  • Russell, M., 2014. The Durotriges Project: tribe and prejudice in later Iron Age Britain. In: Archaeology Live 2014 27 February-1 March 2014 Senate House, University of London.
  • Russell, M., 2012. Charles Dawson: A career fabricating prehistory. In: Piltdown 100 years on 18-19 December 2012 Geological Society, London.
  • Russell, M., 2012. A Brief History of Crime: the curious career, finds and ‘discoveries’ of Charles Dawson FSA. In: The Piltdown Centenary Conference: Truth and Lies from the Deep Sussex Past 22-23 September 2012 Lewes, East Sussex, UK.
  • Russell, M., 2011. Empire Down: Terminating the Roman Superstate. In: Archaeology Live 2011 25-27 February 2011 British Museum, London, UK.
  • Russell, M., 2010. Rethinking the Roman Invasion of Britain. In: Archaeology Live 2010 26-28 February 2010 British Museum, London, UK.

Theses

  • Russell, M., 1999. “Time And Relative Dimensions In Space”: Reassessing the origins, nature, significance, impact and evolution of Early Neolithic monumental architecture upon the chalk landscapes of Central South-eastern England. PhD Thesis. Bournemouth University; School of Conservation Sciences.

Public Engagement & Outreach Activities

  • The Durotriges (17 Feb 2022)
  • Arthur Begins (28 Jan 2022)
  • Expert interviewee (08 Jul 2021)
  • Expert presenter (05 Jul 2021)
  • Expert interviewee (04 Jul 2021)
  • Expert Interviewee (20 May 2021)
  • Expert interviewee (05 May 2021)
  • Interviewee (20 Feb 2021)
  • Expert interviewee (30 Dec 2020)
  • On screen expert interviewee (05 Aug 2020)
  • Expert Interviewee (02 Aug 2020)
  • Expert interviewee (26 Jul 2020)
  • Expert interviewee (26 Jul 2020)
  • Expert interviewee (21 Jul 2020)
  • On screen expert (10 Jul 2020)
  • Expert interviewee (16 Apr 2020)
  • Expert interviewee (12 Apr 2020)
  • On screen expert (24 Mar 2020)
  • Expert interviewee (26 Jan 2020)
  • On screen expert (20 Nov 2019)
  • Expert interviewee (15 Nov 2019)
  • Expert interviewee (31 Oct 2019)
  • On screen expert (05 Mar 2019)
  • On screen expert (16 Sep 2018)
  • Expert interviewee (30 Oct 2017)
  • Durotriges Big Dig Archaeological Field School (15 May 2017-29 Jul 2017)
  • On screen presenter (17 Nov 2016)
  • Durotriges Big Dig Archaeological Field School (15 May 2016-22 Jul 2016)
  • On screen expert (01 May 2016)
  • On screen expert (10 Mar 2016)
  • Expert presenter (28 Jan 2016)
  • Durotriges Big Dig Archaeological Field School (11 May 2015-26 Jul 2015)
  • TEDx: Bringing the Past to Life (Five Skeletons Could Change Archaeology) (25 Feb 2015)
  • On screen expert (10 Feb 2015)
  • On screen expert (20 Nov 2014)
  • On screen expert (14 Nov 2014)
  • On screen expert (11 Sep 2014)
  • On screen expert (03 Jul 2014)
  • Expert interviewee (02 Jul 2014)
  • Durotriges Big Dig Archaeological Field School (12 May 2014-25 Jul 2014)
  • On screen expert (30 Mar 2014)
  • On screen expert (30 Dec 2013)
  • Durotriges Big Dig Archaeological Field School (13 May 2013-26 Jul 2013)
  • Expert interviewee (23 Dec 2012)
  • Expert interviewee (19 Dec 2012)
  • Expert interviewee (19 Dec 2012)
  • Expert interviewee (18 Dec 2012)
  • Expert interviewee (17 Dec 2012)
  • On screen expert (17 Jun 2012)
  • Durotriges Big Dig Archaeological Field School (14 May 2012-15 Jul 2012)
  • On screen expert (09 Sep 2011)
  • Durotriges Big Dig Archaeological Field School (23 May 2011-17 Jul 2011)
  • On screen interviewee (11 May 2011)
  • On screen expert (26 Apr 2011)
  • On screen presenter (17 Mar 2011)
  • On screen expert interviewee (19 Aug 2010)
  • Durotriges Big Dig Archaeological Field School (24 May 2010-11 Jul 2010)
  • On screen expert interviewee (15 Oct 2009)
  • On screen expert (09 Jun 2009)
  • Durotriges Big Dig Archaeological Field School (25 May 2009-11 Jul 2009)
  • On screen expert (27 Sep 2008)
  • On screen expert interviewee (31 Mar 2008)
  • On screen expert (09 Apr 2006)
  • On screen dig director (19 Mar 2006)
  • On screen expert interviewee (30 Oct 2005)
  • On screen expert (08 Jul 2005)
  • On screen expert (03 Jul 2005)
  • On screen expert (02 Jul 2005)
  • On screen expert (06 Mar 2005)
  • On screen expert (30 Jan 2005)
  • On screen expert (04 Jul 2004)
  • On screen dig director (14 Mar 2004)
  • On screen expert (08 Feb 2004)
  • On screen dig director (18 Jan 2004)
  • On screen dig director (04 Jan 2004)
  • On Screen Expert (29 Dec 2003)
  • Expert Presenter (27 Nov 2003)
  • Expert interviewee (21 Nov 2003)
  • On screen expert (21 Nov 2003)
  • On screen expert (21 Nov 2003)
  • On Screen Expert (21 Nov 2003)
  • Interviewee (21 Nov 2003)
  • Interviewee (21 Nov 2003)
  • On screen expert (15 Nov 2003)
  • On Screen Expert (15 Nov 2003)
  • On screen expert (02 Oct 2003)
  • On Screen Expert (02 Oct 2003)
  • On Screen Expert (29 Jun 2003)
  • On screen expert (28 Jun 2003-29 Jun 2003)
  • On Screen Expert (28 Jun 2003)

Conference Presentations

  • Current Archaeology Live 2020, In the footsteps of Vespasian: defining the fortress of the II Augusta at Wimborne Minster, Dorset, 05 Mar 2020, Zoom
  • TAG 2019, An Archaeology of Myth-Fulfilment, 16 Dec 2019, University College London
  • TAG 2019, God’s Chosen People: dangerous narratives in Early Medieval ‘history’, 16 Dec 2019, University College London
  • CBA Wessex - Living in the Late Iron Age: communities, crafts and cross-Channel trade, The Durotriges Project: Rethinking Late Iron Age Dorset, 16 Nov 2019, Winchester
  • Prehistoric Dorchester conference in memory of Peter Woodward, Life and death in the Late Iron Age, 02 Nov 2019, Dorchester
  • Recent Work in Archaeological Geophysics 2018, The Temple or Room? The Interpretation of Frampton Roman Temple/Villa Site in the LIght of Recent Geophysical Survey Results, 04 Dec 2018, The Geological Society, Burlington House, London
  • Chalke Valley History Festival, Finding King Arthur: the Historical Truth Behind the Myths, 22 Jun 2018, Chalke Valley, Wiltshire
  • ASPROM Annual Conference, Finding Nero (and other Roman Emperors) - Roman portrait sculpture in Sussex and beyond, 08 Jun 2018, Fishbourne Roman Palace
  • BBC History, Friends, Trojans, Countrymen: Arthur and the Origin Myths of Britain, 24 Nov 2017, York Museum
  • BBC History, Friends, Trojans, Countrymen: Arthur and the Origin Myths of Britain, 27 Oct 2017, Great Hall, Winchester
  • Roman Finds Group Conference, The ‘Face’ of Roman Britain: establishing identity and context for Romano-British portrait sculpture, 20 Oct 2017, Salisbury Museum
  • TAG 16, A History for Prehistory? - Rediscovering the lost voices of the British Iron Age, 19 Dec 2016, Southampton University
  • Advances in Prehistory, The Durotriges Project, 19 Nov 2016, University of Winchester
  • Trade and Crafts: The art, craft and archaeology of trade in Wessex, Trading Places: Wessex and the Wider World (100 BC - AD 100), 17 Nov 2016, Amesbury
  • Festival of Archaeology, Digging the Durotriges: life and death in Iron Age Dorset, 23 Jul 2016, Salisbury Museum
  • Hidden Heritage, FINDING NERO – using 3D laser scanning to identify Roman emperors in British stately home collections, 09 Apr 2016, Dorchester
  • BBC History, The 'face' of Roman Britain: sculpture and meaning in the province of Britannia, 27 Feb 2016, M Shed, Bristol Museum
  • Festival of Archaeology, Finding Duropolis, 18 Jul 2015, Salisbury Museum
  • TEDx: Creativity, Illumination, Waking the Dead - 5 skeletons that could change archaeology, 25 Feb 2015, Bournemouth University
  • CBA Wessex 2014, Rome is where the hearth is? Discovering, recording and trying to understand villas and long houses in late Roman Wessex, 01 Nov 2014, Salisbury
  • BBC History, Geoffrey of Monmouth and the Lost Voice of Celtic Britain, 16 Oct 2014, Malmesbury
  • European Association of Archaeologists 20th Annual Meeting, Death Ways of the Durotriges: Dealing with the Dead in Late Iron Age and Early Roman Dorset, 10 Sep 2014, Istanbul Technical University
  • Sussex Archaeology Symposium, Finding Nero and other Roman emperors: Investigating Roman sculpture in Sussex and Roman Britain, 15 Mar 2014, Brighton University
  • Current Archaeology Live 2014, The Durotriges Project: tribe and prejudice in later Iron Age Britain, 27 Feb 2014, Senate House, University of London
  • Piltdown: 100 years on, Charles Dawson: A career fabricating prehistory, 18 Dec 2012, Burlington House, National Centre for Geoscience
  • The Piltdown Centenary Conference: Truth and Lies from the Deep Sussex Past, A Brief History of Crime: the curious career, finds and ‘discoveries’ of Charles Dawson FSA, 22 Sep 2012, Lewes Castle
  • Current Archaeology Live 2011, Empire Down: Terminating the Roman Superstate, 25 Feb 2011, British Museum
  • Current Archaeology Live 2010, Rethinking the Roman Invasion of Britain, 26 Feb 2010, British Museum