# Dennis Harding

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**Dennis William Harding**, (born 1940), known as **D. W. Harding**, is a British archaeologist and academic, specialising in the [British Iron Age](/source/British_Iron_Age). Having taught at the [University of Durham](/source/University_of_Durham) from 1966 to 1977, he was then [Abercromby Professor of Archaeology](/source/Abercromby_Professor_of_Archaeology) at the [University of Edinburgh](/source/University_of_Edinburgh) from 1977 to 2007.[1][2][3]

## Biography

Harding was born on 11 April 1940.[1] He studied English Language and Literature at [Keble College, Oxford](/source/Keble_College,_Oxford), graduating with a [Bachelor of Arts](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts) (BA) degree in 1963.[2] Amongst his [tutors](/source/Tutorial_system) were [John Carey](/source/John_Carey_(critic)) and [Malcolm Parkes](/source/Malcolm_Parkes).[2] He then took a [Doctor of Philosophy](/source/Doctor_of_Philosophy) (DPhil) degree in archaeology: his [supervisor](/source/Doctoral_supervisor) in the [Institute of Archaeology](/source/Institute_of_Archaeology_(Oxford)) was [Christopher Hawkes](/source/Christopher_Hawkes).[2] He spent the 1965/66 academic year as an assistant keeper in the Department of Antiquities of the [Ashmolean Museum](/source/Ashmolean_Museum).[1] He completed his DPhil in 1969 with a [doctoral thesis](/source/Doctoral_thesis) titled "The Iron Age of the Upper Thames basin and its further relations to other regions of southern Britain".[4]

Harding joined Durham University as a [lecturer](/source/Lecturer) in [Celtic archaeology](/source/Celtic_studies) in 1966. He was promoted to [senior lecturer](/source/Senior_lecturer) in 1975.[1] In 1977, he was appointed [Abercromby Professor of Archaeology](/source/Abercromby_Professor_of_Archaeology) at the [University of Edinburgh](/source/University_of_Edinburgh), succeeding [Stuart Piggott](/source/Stuart_Piggott).[3] Under his leadership, the archaeology department maintained its strengths in [prehistoric Europe](/source/Prehistoric_Europe) and [Near Eastern archaeology](/source/Near_Eastern_archaeology).[3] In addition to his chair, he was dean of the Faculty of Arts from 1983 to 1986, and vice-principal of the University of Edinburgh from 1988 to 1991.[1] He retired in 2007, and was made [emeritus professor](/source/Emeritus_professor).[3][5]

## Selected works

- Harding, D. W. (1974). *The Iron Age in lowland Britain*. London: Routledge.
- Harding, D. W. (1976). *Hillforts: later prehistoric earthworks in Britain and Ireland*. London: Academic Press. ISBN 9780123247506.
- Harding, D. W. (1978). *Prehistoric Europe*. Oxford: Elsevier-Phaidon. ISBN 9780729000482.
- Harding, D. W. (2004). *The Iron Age in northern Britain: Celts and Romans, natives and invaders*. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0415301503.
- Harding, D. W. (2007). *The archaeology of Celtic art*. London: Routledge. ISBN 9780203698532.
- Harding, D. W. (2009). *The Iron Age round-house: later prehistoric building in Britain and beyond*. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199558575.
- Harding, D. W. (2012). *Iron age hillforts in Britain and beyond*. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199695249.
- Harding, D. W. (2016). *Death and burial in Iron Age Britain*. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199687565.
- Harding, D. W. (2020). *Rewriting history: changing perceptions of the archaeological past*. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780191887949.

## References

1. ["Harding, Prof. Dennis William, (born 11 April 1940), Abercromby Professor of Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, 1977–2007"](http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U18995). *[Who's Who 2020](/source/Who's_Who_2020)*. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2019. [doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U18995](https://doi.org/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U18995)

1. ["Academic – Professor Dennis Harding"](https://dwharding.com/WP/academic/). *dwharding.com*. Retrieved 18 February 2021.

1. ["The tradition of archaeology at Edinburgh"](https://www.ed.ac.uk/history-classics-archaeology/archaeology/about/tradition). *School of History, Classics and Archaeology*. The University of Edinburgh. Retrieved 18 February 2021.

1. Harding, Dennis William (1969). ["The Iron Age of the Upper Thames basin and its further relations to other regions of southern Britain"](https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.670902) (Ph.D). *E-Thesis Online Service*. The British Library. Retrieved 4 July 2021.

1. ["Professor Dennis Harding – Emeritus Professor of Archaeology, University of Edinburgh 1977-2007"](https://dwharding.com/WP/). *dwharding.com*. Retrieved 4 July 2021.

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