John Hurst (archaeologist)
John Gilbert Hurst ( born August 15, 1927 in Cambridge, † 29 April 2003 in Peterborough ) was a British prehistorians. He devoted himself to focus on the exploration of medieval pottery and settlement archeology.
Life
John Hurst was born into a family of academics. His father was the geneticist Charles Chamberlain Hurst, his mother, the botanist Rona Hurst. He spent his school years, first at a school in Horsham and later moved to the Harrow School in London. After finishing school Hurst completed his military service, which led him to the Middle East. From 1948 to 1951 he studied archeology at Trinity College, Cambridge. Focus of his studies was the prehistory and early history. Between 1952 and 1987 Hurst worked as adviser to the British heritage authority, which was initially suspended in the Ministry of Construction, in 1983 when English Heritage. In collaboration with Maurice Beresford he devoted himself to the study of medieval settlements and everyday culture. Another area of interest was the ceramic research of the Middle Ages and the early modern period. Of particular importance for archaeological research have his investigations on Northold Manor from 1950 to 1970 and at the medieval Wharram Percy deserted.
Hurst was a member of the Society for Medieval Archaeology and the Society for Post -Medieval Archaeology. Both associations he was temporarily serving as the president. Since 1958 he was elected member of the Society of Antiquaries of London (FSA ), which he presided as Vice-President 1969-1973, and since 1987 elected Fellow of the British Academy ( FBA).
As a student Hurst learned on an excavation Dorothy Gillian Duckett, whom he married in 1955. From the marriage were two daughters, Francesca and Tamara forth. After his retirement in 1987 he settled in Great Casterton in the county of Leicestershire down. Hurst was attacked on March 9, 2003 near his home for unknown reasons by two men and a serious head injury. He succumbed to his injuries 20 days later at Peterborough District Hospital.