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 through community and volunteer projects. He has directed three recent community excavation projects at Warden, Duddo Stone Circle, and Milfield, all in Northumberland.
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 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. He is actively pursuing collaborative research with local community heritage projects. Ben recently received funding from the IHSSR to pursue the 'Virtual Museums Project', utilising laser-scanning equipment to 3D digitise archaeological artefacts to improve both public access and metric analysis.
Ben also provides archaeological consultancy and surveying services to the commercial sector, see: www.arch-survey.com
Books
Published
Miket, R., Edwards, B., Johnson, B. & Waddington, C. 2009. Neolithic and Early Historic Settlement in North Northumberland. London, Royal Archaeological Institute.
Papers
Published
Edwards, B. 2012. ‘Social Structures: pits and depositional practice in Neolithic Northumberland’ in J. Thomas & H. Anderson-Whymark (eds) Regional Perspectives on Neolithic Pit Deposition: Beyond the Mundane. Oxford, Oxbow.
Edwards, B. & Pope, R. 2012. ‘Gender in British Prehistory’ in D. Bolger (ed) Companion to Gender Prehistory. London, Blackwell.
Edwards, B., Miket, R. & Bishop, R. 2011. The Excavation of Duddo Stone Circle, Northumberland. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, 77, 321-353
Edwards, B. 2010. Review Article - Three Prehistories Reviewed: Writing the Present into the Past. American Journal of Archaeology, 114.
Miket, R. & Edwards, B. 2008. Thirlings: a Neolithic Site in Northumberland. The Archaeological Journal, 165, 1-106.
Edwards, B. 2007. A Henge Too Far? Re-interpreting the Neolithic Monument Complex at Milfield, Northumberland. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, 73, 59-73.
In Press
Edwards, B. in press. ‘The Tyranny of the Same: how contextual archaeology disciplines the past’ in Pollard, J, & Hicks, D (ser eds.) Contemporary and Historical Archaeology series, BAR.
In Preparation
Edwards, B. in prep. Excavations at Milfield Threefords [Monograph]
Edwards, B. in prep. Evaluating Electrical Resistance Tomography for Archaeological Survey in Britain [Antiquity, 3000 words. A contribution to Antiquity’s ‘methods’ section on new successes in the application of ERT to British archaeological surveying and prospection.
Edwards, B. in prep. In Defence of Ritual [Current Anthropology, 8000 words. A critical appraisal of the identification of ‘ritual’ activity in the archaeological record, and its usefulness as a vehicle for social reproduction and change]