Who We Are

Eireann is is a core member of the team, helping in all aspects of the business. She brings a wealth of relevant experience in archaeological travel, and has led numerous tours exploring the ancient world. She was even awarded ‘Top History & Culture Guide’ in Wanderlust’s 2019 World Guide Awards. She specialises in Classical Civilisation and is an Associate Researcher and Lecturer with the Open University. She has published widely on the subject, including co-editing ‘Women’s influence on Classical Civilisation’ and ‘Death and Disease in the Ancient City’.

Chris’s passion and versatility make him a valued member of the Hidden History team. He gained a Master’s degree from the University of Cambridge and a PhD from the University of York. He has worked for a number of archaeology companies as an excavation director, a human bone specialist and as a heritage consultant. He also ran his own excavation company, and has travelled widely as an archaeologist and tour director. He is particular passionate about his home area of the south coast of England.

Oliver obtained his degree in history and archaeology from King Alfred’s College, University of Winchester, and went on to work in museum and field project roles in Britain, Italy and Albania. He was a Senior Research Associate at the University of East Anglia for many years, and is a very experienced and popular tour leader.

Gary is Emeritus Professor of Archaeology at the University of Oxford, where he has taught and researched for many years. He is an acknowledged authority on Iron Age hillforts, and co-directed the recent ‘Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland’ project. He has directed fieldwork and led tours in the UK, Spain and Italy, and has encouraged much community involvement in his excavations and post-excavation work.

Mike graduated in history from Cambridge University and became Deputy Registrar at Oxford University, where he is now an Emeritus Fellow of St Anne’s College. He specialises in medieval history, especially the Crusades, has published translations of medieval accounts of the Albigensian Crusade, and has walked the pilgrimage route across northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela.

Barbara is an experienced researcher and lecturer with a PhD in archaeology from the University of Sheffield. Her broad experience and engaging personality are an asset to our business in many ways, from personalised tours to public relations.

Dr Nicola Theodossiev is a senior assistant professor in the Department of Archaeology at Sofia University in Bulgaria. He has directed a number of excavations in Bulgaria, written numerous publications on ancient Thrace, and led many tours through his native country.

Jamie is an engaging and passionate storyteller, and a popular and experienced tour leader. He has a PhD in Classical Archaeology from Birkbeck College, University of London, and many years of experience in field archaeology, He has a long list of publications, and has lectured at Durham University in England and at the Humboldt University of Berlin, where he currently lives.

Kostas is a Cretan archaeologist with an MA in Prehistoric Archaeology from the University of Crete, and a PhD in Minoan archaeology from the University of Liverpool. He has participated in many excavations around Greece and Turkey, and has taught Minoan and Mycenaean Archaeology at the Democritus University of Thrace as well as at the University of Liverpool. He is also a qualified tourist guide, and currently teaches the course in Prehistoric Archaeology for the National School of Tourist Guides of Crete.

Simon is an active archaeologist and broadcaster who has authored over 20 books on subjects related to the Roman world. His ‘Roman Britain’s Missing Legion’ was a BBC History Top 10 Book of the Year 2021, and he frequently appears as an expert TV presenter. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Kent, President of the Society of Ancients, an ambassador for Museum of London Archaeology, and has recently completed two terms as a Trustee of the Council for British Archaeology. He has led tours to many parts of the Roman world.

Tom Abbott is an art and architectural historian with vast experience of guiding and lecturing. He is a native of Minnesota, USA, where he graduated in Psychology and Art History before moving to Europe in 1988, where he gained a Master of Arts in Art History at the Technical University of Berlin, and furthered his studies at the Louvre School of the History of Art in Paris. He lectures for numerous arts societies and alumni associations, and leads numerous special-interest tours throughout Europe, inspiring everyone with his encyclopedic knowledge of European art and architecture through history.

Peter Savin has a particular interest in Roman archaeology and has excavated for many years at Vindolanda on Hadrian’s Wall. He combines his interest in Roman archaeology with a love of walking and photography, and many of his images can be found in archaeological publications, including “Hadrian’s Wall. A Journey Through Time”.

Rita is a native Greek Athenian who now lives in England. She studied ancient Greek and Latin at the University of California, Berkeley, and obtained her doctorate at London University’s Courtauld Institute of Art. For many years she was Professor of Art History and Classical Archaeology at the American University of Athens, working on a number of archaeological projects throughout Greece. She has since led numerous tours to Greece.

Trevor is one of England’s most respected landscape archaeologists. As a postgraduate student at Oxford University he studied under the famous landscape historian W. G. Hoskins. Since retiring from his position as Deputy Director of the Oxford University Department for Continuing Education, he continues to teach and write, with particular expertise in the Medieval period and in his home area of the Welsh Marches.

Sandy is a field archaeologist who currently lives in Greece and specialises in Greek archaeology, especially the Minoans. His excavations and published research have included Knossos in Crete, Delos in the Cycladic Islands, and Sparta in the Peloponnese. He has led many tours in Greece.