Tim Schadla-Hall (1947-2023)

12 January 2023

UCL Institute of Archaeology staff, students, friends and colleagues will be saddened to hear of the death of Tim Schadla-Hall on 9 January.

B&W photo of a man standing in a teaching room/space giving a lecture

It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of our friend and colleague Tim Schadla-Hall, who was a long-standing member of UCL Institute of Archaeology staff, retiring only last month and being conferred with Emeritus status at that time.

As colleagues have said, Tim was one of the Institute’s larger than life characters! He joined the department in January 1998, during the Directorship of Peter Ucko, as part of an innovative move to teach heritage and public archaeology on an unparalleled scale at UCL.

Tim was instrumental in establishing Public Archaeology as a sub-discipline with integral teaching at both undergraduate and graduate levels taking place since the late 1990s. He also helped to found the influential international journal Public Archaeology (now published by Taylor & Francis). During the Institute's 75th Anniversary activities (2012), Tim took a leading role as a panel member for the 75th Anniversary Debate on Archaeology and Politics. He was an Advisory Group Member of the All Party Parliamentary Archaeology Group (APPAG).

Archaeologically, Tim is best known for his work with Paul Mellars at the key Mesolithic site of Star Carr in the 1980s and 1990s. His books include Art Treasures and War (with Wojciech Kowalski) and Public Archaeology (with Nick Merriman). He also provided his support to various museum, heritage and other charitable organisations including DigVentures, The National Museum of the Royal Navy, Waterloo Uncovered, Wiltshire Museum and many more.

Our thoughts are with Tim’s family and all his friends, both here at the UCL Institute of Archaeology and elsewhere, at this difficult time.

In addition to the lovely comments on our social media channels from current and former students, staff and other friends and colleagues, your memories of Tim are welcomed to add here to our remembrance of him. Please send these to Jo Dullaghan.

"An inspirational figure to many...a unique chap...one of the greats of public archaeology...an unforgettable tutor and great company...a legend!"

A white haired man wearing a red jumper and dark trousers, holding a camera and standing on a cliff overlooking blue sea and sky

Tim in the Mediterranean winter sunlight, which he loved soaking up, making sense of a prehistoric site on an eroding coastline at Xrobb l-Ghagin (Image courtesy of Reuben Grima)