Theodore Reeves

• BA (Hons) Ancient History and Archaeology – University of Birmingham
• MA Archaeology (Cultural Pathway) – University of Birmingham

'​I graduated in 2017 with a First in BA Ancient History and Archaeology (Hons) from the University of Birmingham. My research interests focused on Iron Age settlements and society, and their relationship with the expanding Roman world in the later Iron Age. This led to my undergraduate dissertation on the subject of oppida and urbanism, supervised by Dr. D. Maschek.

I completed my MA degree in Archaeology, also at the University of Birmingham, graduating with Distinction in 2018. My research led me to a more niche category of Iron Age site in Britain: 'marsh-forts', which culminated in my Master's thesis on the subject of these (supervised by Prof. H. Chapman), investigating their morphology, location and function to assess how distinct they are as a type of site. This subject is then the focus of my continued research.
Following a recent break from academic study, working as a Field Archaeologist for Headland Archaeology, I have now returned to the University of Birmingham to complete a PhD focused on Iron Age marshforts (supervised by Prof. H. Chapman and Dr. David Smith; funded by M4C).

Across my academic and professional career, I have taken part in several significant projects including the Stonehenge Landscape Project and the archaeological works for HS2. I also have ongoing involvement with Time Team.
I am also a qualified UAV pilot, holding an A2 Certificate of Competency.

Undergraduate Teaching

• Archaeology Field School
• Roman World

Other

• I have run a 'Beginner's Introduction to GIS' workshop, for the University of Birmingham Archaeology Society, teaching both ArcMap (ArcGIS) and QGIS, as well as informal 1-to-1 mentoring for postgraduates.

PhD title

Re-classifying Iron Age marsh-forts

Supervisors

Professor Henry Chapman and Dr David Smith

Course

Archaeology PhD/MA by Research (On-Campus or by Distance Learning)

The British Iron Age is known for its hillforts. Grouped within these is currently a relatively under researched sub-category known as ‘marsh-forts’, defined by their setting in wetland environments. This has derived from the descriptive way in which we distinguish other categories of hillfort, such as promontory or contour forts. My research focuses on moving away from such descriptive definitions of marsh-forts to analytical categorisations.

My previous GIS-based MA research focused on the analysis of seven marsh-fort sites, resulting in the hypothesis that there are two distinctive types of marsh-fort defined by relationships between constructed architecture and wetland context.

 This project will expand the scope of that research to all 33 sites in Britain currently defined as marsh-forts. A more nuanced approach, built upon critical assessment, will be developed using GIS-based modelling and fieldwork. This will then be used to identify and re-classify different types of ‘marsh-fort’ and assess how these relate to wider themes of Iron Age landscape architecture. This project aims to rethink the way in which marsh-forts are classified and has the potential to expose a complexity to these sites which may significantly impact the future study of hill-forts and the Iron Age.

• The Rosetta Journal - Articles and Archaeological Pieces Editor (2020-21); General Editor (2021-22); Specialist Editor (2020-present)
• The University of Birmingham Archaeology Society - President (2021-22); Postgrad Rep (2022-present)
• CAHA PG Forum - Vice President (2021-22); Committee Member (2022-2023)
• Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society - Social Media Officer (2021-22)
• Postgraduate Peer Mentor (2021-2023)

Memberships

• Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (Practitioner)
• Prehistoric Society
• Royal Archaeological Institute
• University of Birmingham Archaeology Society

Past Presentations

• 'Iron Age Marsh-forts as a distinct category of archaeological site', Royal Archaeological Institute Lecture Series, Online, 11 November 2020
• [e-Poster] 'Using GIS to categorise archaeological sites (as part of Re-classifying Iron Age marsh-forts)' – M4C Research Festival – 7-10 June 2021
• 'Descriptive vs Interpretative: a new model for categorising Iron Age marsh-forts' - UoB CAHA Colloquium - 18 May 2022
• “Low-fort” invisibility and expressions of Iron Age power and identity' - UoB SHaC PGR Conference - 5 May 2023

Television / Media

Time Team (Season 21, Dig 2 - Broughton Villa, Oxfordshire)

Other Public Engagement & Impact

Work at Athelney with Somerset Wildlands 

Scholarships, Awards and Funding

• 2023 - Midlands4Cities Research Development Fund: £3024 for Radiocarbon dating
• 2022 - Midlands4Cities Research Development Fund: £5,625.36 for Phase 2 fieldwork: Borehole Surveys
• 2022 - Midlands4Cities Engagement Fund: £124.99 for Drone A2 CofC Course
• 2021 - Midlands4Cities Research Development Fund: £3,071.78 for Phase 1 fieldwork: Site Visits
• 2020 – Midlands4Cities AHRC Doctoral Studentship Award
• 2018 – Bladen Carter Award for Archaeology (University of Birmingham)
• 2017 – Edna Pearson Scholarship (University of Birmingham – MA Scholarship