Rate My Professor Gabor Thomas

Professor Gabor Thomas serves as Professor in Early Medieval Archaeology in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Reading. He earned his BA, MA, and PhD from the University of London at the Institute of Archaeology, where his doctoral thesis examined late Anglo-Saxon and Viking-age metalwork. His academic career began with roles as Finds Liaison Officer for the Portable Antiquities Scheme in Suffolk (1999-2000) and Research Officer for the Sussex Archaeological Society (2000-2003). He then lectured at the University of Kent's Department of Classical and Archaeological Studies (2003-2007) before joining Reading in 2007 as Lecturer in Early Medieval Archaeology, advancing to his current professorial position. At Reading, he holds key administrative roles including Research Division Lead, Archaeology Unit of Assessment Lead for the Research Excellence Framework 2021, and Programme Director for the BA/BSc Archaeology programmes.

Thomas specializes in early medieval archaeology, with research interests encompassing rural settlements and landscapes, religion and monasticism, and early medieval objects and identities, particularly ornamental metalwork and dress accessories. He directs prominent field projects such as the Lyminge excavations in Kent (ongoing since 2008), which have revealed the earliest evidence for royal residency in Anglo-Saxon England through monumental timber halls with concrete floors and elite feasting sites, shedding light on the origins of kingship and the Christian church in this formative region. Additional excavations include the Cookham monastic site and the Marlow Warlord Anglo-Saxon burial. His scholarly contributions include major publications such as Building Anglo-Saxon England, In the Shadow of Saints: The Long Durée of Lyminge, Kent, as a Sacred Christian Landscape (Archaeologia, 2023), Mead-Halls of the Oiscingas: A New Kentish Perspective on the Anglo-Saxon Great Hall Complex Phenomenon (Medieval Archaeology, 2018), Carolingian Culture in the North Sea World (European Journal of Archaeology, 2012), and Early Medieval Monasticism in the North Sea Zone: Recent Research and New Perspectives (Anglo-Saxon Studies in Archaeology and History, 2017). Thomas is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (FSA) and has been nominated for Current Archaeology Awards, including Archaeologist of the Year (2022) and Research Project of the Year (2021).