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Our Experts
To travel on an Andante tour is to encounter the past in real time. Through the expertise, passion and knowledge demonstrated by our Andante Guide Lecturers, history will be brought vividly to life in a variety of ways. Whether you are handling artefacts, enjoying behind-the-scenes access or listening to lectures as you go, our guides will be on hand to ensure your experience on tour is both memorable and immersive. From leading archaeologists to broadcasters and esteemed historians, the experts leading our tours will put sites into cultural context, share fascinating insights and make your journey to the past simply unforgettable.
Tours that focus on a particular theme or subject may also be led in full or part and/or accompanied by an Onboard Expert Guest Lecturer or Celebrity Guest and other tours are led by other experts such as Local Guides in a particular destination. Please see individual tour pages on our website for who is taking part in any particular tour.
Andante Guide Lecturer
Adrian O’Neill
Adrian is a passionate and energetic historian and general tour guide who was born and bred in Sligo. He studied Archaeology and Classical Studies at the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) where he developed a strong interest in the broad spheres of early Greek and Roman history.
View profileAndrew Farrington
After a career of teaching Classics, Ancient Greek, and Roman history, Andrew is now Assistant Professor in Ancient Greek History in the Department of History and Ethnology at the Democritus University of Thrace.
View profileAristotle Koskinas
Aristotle studied classical archaeology at the University of Ioannina, Greece, and worked for the Greek Ministry of Culture for several years.
View profileBarnaby Rayfield
Barnaby Rayfield was born in Hampshire and studied German at Bristol University, along with subsidiary courses in theatre and European cinema.
View profileColonel Paul Beaver
Paul Beaver is very much a hands-on historian with a pilot’s log book which includes the Spitfire, Harvard and Mustang.
View profileProfessor John Rick
Professor John Rick is Associate Professor Emeritus and former Chair of Anthropological Sciences at Stanford University, previous Curator of Anthropological Collections, and past Director of Stanford’s Archaeology Center. He focuses on South American archaeology including the lost city of the incas.
View profileDiana Blumberg
Diana Blumberg is an archaeological scientist who specialises in the analysis of archaeological materials. She has worked on archaeological field schools in both Pompeii and Portus (the latter being one of the harbours of ancient Rome), and also has excavation experiences in the United Kingdom.
View profileDoru Bogdan
A researcher and lecturer at the University of Alba Iulia in Romania, Doru Bogdan is a specialist in Roman archaeology and has also supervised an array of fascinating excavations.
View profileDr Andrew Foxon
Andrew Foxon has a strong background in archaeology, prehistoric technology and interpretation.
View profileDr Andrew Richardson FSA
Andrew was born in Folkestone, and his career has focussed firmly on Kent. He studied archaeology at Cardiff, where he completed his doctoral thesis on ‘The Anglo-Saxon cemeteries of Kent’, published in 2005.
View profile
Dr Andy Souter
Dr Andy Souter currently lectures at the University of Reading and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He is particularly interested in the architecture of ancient Rome and completed his PhD thesis on the rural economy of Roman Portugal.
View profileDr Campbell Price
.Dr Campbell Price is Curator of Egypt and the Sudan at The Manchester Museum.
View profileDr Christina Hatzimichael-Whitley
Dr Christina Hatzimichael-Whitley is a tutor in Greek archaeology at the Cardiff Centre for Lifelong Learning (LEARN). She specialises in Minoan Crete and is the co-directed of the Praisos Survey and Excavation Project.
View profileDr David Rudling
Dr David Rudling is the Academic Director of the Sussex School of Archaeology. He is also an Honorary Research Fellow and Visiting Lecturer at the University of Roehampton.
View profileDr Denise Allen
Dr Denise Allen began her archaeological career in the 1970s as an excavator on many British sites. She studied Archaeology at Cardiff University, with a PhD on Roman Glass.
View profileDr Jamie Sewell
Dr Jamie Sewell has fifteen years’ experience supervising excavations in Britain, Germany, Romania and Italy, including Pompeii. He has authored books and articles on the archaeology of towns in Hellenistic Italy and in the broader Mediterranean region.
View profileDr Eireann Marshall
An Honorary Research Fellow for the Open University, Dr Eireann Marshall is bilingual (Italian and English), and she has led many Andante tours.
View profileDr Elizabeth Baquedano
A Mesoamerican specialist, Elizabeth is a Senior Honorary Lecturer at the Institute of Archaeology, UCL. She often lectures at the British Museum.
View profileDr Elizabeth Bloxam
Dr Elizabeth Bloxam is currently Visiting Professor of Egyptology at North East Normal University, Changchun, China and has held an honorary senior research associate post at University College London for the last ten years.
View profileDr Elizabeth Norton
British historian, Elizabeth Norton, has written twelve books on the Tudors, including The Temptation of Elizabeth Tudor and The Lives of Tudor Women. She has also edited the only source book on Anne Boleyn.
View profileDr Emma Wells
Academic, author and broadcaster, Dr Emma J. Wells is a specialist in the ecclesiastical and architectural history of medieval and reformation-era England, and the author of an array of publications.
View profileDr Iain Shearer FRAS
Iain is an archaeologist who works across the Middle East, Northern Africa, Central Asia, Caucasus, China, India, Pakistan, USA, Balkans, Europe and UK.
View profileDr Gillian Shepherd
Director of the Trendall Centre for Ancient Mediterranean Studies at La Trobe in Australia, Gillian specialises in the Greek colonisation of Italy and Sicily.
View profileDr Ian Friel
Dr Ian Friel is a maritime historian, who has enjoyed a long career working in museums, including the Mary Rose.
View profileDr Jacke Phillips
A specialist in the archaeology of Sudan and Ethiopia, Dr Jacke Phillips is a Research Associate at the Centre of African Studies, SOAS, University of London and Affiliated Scholar at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge.
View profileDr Joyce Tyldesley
Dr Joyce Tyldesley is a Reader in Egyptology at The University of Manchester, where she teaches a suite of online courses in Egyptology. She is also an Honorary Research Associate of the Manchester Museum.
View profileDr Katie Tucker
Dr Tucker is a Visiting Fellow in Osteoarchaeology at the University of Winchester, a Visiting Researcher at the German Archaeological Institute, Berlin, and a freelance osteologist and archaeologist.
View profileDr Laura Evis
Dr Laura Evis is a Lecturer in Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Exeter.
View profileDr Mehreen Chida-Razvi
Dr Mehreen Chida-Razvi is a Research Associate in the Department of the History of Art & Archaeology at SOAS, University of London, and Assistant Editor for the International Journal of Islamic Architecture.
View profileDr Michael Jones
Author and presenter Dr Michael Jones is a leading military historian with special interests in the Hundred Years War and Richard III. He is a member of several distinguished societies in the UK, including the British Commission for Military History and the Royal Historical Society.
View profileDr Eleanor Blakelock
Eleanor is a trained archaeometallurgist who specialises in Early Medieval metalwork. Her primary fieldwork experience is at Sedgeford in Norfolk, where she is the director of excavation of the largest trench.
View profileDr Nick Thorpe
Dr Nick Thorpe is Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at The University of Winchester.
View profileDr Pamela Marshall FSA
Pamela is an expert in the archaeology of standing buildings. Her interests range from the Classical to the Renaissance, but she specialises particularly in the medieval period.
View profileDr Paul Bahn
Dr Paul Bahn is the leading expert on prehistoric rock art worldwide, and is certainly one of our best-known archaeologists.
View profileDr Rita Roussos
A native Athenian, Rita taught archaeology and art history at the American University of Athens. She has worked on archaeological projects in Isthmia, Kato, Lossous and Mantinea.
View profileDr Rob Dinnis
Dr Rob Dinnis is an expert on the Palaeolithic, and particularly the archaeology of the last Ice Age.
View profileDr Sandy MacGillivray
Dr Sandy MacGillivray is an archaeologist who specialises in the Aegean Bronze Age as well as the civilisations of Crete, the Cyclades and mainland Greece during this period. He has previously excavated at Sparta, Paros and Kythnos in Greece, at Knossos in Crete.
View profileDr Simon Elliott
Dr Simon Elliott is a best-selling author and has written books on a wide variety of classical history subjects, ranging from Septimius Severus in Scotland and Roman Legionaries to how the Roman military built an empire.
View profileDr Tertia Barnett
Dr Tertia Barnett is an archaeologist specialising in the rock art of Britain, Europe and North Africa. She currently runs a research project exploring Neolithic rock carvings in Scotland, based at Historic Environment Scotland, and is also an Honorary Fellow at Edinburgh University.
View profileDr Val Turner
Dr Val Turner has been Shetland’s Regional Archaeologist since 1986. An expert in Prehistoric and Viking Field Systems Val has project-managed two major excavation projects: Old Scatness Broch and Iron Age Village and Viking Unst.
View profileElizabeth Cory-Lopez
Elizabeth is an independent Experimental Archaeologist with an MPhil, an MScR and an MA (Hons) in the discipline. Her expertise is prehistoric technical processes, drilling, and she has taught on the Archaeology of Scotland.
View profileEsther Unterweger
Born in Austria, Esther studied Provincial Archaeology and Art History at the University of Graz, Austria. Her other interests include 20th century Vienna and the Viennese Secession, two of her favourite subjects.
View profileFarès Moussa
Farès has researched and published on Phoenician, Carthaginian, Roman and ancient Amazigh cultures in North Africa and the central Mediterranean; and on rock-art in North Africa and Saudi-Arabia.
View profileFrancois Desset
Francois Desset is a French archaeologist specialising in Near Eastern Archaeology.
View profileGiles MacDonogh
Giles MacDonogh is an academically trained historian and the author of fifteen books: eleven on history and another four on wine. Most of the history books are about Germany and span the period from the birth of Frederick the Great until the reign of Angela Merkel.
View profileGuto Rhys
A specialist in 'The Pictish Language', Guto is the author of the Ulpan Gaelic language course and works with historical linguistics.
View profileIan Colvin
Ian Colvin is a historian specialising in the late Roman and Byzantine history of the Caucasus regions. He studied classical and modern Georgian after receiving his MST in Byzantine studies, and has devoted himself to excavations at the site of Nokalakevi.
View profileIsabella Sjöström
Isabella Sjöström is an archaeologist with a particular interest in Anatolia and North Africa. She has excavated in the UK, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Libya, and currently works as a pottery specialist with the Sudan Archaeological Research Society in Sudan.
View profileJenny Hall
Jenny Hall was Senior Roman Curator at the Museum of London for 36 years and is now Honorary Lecturer at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London.
View profileJeremy Bennett
Jeremy Bennett is currently embarked on PhD studies at Magdalene College, Cambridge. His research focuses on the development of the agrarian landscapes of Malta and Gozo, particularly the rise of agricultural terracing.
View profileJohn Oxley
John Oxley is an independent archaeologist, and former York City Archaeologist 1989-2019. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London.
View profileJohn Shepherd
A specialist in the study of ancient glass, John has worked extensively in the field in Europe as an archaeologist, including France, Italy and Bulgaria.
View profileLucia Gahlin
Lucia Gahlin is a specialist in the archaeology of Ancient Egypt and has been leading archaeological tours to Egypt for over 20 years. She is an Honorary Research Associate at University College London’s Institute of Archaeology.
View profileMarc Morris
Dr Marc Morris is a historian who specializes in the Middle Ages. He studied and taught history at the universities of London and Oxford, and his doctorate on the thirteenth-century earls of Norfolk was published in 2005. An expert on medieval monarchy and aristocracy
View profileMark Corney
Mark Corney is an Archaeologist, broadcaster and former Senior Landscape Investigator with the Royal Commission for Historic Monuments of England.
View profileMilena Melfi
Dr Milena Melfi: Milena Melfi is an archaeologist of the ancient Greek world mostly interested in the archaeology of sanctuaries and religious sites.
View profileMiranda Bruce-Mitford
Miranda specialises in social anthropology, Burmese language and literature, Buddhist Art & Architecture of South and Southeast Asia, and Oriental religious studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London University.
View profileNick Jackson
Graduating in archaeology from the Institute of Archaeology at University College London, Nick later took up a research post at the University of Cambridge.
View profileOliver Gilkes
Oliver is an archaeologist of eclectic experience. Currently he works as a freelance consulting archaeologist, and provides advice for Andante Travels on designing as well as leading a number of tour groups.
View profilePeter Berridge
Peter has published on a range of archaeological subjects including prehistoric stone tools and Norman castles. He has worked on excavations in Britain, Gibraltar and Morocco. His particular passion is the study of Colchester Castle.
View profilePeter Yeoman
Peter Yeoman has worked as an archaeologist throughout the UK for more than 40 years, directing and publishing major excavations, while also writing a number of books. He studied Archaeology and History of Art at the University of Leicester.
View profileProf. Tony King
Professor Tony King is a lecturer in archaeology at the University of Winchester and a specialist in Roman archaeology. He has excavated widely in Britain and abroad, at sites that include Hayling Island, Meonstoke Roman Villa, Pompeii, Leptis Magna, and at Volubilis.
View profileProf. Valerie Higgins
Professor Valerie Higgins is currently Associate Professor of Archaeology and Program Director for Sustainable Cultural Heritage at The American University of Rome.
View profileProfessor Jean-Luc Houle
Jean-Luc Houle is an associate professor of anthropology (archaeology) in the Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology at Western Kentucky University.
View profileProfessor John Hines
John Hines is Professor in the School of History and Archaeology at Cardiff University, and is a specialist in the archaeology of the early medieval period, particularly the material culture and literature of the Vikings.
View profileProfessor Suzannah Lipscomb
Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is an award-winning historian, author, and broadcaster. She is Professor Emerita of History at the University of Roehampton, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and a columnist for History Today.
View profileTerry Richardson
Terry Richardson has a university background in ancient history and classical civilisation. He first travelled to Turkey as an undergraduate back in 1977 and has been back countless times since then, and he also lived in southwest Turkey for around 13 years.
View profileTony O’Connor
Tony O'Connor is a specialist in the Roman Empire, who has excavated widely across Britain, Europe and North Africa. He is particularly passionate about Roman North Africa, having excavated in Libya for many years.
View profileTony Wilmott
Tony Wilmott specialises in the Roman and Late Antique periods, with particular interests in the Roman military and frontiers, in Roman religion, and also in the late and post-Roman transition.
View profileCelebrity Guest Lecturer
Andrew Graham-Dixon
Andrew Graham-Dixon is a leading British art historian and broadcaster.
View profileIvan Hewett
Telegraph classical music critic Ivan Hewett has been The Daily Telegraph’s classical music critic for 16 years and has worked as a journalist, academic, author and broadcaster for more than 30 years.
View profileLindsey Davis
Lindsey Davis is a novelist known for her Roman detective, Marcus Didius Falco and her ongoing series about his daughter, Flavia Albia. She has also written standalone books, some set in English Civil War, and novellas. Her work has been dramatized for radio and is being developed for TV.
View profileRupert Christiansen
The Telegraph’s opera critic Rupert Christiansen is the author of a dozen books, including Prima Donna and The Faber Pocket Guide to Opera.
View profileOnboard Expert Guest Lecturer
Eugenia Alexiou
Eugenia Alexiou was born in Athens. She studied Archaeology and Art History at the National University of Athens and holds a Masters degree in Byzantine Art.
View profileLocal Guide
Jaime Droguett
Jaime has 27 years of experience leading tours, the majority in the Atacama Desert.
View profileMiranda Spitha
Miranda Spitha studied archaeology in Italy and is from Crete, so is very knowledgeable about history and contemporary life in Greece.
View profileOther Guides
