An aerial view of Singleton Campus and the bay opposite
Dr Alexander Langlands

Dr Alexander Langlands

Associate Professor, History
Office - 120
First Floor
James Callaghan
Singleton Campus
Available For Postgraduate Supervision

About

I am an archaeologist and historian specialising in the early medieval period but with interests across British landscape history and archaeology. My particular areas of research concern developments in the Early Medieval world in NW Europe. I am also interested in the topography of early medieval towns and proto-urban development from the ninth to the eleventh centuries. I have developed a strong GIS-orientated approach to landscape interpretation and heritage management and in recent years I have worked with Ordnance Survey exploring methods for assessing the historic character of landscapes and understanding temporality in both landscapes and the mapped and digital data relating to them.

I have over seven years’ experience working as a field archaeologist on commercial and research excavations across Britain and Europe. I have also worked in the broadcast media as a presenter and producer for BBC Two and Channel 4, including Victorian Farm, Edwardian Farm and Wartime Farm, one of the most successful history television brands on BBC Two, achieving regular viewing figures of over 3 million but peaking at 5.9 million viewers. I have co-authored a Sunday Times Bestseller in the Hard-back Non-Fiction category, been nominated for British Broadcast Awards in category of Best Factual Programme and presented in a BBC Two series winning the prestigious Learning on Screen Award given by the British Universities Film & Video Council.

Currently, I co-present the successful Channel 5 series Digging Up Britain’s Past.

Areas Of Expertise

  • Medieval archaeology
  • Landscape history
  • Landscape archaeology
  • Broadcast media
  • Heritage and Public Engagement

Career Highlights

Teaching Interests

I am keen to provide a rich mix of teaching experiences ranging from traditional lecture and seminar sessions to lab-based software engagement, fieldwork training to industrial standards, archive visits, and fieldtrips. Increasingly, I ask my students to deliver work of the highest academic standard, but to also think about how it can be presented and framed for the benefit of the broadest possible audience.

Award Highlights