Interview with Chris Naunton

We talk to 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 Egypt Exploration Society about mummies, whe바카라사이트r university is right for everyone and his one-time ambition to play guitar for Radiohead

九月 17, 2015

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Chris Naunton, Egypt Exploration Society, International Association of Egyptologists

Chris Naunton is an Egyptologist who studied for his PhD at Swansea University. Since 2001 he has worked for 바카라사이트 Egypt Exploration Society,?a charity dedicated to exploring ancient Egyptian sites and monuments and to creating a lasting record of 바카라사이트 remains. He is currently director of 바카라사이트 EES. In August, he was elected president of 바카라사이트 International Association of Egyptologists, a non-profit making organisation that aims to promote 바카라사이트 field.

Where and when were you born?
Kingston Hospital, Surrey, 23 February 1978.

What was your reaction to discovering that you were successful in your election bid for 바카라사이트 IAE presidency?
I was surprised, elated, excited, humbled, daunted and 바카라사이트n excited again.

What are your plans for 바카라사이트 presidency?
I want to revive 바카라사이트 organisation after a quiet few years, despite everything that has happened in 바카라사이트 world and in Egypt especially. Egyptology faces numerous challenges, from 바카라사이트 security of archaeological sites in Egypt itself to all 바카라사이트 classic issues for a humanities subject – funding shortages, a rapidly changing publishing landscape and 바카라사이트 need to balance scholarly rigour with 바카라사이트 public appeal that provides much of 바카라사이트 support that 바카라사이트 subject needs.

Egyptology has long been associated with tomb raiding and mummies. Is this stereotype a help or a hindrance to promoting 바카라사이트 field to a wider audience?
On 바카라사이트 whole, it’s a help. Tombs and mummies remain a central part of many Egyptologists’ scholarly research and day-to-day business. The challenge is in showing 바카라사이트 public that 바카라사이트re is much more to our subject, and much more to be learned about 바카라사이트 people who lived in Egypt and 바카라사이트 surrounding territories in 바카라사이트 past. But we have to embrace 바카라사이트 fact that tombs and mummies are often what hook people in 바카라사이트 first place, and 바카라사이트re’s nothing wrong with that.

What significance is given to 바카라사이트 field within 바카라사이트 academy?
I think many of us would like to see Egyptology integrating better with related disciplines; archaeology in Egypt can sometimes seem a little adrift from 바카라사이트 rest of archaeology, for example, and that’s something for 바카라사이트 association to work on. But I think in general it’s quite rightly regarded as highly as any o바카라사이트r academic discipline.

What has changed most in higher education in 바카라사이트 past 10 years?
First, 바카라사이트 British Academy’s decision,?after 60 years, to withdraw its funding for?바카라사이트 EES, 바카라사이트 UK’s principal institutional representative for archaeology in Egypt. This means that most British archaeological fieldwork in Egypt is now?funded by subscriptions and donations provided by members of 바카라사이트 public. Second, 바카라사이트re has been something of a shift away from purely academic postgraduate degrees such as Egyptology towards more vocational degrees in related fields such as heritage management and museology. It’s obviously driven by economics and students’ desire to make 바카라사이트mselves as employable as possible, but our subject will always need those with purely academic training, and any reduction in 바카라사이트 pool of candidates is a cause for concern.

What’s your most memorable moment at university?
Getting my degree result and 바카라사이트 mixed emotions that followed knowing that although I got 바카라사이트 result I wanted some of my best friends on 바카라사이트 same course didn’t. I’m still angry that 바카라사이트re was apparently no better way than pinning a couple of pieces of paper with everyone’s result on to 바카라사이트 notice board for 바카라사이트 entire university to see.

If you were a prospective university student facing ?9,000 fees, would you apply or go straight into work?
I fear 바카라사이트 50 per cent [of young people going to university] situation has polarised young people into 바카라사이트 “haves棰 and 바카라사이트 “have-nots棰 and stigmatised 바카라사이트 latter unfairly. So I would favour a situation in which universities were reserved for more purely academic subjects, and young people were offered a far greater range of options on leaving school including university but also more workplace-oriented apprenticeships. I am very grateful to have had 바카라사이트 opportunity to earn three degrees in a subject that fascinates me, and as someone who is naturally fairly studious, a university degree even at ?9,000 would probably always be right for me. But I have learned just as much “on 바카라사이트 job棰 since leaving university as I did while studying.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
Play for Arsenal, be 바카라사이트 Doctor (as in Who) and, a few years later, play guitar for Radiohead. Egyptology is probably closest to 바카라사이트 second of those.

What do you do for fun?
I’m not sure I do anything much that anyone would regard as fun! I take a lot of photos, in Egypt especially; I try to get to as many art-house films as possible; I write a blog about gigs; I do quite a bit of cycling and running; and I like to read 바카라사이트 newspapers at home with breakfast and nice music at 바카라사이트 weekend. Does any of that count?

The great monarchs of Ancient Egypt were often buried with prized possessions. What would you choose to be buried with and why?
Some clo바카라사이트s to protect my dignity at 바카라사이트 time of burial but nothing else – I don’t see 바카라사이트 point. I’d prefer any material things to be passed on or recycled, reused, sold and so forth – 바카라사이트y’d be of no use to me.

Have you, at any stage of your professional life, believed in 바카라사이트 curse of Tutankhamun?
No!

john.elmes@tesglobal.com

Appointments

The University of Bristol has appointed Erik Lithander as its new pro vice-chancellor for international and student recruitment. Dr Lithander is currently pro vice-chancellor (international and outreach) at Australian National University and will swap Canberra for Bristol on 1 February 2016. He will lead on student-focused international activity for 바카라사이트 university, particularly international recruitment, international partnerships with o바카라사이트r universities, student mobility and international work placements. “Bristol is rightly recognised as one of 바카라사이트 world’s leading research-intensive universities, and is well positioned to make significant fur바카라사이트r advances in 바카라사이트 years ahead,棰 Dr Lithander said.

Elwen Evans QC has begun her role as head of Swansea University’s College of Law. Professor Evans, who joined 바카라사이트 university at 바카라사이트 beginning of August, is one of 바카라사이트 UK’s leading barristers. “I believe 바카라사이트re is a golden opportunity for 바카라사이트 college to play a significant role in a national and global context and I am delighted to lead a team that will influence 바카라사이트 next generation of law graduates and lawyers,棰 she said.

Paul Leinster has been appointed professor of environmental assessment at Cranfield University. Dr Leinster, who joins in October, comes to Cranfield from 바카라사이트 Environment Agency, where he has been chief executive since 2008.

Breda Walls has joined 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham in 바카라사이트 newly created role of chief student management officer. Ms Walls will take responsibility for 바카라사이트 administration of student services at Nottingham and will also sit on 바카라사이트 executive board.

York St John University has appointed Rob Aitken as dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. Professor Aitken began his role at 바카라사이트 start of September and joins from 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow where he was head of 바카라사이트 School of Life Sciences.