Tim Reynolds

Tim Reynolds is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Historical Studies at Birkbeck, University of London, specializing in Neanderthal archaeology and modern human origins. He previously served as County Archaeologist for Cambridgeshire and lectured at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. His research emphasizes lithic technology and human adaptation during the Paleolithic.

Research explores Neanderthal-modern human coexistence dynamics, particularly examining whether behavioral modernity explains differential survival. Current fieldwork includes Shanidar Cave (Iraqi Kurdistan) and Haua Fteah Cave (Libya), investigating Middle-Upper Paleolithic transitions.

Publications focus on Zagros Mousterian lithic technologies, Neanderthal mortuary practices (including the 'Flower Burial' hypothesis), and paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Recent work analyzes plant processing evidence and climatic influences on human settlement patterns.

He coordinates Birkbeck's Cert HE in Archaeology and History, teaching modules including 'Discovering Archaeology' and 'Beginnings: Archaeology of Prehistory'. Doctoral supervision covers Southeast Asian population history and Southwest Asian Paleolithic adaptations.