meet the team

“One of the extraordinary things about life is the sort of places it’s prepared to put up with living.”
— Douglas Adams

Tony Barnham

PRINCIPAL

A middle-aged man with gray hair and glasses wearing a blue button-up shirt, looking slightly to the side against a plain background.

Tony is a Principal at Artefact, specialising in geoarchaeology and landscape heritage interpretation. He has over 30 years’ experience working across archaeological excavations, heritage mitigation and impact assessments.

His experience is international, with a common career thread of meshing interpretive community and environmental heritage outcomes with science-based evidential approaches to assessing deposits and terrain.

He has extensive experience in consultation processes, and particular expertise in collaborations which bridge across geotechnical and heritage ground investigations.

Interpretation of heritage results to broader communities, outreach of archaeological science to a wider public and developing narratives about past landscapes are constant career themes.

Tony’s artefact

Close-up of a wooden chess set with a pawn in the center and other pieces around, held by hands against a blue background.

“My artefact is a set of wooden egg cups and cruet set. Bought second hand and with no manufacturer’s marks, I think it may be mid-20th century in date.

I like the fact it`s origin is unknown. Whoever designed it created an artefact of simplicity, balance and utility. When you pick it up you know the manufacturer understood the ritual in boiling a perfect egg, whipping the top of the shell and the thrill of seeing a runny yolk as you drift in salt on the cavity, dippers at the ready.

The central handle is light, and just right. Pepper and salt are to hand – it is a triumph of a fit-for-purpose artefact, and one which retains a great aesthetic when not in use.

Like all good artefacts it feels great when you look at it, and gets even better when you use it, and provides food for thought as to its origin and creator!!”