Timothy Insoll
Timothy Insoll FSA FBA (born 1967) is a British archaeologist and Africanist and Islamic Studies scholar. Since 2016 he has been Al-Qasimi Professor of African and Islamic Archaeology at the University of Exeter. He is also founder and director of the Centre for Islamic Archaeology. Previously he was at the Department of Archaeology at the University of Manchester (1999–2016).
Timothy Insoll | |
|---|---|
Insoll in Bahrain, November 2021 | |
| Born | 1967 (age 56–57) |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Archaeologist |
| Known for | Excavation and research in sub-Saharan Africa and Bahrain |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | |
| Thesis | Islam, archaeology and history, a complex relationship: the Gao Region (Mali) ca.AD 900–1250 (1995) |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Archaeology |
| Sub-discipline |
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| Institutions | |
His primary research specialism is in the archaeology of Islam and indigenous religions in sub-Saharan Africa. His research has focused on the archaeological indicators of Islam, as well as indigenous beliefs associated with concepts such as ancestral veneration and sacrifice. He has engaged with STEM approaches throughout his research, and works closely with historical, ethnographic, and epigraphic materials. He has particular interests in the archaeological analysis of beads and bead materials.
He has curated several exhibitions and worked on theoretical approaches to the archaeological study of rituals and religions. He has also led research projects in Mali, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Bahrain, and completed other field and museum-based projects in Eritrea, India, Pemba Island, and Uganda.