Dr Tertia Barnett (BA, BSc, PhD, MIFA)

Honorary Fellow; Archaeology

Biography

Background

I have worked on a wide range of archaeological projects in Britain, Europe and Africa in association with universities, and public and private sector organisations. My interest in African archaeology was fuelled through a graduate scholarship in 1993 with the British Institute in East Africa. On returning to Britain, my PhD at Bristol University focused on the development of food production in Ethiopia. Between 1997 and 2000, I lectured in Archaeology at Nottingham and Cardiff Universities. I subsequently worked on various projects for English Heritage and Headland Archaeology, during which time I nurtured a growing interest in rock art. Between 2004 and 2009, I directed the Wadi al-Ajal Rock Art Project to survey and record rock carvings in south west Libya, which was published in a two-volume monograph.

Back in Britain, I was involved in a number of rock art research projects and community-led initiatives with Durham University, Bradford Council, and English Heritage. I was project officer for the Northumberland and Durham Rock Art project between 2004 and 2006, working with volunteers to develop a national recording methodology and database for rock art. Between 2006 and 2011, my experience of community engagement developed further in my role managing the Scotland’s Rural Past project for the Royal Commission for Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS). Following this, I was Principal Investigator for the five-year Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded Scotland's Rock Art Project (ScRAP), working with communities to record, research and raise awareness of rock art across the country. I am currently working with communities to excavate and record rock art in Perth and Kinross for Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust.

Undergraduate teaching

I currently contribute to undergraduate teaching with lectures on Rock Art in Britain (Archaeology 1B) and Community Archaeology (3rd Year Archaeology in Practice).

Open to PhD supervision enquiries?

Yes

Research summary

Places: 

  • Africa
  • Britain & Ireland
  • Europe
  • Mediterranean
  • Scotland

Themes: 

  • Ancient Civilisations
  • Landscapes & Monuments
  • Material Culture

Periods: 

  • Prehistory

Rock Art: My research focuses mainly on rock art, especially in Britain and North Africa. My fieldwork in the Wadi al-Ajal, south west Libya identified and recorded thousands of rock carvings, spanning a period from around 6000 BC up to recent times. Analysis of the carvings explored, among other things, their contextual relationships, their material dimensions, and their role in social adaption within a rapidly changing environment. This research was supported by the Department of Antiquities in Libya, the British Academy, the British Council in Tripoli, and the Leverhume Trust.

Community Archaeology: I have worked within the sphere of community archaeology for over 15 years and, during this time, I have examined the evolution of community engagement and social value of heritage, and the agents that shape and contribute to this evolution. In 2004-2006, I working with volunteers in the Northumberland and Durham Rock Art Project (NADRAP), funded by English Heritage as a pilot study for a national re-evaluation of British prehistoric rock art. This project pioneered new techniques for recording rock carvings, while developing a comprehensive website and database in order to facilitate study and conservation and establish priorities for the future research and management of rock art in the UK [England’s rock art website/database: http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/era/]. Between 2006 and 2011, I managed the Scotland’s Rural Past (SRP) for the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) [http://www.scotlandsruralpast.org.uk/]. This five-year national initiative worked with hundreds of local volunteers across Scotland to research, record and raise awareness of abandoned medieval and later rural settlements. I subsequently worked on a number of community engagement projects, including the Carved Stones Investigations – a community-let rock art recording project based around Ilkley Moor, West Yorkshire – and the development of the Scotland’s Urban Past project – a Heritage Lottery Funded project run by Historic Environment Scotland.

Current research interests

I am currently running the Lost Stones of Strath Tay project, working with communities in Perth and Kinross to enhance understanding and awareness of prehistoric carvings in this region through recording and excavation. This builds on my recent work as Principal Investigator on the Scotland's Rock Art Project (www.rockart.scot), a five year AHRC funded programme (2017-2021) that worked with communities to research, record and raise awareness of rock art across Scotland.

Project activity

BOOKS

Sole authored volumes

Barnett T (forthcoming) The Decorated Desert: Rock Art of the Sahara. London: Society for Libyan Studies

Barnett T (2023) Identifying and Recording Scotland’s Prehistoric Rock Art. Edinburgh: Historic Environment Scotland

Barnett T (2019) An Engraved Landscape: Rock carvings of the Wadi al-Ajal, Libya. Volume 1: Synthesis. London: Society for Libyan Studies

Barnett T (2019) An Engraved Landscape: Rock carvings of the Wadi al-Ajal, Libya. Volume 2: Gazetteer. London: Society for Libyan Studies

Barnett T (1999) The Emergence of Food Production in Ethiopia. Cambridge Monographs in African Archaeology 45. BAR International Series 763, Oxford

Edited Books

Barnett T (ed) (2011) Scotland’s Rural Past: Community Archaeology in action. Edinburgh: RCAHMS

Barnett T (ed) (2011) A Practical Guide to Recording Archaeological Sites. Edinburgh: RCAHMS

Barnett T and Sharpe K E (eds) (2010) Carving a Future for British Rock Art: new approaches to research, management and presentation. Oxford: Oxbow Books

Co-authored Books

Barnett T, Valdez-Tullett J, Bjerketvedt L M, Alexander F, Jeffrey S and Robin G (2021) Prehistoric Rock Art in Scotland: Archaeology, meaning and engagement. Edinburgh: Historic Environment Scotland

Barnett T, Ritchie M, and Sharpe K (2021) A Song in Stone. Forestry and Land Scotland

Sharpe K, Barnett T and Rushton S (2008) The Prehistoric Rock Art of England: Recording, managing and enjoying our carved heritage. English Heritage, Northumberland County Council and Durham County Council

Contributions to Edited Books

Barnett T, Valdez-Tullett J, and Bjerketvedt LM (2022) Close encounters: visibility and accessibility of Atlantic rock art in Scotland. In P Frodsham and K Sharpe (eds) Abstractions Based on Circles. Papers on prehistoric rock art presented to Stan Beckensall on his 90th birthday. Oxford: Archaeopress, 63-76

Barnett T, Valdez-Tullett J, Jeffrey S, Robin G, Hoole M, Bjerketvedt LM, and Alexander F (2022) The past, present and future of rock art research in Scotland. In A Mazel and G Nash (eds) Signalling and Performance: Ancient rock art in Britain and Ireland. Oxford: Archaeopress, 10-66

Barnett T (2018) Back to life: British rock art in the Iron Age. In Dodd J and Meijer E (eds) Giving the Past a Future. Essays in archaeology and rock art studies in honour of Dr. Phil. h.c. Gerhard Milstreu. Oxford: Archaeopress, 255-269

Barnett T (2010) Putting people in the picture: community involvement in rock art recording. In Barnett T F and Sharpe K E (eds) Carving a Future for British Rock Art. Oxford: Oxbow Books, 25-36

Barnett T and Sharpe K E (2010) Introduction. In Barnett T F and Sharpe K E (eds) Carving a Future for British Rock Art. Oxford: Oxbow Books, xiii-xv

Barnett T (2007) Rock art gazetteer. In Mattingly D J, Daniels, C M, Dore, J N, Edwards, D and Hawthorne, J (eds) The Archaeology of the Fezzan: Gazetteer, pottery and other survey finds. Vol II. London/Tripoli: Libyan Studies Society/Department of Antiquities, 3-292

Barnett T (2006) Libyan rock art as a cultural heritage resource. In Mattingly D, McLaren S, Savage E, al-Fasatwi Y and Gadgood K (eds) The Libyan Desert: Natural resources and cultural heritage. London: Society for Libyan Studies, 95-110

Barnett T, Diaz-Andreu M and Longhurst P (2006) Recording and monitoring rock art in Britain and Libya with 3D laser scanning. In Chenna Reddy P (ed) Exploring the Mind of Ancient Man. Festschrift to Robert Bednarick. New Delhi: Research India Press, 276-281

Barnett T (2004) Secrets of the Stones: Rock art of Libya and the Sahara. In Splendours of Libya. Single Line: Cambridge, Mass, sponsored by the Archaeological Institute of America

Barnett T with Mattingly D M (2003) The Engraved Heritage: Rock-Art and Inscriptions. In Mattingly D J, Daniels C M, Dore J N, Edwards D, and Hawthorne J (eds) The Archaeology of Fazzan: Synthesis. Vol I. London/Tripoli: Libyan Studies Society/Department of Antiquities, 279-326

Journal Articles

Barnett T, Valdez-Tullett J, Bjerketvedt LM, Alexander-Reid F, Hoole M, Jeffrey S, and Robin G (2024) A multi-scalar methodology for holistic analysis of prehistoric rock carvings in Scotland. Heritage Science 12(86):  https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-024-01183-8

Valdez-Tullett J, Barnett T, Robin G and Jeffrey S (2023) Revealing the earliest animal engravings in Scotland: The Dunchraigaig Deer, Kilmartin. Cambridge Archaeological Journal 33(2): 281-307 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959774322000312

Barnett T (2022) Rethinking rock art in the British Iron Age. Adoranten 53: 57-75

Barnett T and Valdez-Tullett J (2022) The Dunchraigaig Deer: a biography of Scotland’s earliest animal carvings. The Kist 100: 39-50

Valdez-Tullett J, Barnett T, Bjerketvedt L, Jeffrey S and Robin G (2021) Recording and researching Scotland’s prehistoric rock art. Royal Archaeological Institute Newsletter

Valdez-Tullett, J and Barnett T (2021) New light on Scotland’s prehistoric rock art: the recent discovery of animal carvings at Dunchraigaig Cairn (Kilmartin, Scotland). PAST 98 Summer 

Barnett T, Valdez-Tullett J, Bjerketvedt LM, Jeffrey S and Robin G (2021) Scotland’s Rock Art Project: community co-production in rock art research. The European Archaeologist 67 Winter

Bjerketvedt LM. Barnett T, Valdez-Tullett J, Jeffrey S and Robin G (2021) Final year of the Scotland’s Rock Art Project. CIfA Scottish Group March Newsletter

Barnett T (2020) Case Study 19: Scotland’s Rock Art Project (ScRAP) in Argyll and Bute. ScARF (Scottish Archaeological Research Framework)

Valdez-Tullett J and Barnett T (2020) 3000+: discovering the prehistoric carved landscapes of Scotland. Blogpost for Digit! Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

Barnett T (2019) Case Study 29: Community engagement with rock art – the Northumberland and Durham Rock Art Project. ScARF (Scottish Archaeological Research Framework), Future Thinking on Carved Stones in Scotland  

Barnett T (2019) The power of Saharan rock art. Current World Archaeology 97: 16-21

Barnett T and Guagnin M (2014) Changing places: rock art and Holocene landscapes in the Wadi al-Ajal, south west Libya. Journal of African Archaeology 12(2): 165-182

Brown L, Stroud R, Sharpe K E, and Barnett T (2013) Keeping the ‘Rock Art’ Record Straight: An Update on the Work of the CSI: Rombalds Moor Project. Prehistoric Yorkshire 50: 21-28

Barnett T (2012) Carved Stones Investigations on Rombalds Moor: volunteers to the rescue! Prehistoric Yorkshire 49: 20-23

Barnett T (2009) Style, symbolism and cultural identity in the Wadi al-Hayat. Libyan Studies 40: 155-170

Barnett T (2008) Scotland’s Rural Past in the Forth Valley. The Forth Naturalist and Historian 31: 67-74

Barnett T (2007) Images on stone: report on recent survey of rock art sites in the Wadi al-Hayat, Fezzan. Libya Antiqua 5: 40-53

Oswald A, Bryan P and Barnett T (2006) The rock art recording pilot project in Northumberland and County Durham. English Heritage Research News 2: 24-27

Barnett T (2006) The changing rock art landscape of Co Durham and Northern England. Archaeology County Durham 1: 6-10

Barnett T (2006) Recording rock art in several dimensions. The Archaeology of Northumberland 16: 45-48

Barnett T (2006) Gods on the rocks. Current Archaeology 204: 618

Barnett T (2006) Dancing girls and insect headed gods: recent rock art survey in the Wadi al-Hayat, Fezzan. Libyan Studies 37: 95-116

Barnett T, Chalmers A, Diaz-Andreu M, Ellis G, Longhurst P, Sharpe K and Trinks I (2005) 3D laser scanning for recording and monitoring rock art erosion. International Newsletter on Rock Art (INORA) 41:25-29

Barnett T and Diaz-Andreu M (2005) Knowledge capture and transfer in rock art studies: results of a questionnaire on rock art decay in Britain. Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites 7(1): 35-48

Barnett T (2005) Community involvement in British Rock Art. The Archaeologist 56: 26-28

Barnett T (2005) The Northumberland and Durham rock art project unveiled. The Archaeology of Northumberland 15: 56-58

Barnett T (2005) Patterns on the rocks: spatial distribution of rock art in the Wadi al-Ajal. Libyan Studies 36: 121-134

Barnett T (2003) Saharan landscapes: contextualised rock art as a cultural heritage resource in Libya. Rock Art Research 20(2): 137-142

Barnett T and Roberts M S (2003) Rock engravings and context in the Libyan Fezzan. International Newsletter on Rock Art 35: 1-7

Barnett T (2002) Rock-art, landscape and cultural transition in the Wadi al-Ajal, Libyan Fezzan. Libyan Studies 33: 71-83

Barnett T (2001) Recent discoveries of rock-art in Libya. International Newsletter on Rock Art (INORA) 30: 9-14

Mattingly D J, al-Mashai M, Balcombe P, Barnett T, Brooks N, Cole F, Dore J, Drake N, Edwards D, Hawthorn J, Helm R, Leone A, McLaren S, Pelling R, Preston J, Reynolds T, Townsend A, Wilson A and White K (2000) The Fezzan Project 2000: Preliminary report on the fourth season of work. Libyan Studies 31: 103-20

Barnett T (1999) Inter-regional contacts in Ethiopian prehistory: the evidence from Quiha rock shelter. Azania 34: 11–24

Review Articles

Barnett T (2024) Review of Powerful Pictures: Rock art research histories from around the world. Journal of Skyscape Archaeology 10(1): 263-267

Barnett T (2009) British rock art: from discovery to interpretation. Antiquity 83: 858-860

Barnett T (2003) Ithyphalliques, Traditions orales, Monuments lithiques et Art rupestre au Sahara: Hommages a Henri Lhote. Collections Sable et Etoiles, Association des Amis de l’Art Rupestre Saharien. Les Cahiers de l’AARS no. 7, Libyan Studies 34: 229

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