Christopher Charles Taylor, (7 November 1935 – 28 May 2021) was a British

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

and landscape historian. He was Head of Archaeological Survey for the

Royal Commission on Historical Monuments The Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (RCHME) was a government advisory body responsible for documenting buildings and monuments of archaeological, architectural and historical importance in England. It was established in 19 ...

(RCHM) from 1985 to 1993, having worked as an investigator for the RCHM since 1960.

Early life and education

Taylor was born at

Lichfield Lichfield () is a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated roughly south-east of the county town of Stafford, south-east of Rugeley, north-east of Walsall, north-west of Tamworth and south-west of B ...

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...

, to agricultural engineer Richard Taylor and shopkeeper Alice (née Davis). He was educated at

King Edward VI School, Lichfield King Edward VI School, Lichfield, is a Mixed-sex education, co-educational secondary school and sixth form located near the heart of the city of Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. It is a Community school (England and Wales), community school mai ...

, then at the University College of North Staffordshire (now

Keele University Keele University, officially known as the University of Keele, is a public research university in Keele, approximately from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as the University College of North Staffordshire, Keele ...

), where he graduated in history and geography in 1958. Having worked whilst a student for the Commission on archaeological fieldwork (later part of

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses. The charity states that i ...

), he took a diploma in prehistory from the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

before beginning work for the Commission full-time in 1960.

Career

In 1960, Taylor joined the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (RCHM) as an investigator. He was subsequently promoted to senior investigator and then principal investigator. From 1985 until he retired in 1993, he served as head of

archaeological survey In archaeology, survey or field survey is a type of field research by which archaeologists (often landscape archaeologists) search for archaeological sites and collect information about the location, distribution and organization of past human c ...

for the RCHM. Taylor was a landscape archaeologist, specialising in interpreting

earthworks Earthworks may refer to: Construction *Earthworks (archaeology), human-made constructions that modify the land contour * Earthworks (engineering), civil engineering works created by moving or processing quantities of soil *Earthworks (military), m ...

. In the 1980s he led the survey and interpretation of the earthworks around

Bodiam Castle Bodiam Castle () is a 14th-century moated castle near Robertsbridge in East Sussex, England. It was built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, a former knight of Edward III, with the permission of Richard II, ostensibly to defend the area agai ...

in Sussex. The work revealed that the landscape had been carefully adapted to shape how visitors experienced that castle, and contributed to a historiographical change interpreting castles as residences as well as fortifications.

Personal life

In 1961, Taylor married Angela Ballard (died 1983). They had a son and a daughter. In 1985, he married secondly Stephanie Ault (née Spooner). Taylor died on 28 May 2021, aged 85.

Honours

Taylor was an elected

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

(FSA). In 1995, he was elected a

Fellow of the British Academy Fellowship of the British Academy (FBA) is an award granted by the British Academy to leading academics for their distinction in the humanities and social sciences. The categories are: # Fellows – scholars resident in the United Kingdom # C ...

(FBA), the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and social sciences. In 2013, he was awarded the

John Coles Medal for Landscape Archaeology The British Academy presents 18 awards and medals to recognise achievement in the humanities and social sciences. Overview The British Academy currently awards 18 prizes and medals: General awards: * British Academy Medal (for academic research ...

by the British Academy.

Selected works

* * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Christopher 1935 births 2021 deaths British archaeologists 20th-century archaeologists Landscape historians Historians of the British Isles Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London Fellows of the British Academy Alumni of Keele University Alumni of the University of London People educated at King Edward VI School, Lichfield People from Lichfield