Dosentti David Gaimster
BA, PhD, FSA, MIFA, AMA
E-mail dgaimster@sal.org.uk
General Secretary - Society of Antiquaries of London.
Visiting Research Fellow, Institute of Archaeology, University of Lund, Sweden (1994-95). Hon. Lecturer, Dept. of History, Royal Holloway College, University of London (since 1999). Hon. Research Fellow, Institute of Archaeology, University College London (since 2000). Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London (FSA) (1997). Member of the Institute of Field Archaeologists (MIFA) (since 1987). Associate of the Museums Association (AMA) (2001). Hon. Secretary, Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology (1991-2000). Editorial Board, Royal Archaeological Institute (1991-2000). Hon. Editor, Institute of Field Archaeologists (since 1999). Managing Editor, London Archaeologist Magazine (since 1998).
My main research interests include late medieval and early modern archaeology and material culture, especially archaeological ceramics. My PhD research focussed on urban ceramic consumption in the Lower Rhineland which led to a detailed study of German stoneware industries c.1200-1900 (published by the British Museum in 1997). Developing my archaeological ceramics interests I have also been working on a series of publications on the introduction of maiolica into northern Europe c.1500-1600, on contemporary iconographic sources for domestic ceramics in western European painting and on the archaeology of the ceramic tiled stove in northern and western Europe countries c.1400-1700.
I am particularly interested in the archaeology of the transition between the medieval and early modern period in western and Northern Europe and have edited a conference proceedings on the subject (Age of Transition: the Archaeology of English Culture 1400-1600, Oxford 1997). Developing the theme I have recently organised an international conference at the British Museum on the Archaeology of Reformation c.1480-1580. However, my overriding interest remains urban material culture and lifestyles and I am currently engaged on a long-term project on Hanseatic urban communities, from London to the Baltic c.1200-1600. So far the research has focussed on Hanseatic pottery market in the Baltic zone (see Fennoscandia archaeologicaXVI 1999, 59-69) but I hope to develop the subject further into a much broader archaeological study of Hanseatic urban life. This research interest has enabled me to participate in the British Archaeological Expedition to Novgorod which I co-directed between 1996-1999. I contributed on this theme to the European Science Foundation project on Cultural Exchange in Europe c.1400-1700. I published the results of my research into Hanseatic contact with Russia in M. Brisbane & D. Gaimster (eds.), Novgorod: The Archaeology of a Russian Medieval City and its Hinterland, British Museum Occasional Paper 141 (2001). Thanks to a major grant I am completing my monograph on the Baltic Ceramic Market c.1200-1600: Hanseatic Trade and Cultural Exchange.