Gavin Lucas, Professor of archaeology in the Faculty of Philosophy, History and Archaeology at the University of Iceland, received the Gad Rausing Prize at a formal ceremony held at an annual meeting of the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities (Kungliga vitterhetsakademien) on March 20, for his outstanding contribution to research in the humanities. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, presented him with the prize.
Gavin received the prize for his research on the theoretical foundations of archaeology, as he has been at the forefront of this field for the last two decades and has developed new ideas on how we understand time and the connection between narratives and archaeological remains. Gavin’s theories are based on years of archaeological excavations in England, South Africa, Turkey, and, not least, in Iceland.
In an article on the academy’s website, Gavin says he is honoured to receive the prize. He often finds it difficult to assess the reception of his work, but prizes like these speak for themselves. “The prize also serves as a reminder that we’re part of a larger academic community where the humanities receive recognition for their vital contribution,” Gavin says. “I would also like to give credit to the environment that’s allowed me to thrive; my colleagues and the institutions I’ve worked with. The support I’ve had and the collaborations I’ve been involved in have made it possible to do the research I’ve done.”
The Gad Rausing prize is awarded annually to a Nordic researcher in any field of the humanities. The prize was established in 2002 by Gad Rausing’s children in their father’s memory. Gad Rausing had a PhD in archaeology and was a patron of scholars in the fields of archaeology and cultural research.
Gavin Lucas completed a PhD at the University of Cambridge and has held a position at the University of Iceland since 2006, where his research has focused on contemporary archaeology and archaeological research. He has conducted many research projects in Iceland, including in Skálholt, Viðey and Seltjarnarnes, in addition to working on archaeological research around the world, e.g. in Italy and South Africa. Gavin has published numerous articles on archaeological theory and has authored several books, including Understanding the Archaeological Record (Cambridge University Press, 2012), Writing the Past (Routledge, 2019), Making Time (Routledge, 2021) og Archaeological Situations (Routledge, 2022). He received the Rivers Memorial Medal from the British Royal Anthropological Institute in 2022.
