Lord Colin Renfrew, an influential and innovative archaeologist for more than three decades, will present this year’s John and Penelope Biggs Lecture in the Classics as part of the Assembly Series at 4 p.m. March 22 in Graham Chapel. Titled “Becoming Human: The Cognitive Archaeology of Humankind,” the talk is free and open to the public.
Renfrew’s groundbreaking research has provoked theoretical debate on archaeological methods and interpretation. He is internationally renowned for his contributions to archaeological science, including his work on radiocarbon dating, European prehistory, the origins of language, and DNA and archaeogenetics.
In the 1980s, he was a pioneer in the development of social archaeology, which focuses on the dynamics of past social relationships and their role in archaeological interpretation. He has dedicated himself to preventing looting of archaeological sites and raising awareness of the ethical aspects of his profession.
Among his major works are “Archaeology and Language: The Puzzle of Indo-European Origins” (1987); “Loot, Legitimacy and Ownership: The Ethical Crisis in Archaeology” (2000); and “Figuring It Out: The Parallel Visions of Artists and Archaeologists” (2003).
He was educated in England at the University of Cambridge, where he earned a doctorate in 1965 and a doctor of science degree in 1976. He taught prehistory and archaeology at the universities of Sheffield and Southampton.
In 1981, he was appointed to the Disney Professorship of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge, a position he held until he retired in 2004.
For nearly 15 years, he served as director of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at Cambridge, where he is a fellow.
Renfrew has received many honors, including the prestigious Balzan Prize in prehistoric archaeology.
For more information, call 935-4620 or visit assemblyseries.wustl.edu.