Richard Allan Tomlinson, FSA (born 25 April 1932), publishes under R. A. Tomlinson, is a British archaeologist. He was Professor of Ancient History and Archaeology at the

University of Birmingham , mottoeng = Through efforts to heights , established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...

from 1971 to 1995, and then director of the

British School at Athens , image = Image-Bsa athens library.jpg , image_size = 300px , image_upright= , alt= , caption = The library of the BSA , latin_name= , motto= , founder = The Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, called the foundation meeti ...

from 1995 to 1996.

Early life

Tomlinson was born on 25 April 1932 to James Edward Tomlinson and Dorothea Mary Tomlinson (née Grellier). He was educated at King Edward's School, a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

day school for boys in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

. He then studied at St John's College,

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

. He graduated

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

(BA), which was later promoted to

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

(MA).

Academic career

In 1957, Tomlinson served as an assistant in the Department of Greek of the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

. The following year, in 1958, he joined the

as an

Assistant Lecturer Lecturer is an academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. They may also conduct res ...

. He was promoted to Lecturer in 1961 and Senior Lecturer in 1969. He was appointed

Professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...

of ancient history and archaeology in 1971. From 1988 to 1991, he served as Head of the School of Antiquity. Since 1995, when he left the university, he has been

Professor Emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

of the University of Birmingham. He was Chairman of th
Birmingham Branch

The Victorian Society The Victorian Society is a UK amenity society and membership organisation that campaigns to preserve and promote interest in Victorian and Edwardian architecture and heritage built between 1837 and 1914 in England and Wales. It is a registered ...

between 1975 and 1978. From 1995 to 1996, he served as Director of the

. Previously, between 1978 and 1991, he had edited the School's

Annual Annual may refer to: * Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year **Yearbook ** Literary annual * Annual plant * Annual report * Annual giving * Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco * Annuals (b ...

. He served as Chairman of its Managing Committee between 1991 and 1995. He is current vice-president, having been appointed to that post in 2001.

Personal life

In 1957, Tomlinson married Heather Margaret Murphy. Together they had four children: three sons and one daughter. His wife has predeceased him, dying in 2009.

Honours

On 8 January 1970, Tomlinson was 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).

Works

* ''Argos and the Argolid: From the End of the Bronze Age to the Roman Occupation'' (Ithaca, N.Y. : Cornell University Press, 1972) * ''From marble halls to mud huts'', Inaugural Lectures Series, From an Inaugural Lecture Delivered in the University of Birmingham on 14 November 1972 (Birmingham: University of Birmingham, 1973) * ''Greek sanctuaries'' (1976) * ''Epidauros'' (Archaeological sites) (1983) * ''Athens of Alma Tadema'' (1991) * ''From Mycenae to Constantinople: The Evolution of the Ancient City'' (1992)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tomlinson, Richard 1932 births British archaeologists Academics of the University of Birmingham Living people Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London Directors of the British School at Athens Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge