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- About us
https://webcdn.mmu.ac.uk/profiles/img/profile-images/ben-edwards-crop-145x145-5f85c363069c3.jpg
Ben undertook a BA (Hons) in Archaeology at Durham, followed by an AHRC-funded MA and PhD in archaeology at the same institution. His MA focused upon the landscape analysis of Bronze Age burial traditions, whilst his PhD concerned the nature of social reproduction during the Neolithic of northern Britain, expressed through changing traditions of deposition and their associated architectures. His PhD, Pits and the Architecture of Deposition, was completed in July of 2009. Alongside this PhD research Ben has been active in field research and excavation, particularly focused on archaeological survey techniques, digital recording, and the metric analysis of artefacts using laser scanning. He has directed three recent community excavation projects at Duddo Stone Circle, and Milfield, both in Northumberland, and Bryn Celli Ddu on Anglesey in collaboration with UCLan and Cadw.
In September 2008 Ben was employed by the University of Liverpool to teach archaeological practice, delivering training in practical field methods and contemporary archaeological theory and ethics. These responsibilities led to his current research focus on digital survey techniques and the role of heritage in contemporary society: the manner in which identities are constructed and maintained with reference to a real or imagined past. He continues to publish on this subject.
In February 2011 Ben joined the Department of History at MMU, and contributes to teaching on the Historic Environment. Ben was recently awarded major AHRC grant funding, in collaboration with Bangor and Aberystwyth universities, to 3-dimensionally record prehistoric monuments in North Wales using digital photogrammetry and laser scanning technology.
Ben also provides archaeological consultancy and surveying services to the commercial sector, see: www.arch-survey.com
Ben is departmental VLE administrator, and departmental Academic Enterprise coordinator. He also supervises the MMU International Archaeological Fieldschool.
Year 2: Rome: From Republic to Empire
Year 3: Romans and Barbarians - The Roman Empire in Western Europe
MA Public History and Heritage
Professional Heritage Practice
Michael Woods: The Archaeology of the Afon Brian, Anglesey
My current research is highly multidisciplinary, and covers two main areas: the use of advanced digital technologies in heritage management and public engagement, and the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age of Britain. My AHRC funded research, the 2013, 2017 and 2019 bid successes, have been syntheses of these two areas. The first involved crowd-sourcing images of heritage assets from members of the public, and using these images to create detailed and interactive web-hosted 3D models derived from photogrammetry. The second bid concerns taking one of these models, of Bryn Celli Ddu Neolithic burial chamber, and creating an AR-enriched environment in which the public can experience new engagements with archaeology, art and soundscapes. This has had research implications but also addresses concerns about public access to heritage and the management of a threatened resource. The final and most recent bid sees me managing the digital data on a project worth nearly one million pounds, set to completely revolutionise the dating of the British Neolithic.
My Neolithic and Early Bronze Age research focuses on ceremonial and burial monuments. I am leading two field projects: in the landscape around Bryn Celli Ddu burial chamber, Anglesey; and into the henges of the Milfield Basin, Northumberland. The work on AR and VR experiential technologies links to my second major area of research: digital technologies in heritage management. In addition to the AHRC-funded research, above, I am actively developing a cross-disciplinary research portfolio, with work undertaken in Myanmar on satellite remote sensing and digital recording, and an invitation to work in Cameroon with sustainable tourism specialists to capture data from drone overflights. I also lead in the field of open-access archaeology, publishing an edited volume on the subject, and being invited to edit digital archaeology contributions to the journal Open Archaeology. My research combines detailed metric and digital survey and modelling, with open-data and advanced visualisation techniques.
HC. Miles, AT. Wilson, F. Labrosse, B. Tiddeman, S. Griffiths, et al. B. Edwards, PD. Ritsos, JW. Mearman, K. Möller, R. Karl, JC. Roberts. (2016). Alternative Representations of 3D-Reconstructed Heritage Data. Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage. 9(1), pp.1-18.
S. Griffiths, B. Edwards, A. Wilson, R. Karl, F. Labrosse, et al. E. LaTrobe-Bateman, H. Miles, K. Moeller, J. Roberts, B. Tiddeman. (2015). Small Works, Big Stories. Methodological approaches to photogrammetry through crowd-sourcing experiences. Internet Archaeology.
S. Grifffiths, B. Edwards, R. Karl, F. Labrosse, H. Miles, et al. K. Moeller, J. Roberts, B. Tiddeman, A. Wilson. Crowd-sourcing archaeological research: HeritageTogether digital public archaeology in practice. Internet Archaeology.
R. Miket, B. Edwards, B. Johnson, C. Waddington, RA. Institute (2009). Neolithic and Early Historic Settlement in North Northumberland Excavations at Thirlings and Cheviot Quarry.
S. Griffiths, B. Edwards, F. Reynolds (2020). Public Archaeology: sharing best practice. Case studies from Wales. Internet Archaeology. 55,
F. Reynolds, S. Griffiths, B. Edwards (2019). Bryn Celli Ddu: Hannes heneb Neolithig fwyaf tradiadol Cymru. Y Naturiaethwr. 3, pp.28-35.
HC. Miles, AT. Wilson, F. Labrosse, B. Tiddeman, S. Griffiths, et al. B. Edwards, PD. Ritsos, JW. Mearman, K. Möller, R. Karl, JC. Roberts. (2016). Alternative Representations of 3D-Reconstructed Heritage Data. Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage. 9(1), pp.1-18.
S. Griffiths, B. Edwards, A. Wilson, R. Karl, F. Labrosse, et al. E. LaTrobe-Bateman, H. Miles, K. Moeller, J. Roberts, B. Tiddeman. (2015). Small Works, Big Stories. Methodological approaches to photogrammetry through crowd-sourcing experiences. Internet Archaeology.
S. Grifffiths, B. Edwards, R. Karl, F. Labrosse, H. Miles, et al. K. Moeller, J. Roberts, B. Tiddeman, A. Wilson. Crowd-sourcing archaeological research: HeritageTogether digital public archaeology in practice. Internet Archaeology.
HC. Miles, AT. Wilson, F. Labrosse, B. Tiddeman, S. Griffiths, et al. B. Edwards, K. Moller, R. Karl, JC. Roberts. (2014). Crowd-Sourced Digitisation of Cultural Heritage Assets. 2014 International Conference on Cyberworlds. pp.361-368.
R. Karl, J. Roberts, A. Wilson, K. Möller, HC. Miles, et al. B. Edwards, B. Tiddeman, F. Labrosse, EL. Trobe-Bateman. (2014). Picture This! Community-Led Production of Alternative Views of the Heritage of Gwynedd. Journal of Community Archaeology & Heritage. 1(1), pp.23-36.
B. Edwards, R. Miket, R. Bishop (2011). The Excavation of Duddo Stone Circle, Northumberland. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society. 77, pp.321-353.
B. Edwards (2010). Three Prehistories Reviewed: Writing the Present into the Past. American Journal of Archaeology. 114(2), pp.353-355.
R. Miket, B. Edwards, C. O'Brien (2008). Thirlings: A Neolithic Site in Northumberland. Archaeological Journal. 165(1), pp.1-106.
B. Edwards (2007). A Henge Too Far? Reinterpreting the Neolithic Monument Complex at Milfield, Northumberland. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society. 73, pp.59-73.
S. Hijazi, C. Mainprize, M. Wareham, S. Bramble, B. Edwards, et al. S. Griffiths. (2019). Public Archaeology at Bryn Celli Ddu: Sharing Prehistory. H. Williams, C. Pudney, A. Ezzeldin. In: Public Archaeology. Arts of Engagement. Oxford: Archaeopress, pp.81-90.
B. Edwards, R. Pope (2012). Gender in British Prehistory. In: A Companion to Gender Prehistory. Wiley, pp.458-479.
BG. Edwards (2012). A Companion to Gender Prehistory. D. Bolger. In: A Companion to Gender Prehistory. Wiley-Blackwell,
BG. Edwards (2012). Regional perspectives on Neolithic pit deposition. H. Anderson-Whymark, DJ. Thomas. In: Regional perspectives on Neolithic pit deposition. Oxbow Books,
PD. Ritsos, AT. Wilson, HC. Miles, LF. Williams, B. Tiddeman, et al. F. Labrosse, S. Griffiths, B. Edwards, K. Möller, R. Karl, JC. Roberts. (2014). Community-driven generation of 3D and augmented web content for archaeology. In: 12th Eurographics Workshop on Graphics and Cultural Heritage, GCH 2014 - Short and Project Papers. pp.25-28.
Editor: Open Archaeology Journal
Grant reviewer: AHRC Peer-Review College
Grant reviewer: Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research
Peer reviewer:
Holocene
Remote Sensing
Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
American Journal of Archaeology
European Journal of Archaeology
Heritage Pathway Lead: AHRC North-West Collaborative Doctoral Training Partnership
2019-2023 Co-I on AHRC Project: ‘TIME: Third and fourth millennia Ireland and Britain, a history of major social change explored’ - £39,000 (total award £937,000)
2017-2018 PI on AHRC Project: ‘Experiencing the Lost and Invisible’ - £71,800
2017-2018 Co-I on AHRC Project: ‘The Life of Buildings’ - £8,500 (total award £67,000)
2013-2015 Co-I on AHRC ‘Connected Communities’ Project - £129,000 (total award £459,000)
2011 Prehistoric Society Research Grant - £400
2009 Society of Antiquaries Minor Research Grant - £2000
2007 HEFCE Partnership Venture Fund - £2500
Member of the AHRC Peer Review College
Editor of the Open Archaeology journal