Derek Pitman

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Derek Pitman
Derek Pitman in 2024.jpg
Pitman at Bournemouth University in 2024
Born
Derek Shaun Pitman

10 August 1983 (1983-08-10) (age 42)
Dorset, England
Alma mater University of Sheffield
Known for Time Team, Career in Ruins
Scientific career
Fields Archaeology
Institutions Bournemouth University, Swedish Institute at Athens

Derek Pitman is a British archaeologist, academic, and presenter, specialising in ancient metallurgy and geophysical prospection. [1] Associate Professor in Archaeology and Anthropology at Bournemouth University. [2] [3]

Contents

Education and career

Pitman received his bachelor's degree in Archaeology at Bournemouth University before studying a masters in Archaeomaterials at the University of Sheffield. [3] He researched his PhD, entitled “Craft Practice and Resource Perception in the Southern Urals During the Middle Bronze Age” at the University of Sheffield. [4]

Since 2018 Pitman has led Bournemouth University's excavations at Wytch Farm in Dorset, [5] [6] and he is the survey director of the ongoing Greek-Swedish Palamas Archaeological Project at Thessalian Vlochos, Greece. [7] He has also worked and published on Swedish, [8] [9] Spanish, [10] Russian, [11] and New Zealand archaeology. [3]

Media appearances

Pitman is a host and co-creator (together with Lawrence Shaw) of the archaeology podcast Career in Ruins . [12]

Pitman joined the revived series of Time Team in 2022 as one of the programme’s archaeologists and presenters. [13] Since then, he has appeared in more than a dozen episodes, contributing field expertise on excavations across Britain. [14] He featured prominently in the 2023 investigation of Iron Age burials at Wytch Farm in Dorset, working alongside colleague Lawrence Shaw, and has also presented studio segments in special episodes, including the Time Team 2025 preview. [15]

Selected publications

References

  1. Bankes, Caroline (30 December 2018). "'Pony power' helps archaeologists unearth historic hunting lodge". Horse & Hound. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  2. "Time Team - The Time Team Crew". www.timeteamdigital.com. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 "Dr Derek Pitman - Bournemouth University Staff Profile Pages". staffprofiles.bournemouth.ac.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  4. Pitman, Derek (1 September 2015). Craft Practice and Resource Perception in the Southern Urals During the Middle Bronze Age (phd thesis). University of Sheffield.
  5. "Amazing medieval discoveries made at harbour dig". Bournemouth Echo. 9 July 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  6. "Purbeck's medieval industrial landscape revealed during BU archaeological dig". www.bournemouth.ac.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  7. "Vlochos - Vlochos, Thessaly (2015– ongoing)". Swedish Institute at Athens. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  8. "Vlochos - Ancient Urbanism in Western Thessaly: A One-Day Workshop". Swedish Institute at Athens. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  9. Vaïopoulou, Maria; Whittaker, Helene; Rönnlund, Robin; Tsiouka, Fotini; Klange, Johan; Pitman, Derek; Potter, Rich; Shaw, Lawrence; Hagan, Josephine; Siljedal, Ellen; Forssén, Matilda; Chandrasekaran, Sujatha; Dandou, Sotiria; Forsblom Ljungdahl, Veronica; Pavilionytė, Asta; Scott-Pratt, Hayden; Schager, Elisabeth; Manley, Harry (2 November 2020). "The 2016–2018 Greek-Swedish archaeological project at Thessalian Vlochos, Greece". Opuscula. Annual of the Swedish Institutes at Athens and Rome. 13: 7–72. doi: 10.30549/opathrom-13-02 . Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  10. "Digging deeper: Using new archaeological techniques to uncover more about our past". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  11. "В Челябинской области раскопки рудников второго Аркаима начнутся в 2013 году. ПОДРОБНОСТИ интернациональной экспедиции". Агентство новостей «Доступ» (in Russian). Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  12. BAJR (3 May 2019). "New podcast engages audiences in a 'Career in Ruins'". UK Archaeology News. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  13. "Derek Pitman". Time Team Digital. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  14. "Derek Pitman". IMDb. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  15. "Time Team Official YouTube Channel". YouTube. Retrieved 23 August 2025.