Hans Whitefield

Hans Whitefield studied anthropology, German, and museum studies at the University of New Mexico, USA. In 2017 he wrote “Prospecting and Characterisation of Iron Age Enclosure in the Uplands of Britain with Electromagnetic Methods” to conclude his Master of Science in Archaeological Prospection at the University of Bradford, UK. Since June 2021 he has been a research assistant (doctoral candidate) in the Academy Project.

Dissertation subject

›Settlement, Conflict, and the social order of East Prussia in later Prehistory‹

Using the archaeological and archival sources of the Königsberger Prussia-Collection as a basis, this project evaluates the numerous hillforts and attempts to elucidate the broader settlement structures. While the region is well understood as the source of amber fur Greek and Roman cultures, the peoples responsible for the extraction and trading of this resource remain relatively mysterious. Incorporating the rich grave goods, the recorded individual finds, and the well-documented monuments, a systematic analysis using map-based and geophysical prospecting methods is intended to clarify how the settlement system was organized and how the identifiable settlements may have interacted with one another.

Selected publications

H. Whitefield, Settlement, Conflict, and the social order of East Prussia in later Prehistory. In: Zentrum für Baltische und Skandinavische Archäologie, Jahresbericht 2021 (Schleswig 2022) 70.