
Mr Neil Curtis
MA MLitt AMA FSA Scot
Head of Museums & Special Collections
- About
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Sir Duncan Rice Library University of Aberdeen Aberdeen AB24 3AA Scotland
Digital & Information ServicesBiography
Born in Glasgow in 1964, Neil Curtis came to Aberdeen in 1988 where he is now Head of Museums and Special Collections. He studied Archaeology (Glasgow, 1986), Museum Studies (Leicester, 1988) and Education (Aberdeen, 1995).
External Memberships
He is a member of the Museums Associations' Ethics Committee, and the Scottish Museums Recognition Committee. He was formerly Convenor of University Museums in Scotland, Vice President of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, and Vice-Chair of the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel.
- Research
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Research Overview
Within a broad interest in the ways that people understand and manipulate their world through ideas of identity, material and time, his research focuses on a critical study of museums and archaeology. This has included young children's learning in museums, considerations of the social and cultural roles of museums today, including repatriation and the treatment of human remains, and studies of Scottish museum history.
Current Research
History of Museums
- The Scottish Exhibition of National History, Art and Industry, Glasgow 1911
- Late 18th/early 19th century museums in the University of Aberdeen
Contemporary museum issues
- Repatriation
- Museums as sacred places
- Human remains in museums
- Scottish museums and Treasure Trove
- Museum education
Scottish archaeology
- Roman finds in North-East Scotland
- Prehistoric Beakers in North-East Scotland
Funding and Grants
Leverhulme Trust 'Beakers and Bodies' project (PI)
AHRC Connected Communities - bennachie (Co-I)
- Teaching
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Teaching Responsibilities
Undergraduate
AY1001 Introduction to Archaeology 1 KL155B Archaeological Fieldwork Portfolio 1 Introduction KL205K Archaeological Fieldwork Portfolio 2 KL3052 Archaeological Fieldwork Portfolio 3 KL3553 Archaeology DissertationIntroduction LS4028 Moveable Property KL4054 Archaeology Dissertation Postgraduate
AT5508 Curating an Exhibition (course co-ordinator) HA5001 Art History research HI5001 Introduction to historical research EF5001 History and core genres of ethnology and folklore AT5505 Philosophy and Methods of Research in Social Anthropology, Ethnology and Cultural History II EF5502 Scottish contexts and practical fieldwork HA5504 Imaging Scottish History: Art, Museums and Visual Culture