Ian Jackson

What did rocks ever do for the Romans? The answer is pretty much everything. From defining the line of their defences, to providing the materials and implements they depended on. For the Roman army an understanding of the landscape, its rocks and their resources was not just desirable, it was essential. What can a better understanding of geology do for archaeology? A lot more than it currently does.

Ian was born in Carlisle and read geology and geography at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. He is a Chartered Geologist and Fellow of the Geological Society. He spent 18 years surveying the geology of parts of the north of England and subsequently became Operations Director of the British Geological Survey. Ian instigated and led OneGeology, a 120-nation project to make geological map data for the Earth available on the World Wide Web. He has lived back in Northumberland for the last 14 years. He is a volunteer guide in Hadrian’s Wall country for the National Trust and Northumberland National Park. He has produced many scientific maps, articles and reports but he is perhaps more widely known nowadays as the author of four popular books about the rocks of Northumberland, Cumbria and Durham and the influence of geology on the Romans. His newest book - Defined by Stones - connecting the landscape and rocks of northern England with our prehistoric ancestors will be published in early November.