Rob Hosfield

Rob Hosfield is a Professor of Palaeolithic Archaeology at the University of Reading. His research focuses on human evolution and environmental dynamics during the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic periods, particularly in Western Europe and Arabia. He investigates how early humans adapted to climatic fluctuations, riverine landscapes, and resource utilization. Hosfield has contributed to major projects like the geoarchaeological study of the Solent-Thames region and the Broom site in Devon. His work integrates field archaeology with experimental methods, such as fluvial transport experiments and butchery studies, to understand artifact formation processes.

Key projects include the Palaeolithic Rivers of South-West Britain, exploring how river systems influenced archaeological site formation. He has edited seminal works on Quaternary history and cultural evolution, including Great Prehistorians (2009) and Quaternary History and Palaeolithic Archaeology in the Axe Valley (2013). His recent publications analyze climatic impacts on human dispersal routes and the dynamics of Homo sapiens occupation in Arabia during Marine Isotope Stage 5.

Hosfield collaborates extensively with geoscientists and environmental researchers to contextualize archaeological findings within broader climatic frameworks. His experimental archaeology work, such as RFID tagging of lithic assemblages, advances understanding of site formation mechanisms. He has advised numerous collaborative projects, including optical dating studies of Palaeolithic sites in Devon and Dorset.

Laboratory and fieldwork teams under his guidance have explored sites like Corfe Mullen and Broom, contributing to debates on hominin mobility, tool technology, and cultural transmission. His research underscores the interplay between environmental change and prehistoric human behavior, bridging archaeology with geology and climatology.