Dr Tertia Barnett
Biography
Tertia Barnett currently works for the Royal Comission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Her main area of specialism is prehistoric rock art of Britain and North Africa, and she runs a rock art project in Libya. She previously lectured at Nottingham and Cardiff Universities and has worked on archaeological projects in Britain, Europe and Africa. Tertia is an honorary fellow at Edinburgh University.
Research and on-going projects
My current research interests are in rock art and symbolism, especially of Britain and North Africa, and in the development of food production in North Africa. I have been directing fieldwork in South West Libya since 2002, which has identified and recorded large numbers of rock carvings while exploring the relationship between rock art symbolism, landscape and cultural change. This research is supported by the Department of Antiquities in Libya and funded by the British Academy and the Society for Libyan Studies. It also involves a number of Edinburgh postgraduate students.
Since October 2006 I have been employed by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) as the project manager of a new initiative entitled Scotland's Rural Past. This involves working with local volunteers across Scotland primarily to research, record and raise awareness of the many thousands of abandoned medieval and later rural settlements across the country.
From 2004-2006 I was responsible for the Northumberland and Durham Rock Art Project, funded by English Heritage as a pilot study for a national re-evaluation of British prehistoric rock art. Working closely in conjunction with local volunteers, Northumberland County Council and English Heritage, this project pioneered new techniques for recording rock carvings, while developing a comprehensive database in order to facilitate study and conservation and establish priorities for the future research and management of rock art in the UK.
Publications
Books
Barnett T F (1999) The Emergence of Food Production in Ethiopia. Cambridge Monographs in African Archaeology 45, Cambridge.
Barnett T F with Mattingly D M (2003) The Engraved Heritage: Rock-Art and Inscriptions. In Mattingly D M et al (Daniels C M, Dore J N, Edwards D, and Hawthorne J) (eds) The Archaeology of Fazzan. Vol I. London/Tripoli: Libyan Studies Society/Department of Antiquities: 279-326
Barnett T F (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 F (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 F (2007) The rock art of the Wadi al-Ajal. 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 finds. Vol II. London/Tripoli: Libyan Studies Society/Department of Antiquities
Barnett T F and Sharpe K E (eds) (2009) Carving a future for British rock art: new approaches to research, management and presentation. Oxford: Oxbow Books
Journal articles
Barnett T F (1999) Inter-regional contacts in Ethiopian prehistory: the evidence from Quiha rock shelter. Azania. 34: 11-24.
Barnett T F (2001) Recent discoveries of rock-art in Libya. International Newsletter on Rock-Art 30: 9-14.
Barnett T F (2002) Rock-art, landscape and cultural transition in the Wadi al-Ajal, Libyan Fezzan. Journal of Libyan Studies 33: 71-83
Barnett T F (2003) Saharan landscapes: contextualised rock art as a cultural heritage resource in Libya. Rock Art Research 20(2):137-142
Barnett T F and Roberts M S (2003) Rock engravings and context in the Libyan Fezzan. International Newsletter on Rock Art 35: 1-7
Barnett T F, Chalmers A, Diaz-Andreu M, Ellis G, Gillibrand R, Longhurst P, Sharpe K E and Trinks I (2004) Breaking through rock art recording: three dimensional laser scanning of prehistoric rock art. The 5th International Conference on Virtual Reality, Archaeology and Cultural Heritage VAST: 1-3
Barnett T F, Chalmers A, Diaz-Andreu M, Longhurst P, Ellis G, Sharpe K E and Trinks I (2005) 3D laser scanning for recording and monitoring rock art erosion. PAST, Newsletter of the Prehistoric Society
Barnett T F 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 F (2005) Community involvement in British Rock Art. The Archaeologist 56: 26-28
Barnett T F (2005) The Northumberland and Durham rock art project unveiled. The Archaeology of Northumberland 15: 56-58
Barnett T F (2006) Patterns on the rocks: spatial distribution of rock art in the Wadi al-Ajal. Journal of Libyan Studies 36: 121-134
Barnett T F (2006) The changing rock art landscape of Co Durham and Northern England. Archaeology County Durham 1: 6-10
Barnett T F (2006) Recording rock art in several dimensions. The Archaeology of Northumberland 16: 45-48
Barnett T F (2006) Gods on the rocks. Current Archaeology August
Barnett T F (2007) Dancing girls and insect headed gods: recent rock art survey in the Wadi al-Hayat, Fezzan. Journal of Libyan Studies 37
Barnett T F (2009) Style, symbolism and culture change: fieldwork in the Wadi al-Hayat, Libya. Journal of Libyan Studies 39