The Development of Computer
Archaeology at North Staffordshire
Polytechnic, Staffordshire
Polytechnic and Staffordshire
University, Stafford
1969 - 2012
1966 John Wilcock began to use computers for computer archaeology
applications. A Martin-Clark resistivity meter was used with a square array
configuration, particularly at South Cadbury (“Camelot”) for Leslie Alcock
(1925 – 2006). Alcock’s methodology made headlines within the
archaeological community for the use of geophysical survey, which in
those days was an unusual and experimental method. John Wilcock
processed some of these readings on a KDF9 computer, and the results
were then transmitted back to the team. This was possibly the first UK
transmission of archaeological survey readings by computer.
Proton gradiometers were developed at the Research Laboratory for
Archaeology and the History of Art at Oxford (Martin Aitken & Edward
Hall), and also in an old silk mill at Leek, and these were employed on
various sites for Francis Celoria, Arnold Mountford and the Stoke-on-Trent
Museum Archaeological Society.
In 1969 John Wilcock decided that he would like to do computer teaching in an academic
background
01.05.69: Appointed Senior Lecturer at Staffordshire College of Technology, which was
heavily sponsored by English Electric. In 1970 this became part of the new North
Staffordshire Polytechnic. The Department of Computing originally had 10 lecturers and
one technician. This rapidly grew to 100 lecturers in computing, 30 technicians, and a
throughput of 2000 computing graduates per year.
North Staffordshire Polytechnic inaugurated 1970
The name was changed to Staffordshire Polytechnic in 1991
Staffordshire University was inaugurated in 1994
Keele Summer School in
Archaeology
15 – 29.08.1970, with
permission (initialled) by
the North Staffordshire
Polytechnic Head of
Computing, Dr H.L.W.
Jackson
1970 Computing in Archaeology Conference, Mamaia, Romania –
the first international conference for mathematics and computer
science applications in the historical and archaeological sciences
(a joint British – Romanian conference, held while Ceaucescu
was in power). It was this conference which really inspired John
Wilcock to do research into Computer Archaeology.
Adamclisi - Roman monument similar to Trajan’s Column.
Histria – Greek and Roman site on the shores of the Black Sea.
Constanta – Glykon Snake, 3rd Century BCE, a protective goddess
of the Constanta Roman Port where Ovid was exiled.
After Francis Celoria left the University of Keele to become Curator of the
Gladstone Pottery Museum, the Research Centre for Computer Archaeology
was involved in several projects there.
The former Staffordshire College of Technology
at Beaconside (photo is dated 1964), and the
Blackheath Lane site, which became the
Department of Computing of North
Staffordshire Polytechnic. It was here that John
Wilcock had access to hundreds of computers,
and to Research Grants. The Research Centre
for Computer Archaeology was founded, which
trained archaeologists in computing.
BBC Micro
Research Machines 380Z
03.06.81 Visit of Prince Charles to Blackheath Lane site of North Staffordshire
Polytechnic. Since Prince Charles had studied Archaeology at Cambridge, he was
shown archaeological programs running on the Research Machines 380Z.
1984 Julian D. Richards, PhD student, programming the Research Machines 380Z for
pottery profile analysis. He is now at the University of York.
The Royal Institution, London
The Research Centre for Computer Archaeology was honoured to be invited to make a
Presentation and Exhibition 08.03.1985
1985 Gary Lock’s PhD graduation, with mathematician Mike Fletcher
on the left, and John Wilcock on the right.
The 1986 BBC Domesday Project
Published
1987
AERE Harwell, where students were
placed in their industrial sandwich
year. Also Terry Short was a research
assistant at the Harwell Radiocarbon
Laboratory. The large chimney marks
the BEPO reactor, whose brickwork
was used to shield cosmic rays from
the radiocarbon measuring
equipment. A RML 380Z was used to
process the results. The lower
photos show the demolition and the
razed site.
CAA92 Aarhus, PhD students with Mike Fletcher and John Wilcock 25.03-01.04.1992
Lindholm Hǿje ship burials; Fyrkat Viking longhouse, with
Torsten Madsen from Aarhus, Denmark and Hans
Kamermans from Leiden, Netherlands.
Of course, the Research Centre for Computer
Archaeology supported the Computer Applications in
Archaeology (CAA) conferences from their inauguration in
1973. PhD students presented papers at CAA, and several
have been involved in the management of CAA up to the
present. Gary Lock is the current Chairman (2012).
1993 The Roman
Conquest of
Britain
BBC Model B
software
developed for
English Heritage
for Key Stages 2
and 3 school use
– written by
John Wilcock
with the
collaboration of
two primary
school teachers
Computer Applications in Archaeology 96 Conference, Iaçi, Romania 24-29.03.1996
Iaçi University; Bucovina
painted church and fresco;
church in Iaçi
In retirement John Wilcock has been involved in the COST European Projects
COST G2 Action:
Brussels 28.11 – 01.12.1997
Barcelona & Ampurias 21-24.05.1998
Ghent (Gand), Ename, Furfooz, Jemelle, Velzeke 21-25.10.1998
Ljubljana, Kropa, Stara Sava, Lake Bled 18-20.12.1998
Norwich 14-16.05.1999
Las Medulas 14 – 17.10.1999
Athens & Laurion 25 – 28.05.2000
Naples, Pozzuoli, Fregellae, Elea Velia 29.11 – 03.12.2000
Bornholm 15 - 20.05.2001
Cyprus, Nicosia & Paphos 10 – 15.10.2001
COST A27 Action: “Understanding pre-industrial structures in rural and mining landscapes (LANDMARKS):
Brussels, Belgium 24.06.2004
Madrid, Spain 28 – 31.10.2004
Copenhagen & Funen, Denmark 27 – 30.05.2005
Naples, Italy 03 - 05.11.2005
Aberystwyth UK meeting 19.01.2006
Samos, Greece 03 - 07.05.2006
Ghent, Belgium 21 - 24.09.2006 (JDW did not attend this meeting)
Le Mans Conference 07 - 09.12.2006 (JDW did not attend this additional conference)
Bochum, Germany 05 – 11.06.2007
Aberystwyth, UK 06 – 13.09.2007
Thingvellir, Iceland 04 – 07.09.2008
The extent of the Co-operation in Science and Technology (COST) Organisation,
which includes Canada and Iceland
COST A27 Madrid October 2004
COST A27 final meeting Iceland and car tour of
southern Iceland 03-15.09.08 (Keflavik; Thingvellir;
Geysir; Gullfoss; Skalholt; Kerid crater; Hverargerdi;
Sjeljalandsfoss; Skagafoss; Vik; Myrdalsjokull;
Eldhraun; Geirland; Kirkjugolf; Systrafoss; Dwarf
Rocks; Vatnajokull turf church; Svartifoss;
Hundafoss; Skaftafell; Jokulsarlon (DKW trip); Hofn;
Skaftafell; Vik; Hvolsvollur; Selfoss; Hveragerdi;
Reykjavik; Perlan exhibition and dining; Blue
Lagoon)
Thingvellir, Iceland 06.09.08 (for COST A27 John Wilcock was a member of the Core
Management Group, Chair of Working Group 4, and also Webmaster
Staffordshire University Computing
Futures Museum, a largely virtual
museum of the development of
computing, but with about 30 cases
of antique computer hardware.
Try typing “Staffordshire University
Computing Futures Museum” into
Google!
13.04.11 BBC filming in the Octagon at Staffordshire University concerning the resurrection
of the hardware of the 1986 BBC Domesday Project. The contents of the optical discs have
now been saved from the “Digital Dark Age” and are archived for posterity.
March 2012 Southampton. Computer Applications in Archaeology 2012, 40th
Anniversary of the Conference John Wilcock helped to found. John is being interviewed
by the roving TV team at the CAA2012 registration (and was referred to as “Father of
the Conference” – perhaps justified because around 20 of his PhD students had
attended the series of conferences over the years)
CAA2012 Plenary Session keynote presentation by Jeremy Huggett, University of
Glasgow, John’s former PhD student
The Personal Histories
panel at CAA2012, Gary
Lock (Chair), Paul Reilly,
John Wilcock, Nick Ryan,
Hans Kamermans, Sue
Laflin, Phil Barker, and Clive
Orton. Gary, Paul, John and
Nick were all at RCCA,
Stafford
Gary Lock
Paul Reilly
Nick Ryan
Former PhD students Paul Reilly (IBM), Jeremy Huggett (University of Glasgow)
and Research Assistant Kath Baker (Jeremy Huggett’s wife)
Personal Histories Session: Former PhD students Nick Ryan (University of Canterbury)
and Gary Lock (University of Oxford; Chairman of CAA)