Dr David Wyatt
Reader in Early Medieval History
Overview
Research interests
- Slavery in the societies of medieval Britain, Ireland and Scandinavia c. 800-1200 C.E.
- The warrior fraternities of medieval Britain, Ireland and Scandinavia c. 800-1200 C.E.
- The heritage and archaeology of Caerau and Ely, Cardiff.
- Community engagement, co-production and heritage regeneration
- The narrative of William A. Hall (a fugitive slave in Cardiff).
Impact and engagement
As community engagement co-ordinator for the School:
- I am co-director of the CAER Heritage Project (Winner of the CBA/Marsh award for best Community Archaeology Project 2020, Times Higher Education Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community, 2017 and the NCCPE Engage Award, 2014) https://caerheritageproject.com/
- I promote and manage community engagement, widening access and outreach initiatives in the School including the SHARE with Schools Project http://sites.cardiff.ac.uk/share-with-schools/ and the Exploring the Past Pathway https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/part-time-courses-for-adults/pathways-to-a-degree/pathway-to-a-degree-in-history-archaeology-or-religion
- I contribute to and lead the development of new outreach and engagement initiatives
- I contribute to creating collaborative initiatives and programmes internally and externally.
Publication
2020
- Wyatt, D. 2020. Reading between the lines: tracking slaves and slavery in the early middle ages. In: Gruszczyński, J., Jankowiak, M. and Shepard, J. eds. Viking-Age Trade : Silver, Slaves and Gotland. Routledge Archaeologies of the Viking World London: Taylor and Francis, pp. 17-39., (10.4324/9781315231808-2)
2019
- Davis, O., Horton, D., McCarthy, H. and Wyatt, D. 2019. CAER heritage: legacies of co-produced research. In: Graham, H. and Vergunst, J. eds. Heritage as community research: Legacies of co-production. Policy Press, pp. 129-148.
2017
- Wyatt, D. 2017. Taking history into the World. In: Loughran, T. ed. A practical Guide to Studying History: Skills and Approaches. Bloomsbury Academic, pp. 299-310.
- Wyatt, D. 2017. Slavery and cultural antipathy. In: Rosu, F. and Pargas, D. eds. Critical Readings on Global Slavery. Brill, pp. 742-799., (10.1163/9789004346611)
2016
- Davis, O., Sharples, N., Wyatt, D., Brook, D. and Young, T. 2016. Geophysical survey and community engagement at Caerau Ringwork, Cardiff. Archaeology in Wales 55, pp. 13-19.
- Wyatt, D. 2016. Community impact. In: Sharples, N. and Davis, O. eds. Excavations at Caerau Hillfort, Cardiff, South Wales 2015: An Interim Report. Department of Archaeology and Conservation
2015
- Davis, O., Sharples, N. M. and Wyatt, D. 2015. The CAER Heritage Project: A note on a second season of fieldwork at Caerau Hillfort, Cardiff, 2014. Archaeology in Wales 54, pp. 35-42.
- Ancarno, C., Davis, O. and Wyatt, D. 2015. Forging communities: the CAER Heritage Project and the dynamics of co-production. In: O'Brien, D. and Matthews, P. eds. After Urban Regeneration: Communities, Policy and Place. Policy Press, pp. 113-130.
- Davis, O., Sharples, N. and Wyatt, D. 2015. Excavations at Caerau hillfort, Cardiff, South Wales, 2014: an interim report. Project Report. [Online]. Cardiff: School of History Archaeology and Religion Cardiff University,. Available at: https://caerheritageprojectdotcom1.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/caerau-interim-v1-1.pdf
2014
- Wyatt, D. 2014. Slavery, power and cultural identity in the Irish Sea region, 1066-1171. In: Sigurðsson, J. V. and Bolton, T. eds. Celtic-Norse Relationships in the Irish Sea in the Middle Ages 800-1200. The Northern World Vol. 40. Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers, pp. 97-108.
- Davis, O., Sharples, N. M. and Wyatt, D. 2014. The CAER Heritage Project: A preliminary note on recent research and community engagement at Caerau Hillfort, Cardiff. Archaeology in Wales 53, pp. 119-125.
2013
- Wyatt, D. 2013. The Welshman, the Irishman and the Viking - Aberlleiniog Castle. In: Bowen, H. V. ed. Buildings and Places in Welsh History. Gomer
2012
- Wyatt, D. 2012. Owain ap Cadwgan – the forgotten firebrand. In: Bowen, H. V. ed. Heroes and villains in Welsh history. Llandysul: Gomer, pp. 29-36.
- Wyatt, D. 2012. Slavery in northern Europe (Scandinavia and Iceland) and the British Isles 500-1420. In: Bradley, K. et al. eds. Cambridge World History of Slavery., Vol. 2. Cambridge University Press
2010
- Wyatt, D. 2010. Slavery. In: Rogers, C. J. ed. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Medieval Warfare and Military Technology., Vol. 3. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 274-275.
- Wyatt, D. and Jones, W. D. 2010. Caethwas Ffoedig yng Nghaerdydd: Hanes William A. Hall a diddymiaeth Gymreig 1861-65' [A Fugitive Slave in Cardiff: The narrative of William A. Hall and Welsh anti-slavery sentiments 1861-65]. In: Williams, D. G. ed. Canu Caeth: Y Cymry A'r Affro-Americaniaid. Llandysul: Gomer, pp. 39-62.
2009
- Wyatt, D. 2009. Slaves and warriors in Medieval Britain and Ireland, 800-1200. The Northern World Vol. 45. Boston: Brill Academic Publishers.
Articles
- Davis, O., Sharples, N., Wyatt, D., Brook, D. and Young, T. 2016. Geophysical survey and community engagement at Caerau Ringwork, Cardiff. Archaeology in Wales 55, pp. 13-19.
- Davis, O., Sharples, N. M. and Wyatt, D. 2015. The CAER Heritage Project: A note on a second season of fieldwork at Caerau Hillfort, Cardiff, 2014. Archaeology in Wales 54, pp. 35-42.
- Davis, O., Sharples, N. M. and Wyatt, D. 2014. The CAER Heritage Project: A preliminary note on recent research and community engagement at Caerau Hillfort, Cardiff. Archaeology in Wales 53, pp. 119-125.
Book sections
- Wyatt, D. 2020. Reading between the lines: tracking slaves and slavery in the early middle ages. In: Gruszczyński, J., Jankowiak, M. and Shepard, J. eds. Viking-Age Trade : Silver, Slaves and Gotland. Routledge Archaeologies of the Viking World London: Taylor and Francis, pp. 17-39., (10.4324/9781315231808-2)
- Davis, O., Horton, D., McCarthy, H. and Wyatt, D. 2019. CAER heritage: legacies of co-produced research. In: Graham, H. and Vergunst, J. eds. Heritage as community research: Legacies of co-production. Policy Press, pp. 129-148.
- Wyatt, D. 2017. Taking history into the World. In: Loughran, T. ed. A practical Guide to Studying History: Skills and Approaches. Bloomsbury Academic, pp. 299-310.
- Wyatt, D. 2017. Slavery and cultural antipathy. In: Rosu, F. and Pargas, D. eds. Critical Readings on Global Slavery. Brill, pp. 742-799., (10.1163/9789004346611)
- Wyatt, D. 2016. Community impact. In: Sharples, N. and Davis, O. eds. Excavations at Caerau Hillfort, Cardiff, South Wales 2015: An Interim Report. Department of Archaeology and Conservation
- Ancarno, C., Davis, O. and Wyatt, D. 2015. Forging communities: the CAER Heritage Project and the dynamics of co-production. In: O'Brien, D. and Matthews, P. eds. After Urban Regeneration: Communities, Policy and Place. Policy Press, pp. 113-130.
- Wyatt, D. 2014. Slavery, power and cultural identity in the Irish Sea region, 1066-1171. In: Sigurðsson, J. V. and Bolton, T. eds. Celtic-Norse Relationships in the Irish Sea in the Middle Ages 800-1200. The Northern World Vol. 40. Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers, pp. 97-108.
- Wyatt, D. 2013. The Welshman, the Irishman and the Viking - Aberlleiniog Castle. In: Bowen, H. V. ed. Buildings and Places in Welsh History. Gomer
- Wyatt, D. 2012. Owain ap Cadwgan – the forgotten firebrand. In: Bowen, H. V. ed. Heroes and villains in Welsh history. Llandysul: Gomer, pp. 29-36.
- Wyatt, D. 2012. Slavery in northern Europe (Scandinavia and Iceland) and the British Isles 500-1420. In: Bradley, K. et al. eds. Cambridge World History of Slavery., Vol. 2. Cambridge University Press
- Wyatt, D. 2010. Slavery. In: Rogers, C. J. ed. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Medieval Warfare and Military Technology., Vol. 3. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 274-275.
- Wyatt, D. and Jones, W. D. 2010. Caethwas Ffoedig yng Nghaerdydd: Hanes William A. Hall a diddymiaeth Gymreig 1861-65' [A Fugitive Slave in Cardiff: The narrative of William A. Hall and Welsh anti-slavery sentiments 1861-65]. In: Williams, D. G. ed. Canu Caeth: Y Cymry A'r Affro-Americaniaid. Llandysul: Gomer, pp. 39-62.
Books
- Wyatt, D. 2009. Slaves and warriors in Medieval Britain and Ireland, 800-1200. The Northern World Vol. 45. Boston: Brill Academic Publishers.
Monographs
- Davis, O., Sharples, N. and Wyatt, D. 2015. Excavations at Caerau hillfort, Cardiff, South Wales, 2014: an interim report. Project Report. [Online]. Cardiff: School of History Archaeology and Religion Cardiff University,. Available at: https://caerheritageprojectdotcom1.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/caerau-interim-v1-1.pdf
Research
Projects
CAER Heritage Project
CAER Heritage Project Youtube video
The CAER Heritage Hidden Hillfort Project works together with the communities of Caerau and Ely in Cardiff to co-produce research and new knowledge about the area's 6,000 years of heritage.
CAER Heritage Project Facebook Page
'We dig Caerau!' Cardiff's Hidden Hillfort and the Power of Community Archaeology - Blog
SHARE with Schools Project
I co-ordinate SHARE with Schools (SwS) a project which creates links with local secondary schools and sixth forms in a variety of 'widening access' locations in South-east Wales (currently Ely, Caerau, Leckwith and the Cynon Valley). For further details of the project see my research page.
Teaching
Year one
- HS1112 Medieval Worlds - Level 1 Module 20 Credits
The module provides an introduction to the history of Europe during the Middle Ages.
- HS1107 History in Practice: Fury, Folly and Footnotes - Level 1 Module 20 Credits
History in Practice introduces students to the different frameworks which underpin historical research and the many different ways of writing history, while providing training in the skills necessary to practice history at undergraduate level.
Year two
- HS1723 Blood and Honour: the Viking Age in the West - 30 Credits
Wales and Ireland have frequently been regarded by historians as marginal frontier regions on the fringes of medieval Europe. In this module we will take a very different perspective, examining how the Irish Sea region was at the heart of a dynamic maritime network linking communities around the North Atlantic.
Year three
- HS1818 Slavery and Sin 30 Credits
This module examines the enormous social and cultural significance of slavery in Christian Europe from the late Roman period to the eve of the discovery of the New World.
Postgraduate teaching
- HST078 Heritage, Community Action and Public Engagement
This module provides you with the knowledge and skills to explore the challenges and opportunities of working in the field of heritage, as well as gain practical experience in developing and delivering your own group project. It offers an opportunity to explore the place of the past in contemporary culture through studying approaches to the management and communication of ‘heritage’. The module will introduce you to the history of ideas of heritage, and the ways in which heritage is treated in present-day legislation, policy and practice.
Lifelong learning teaching - Exploring the Past
I conceived, designed and strategically manage this progression pathway for adult learners facilitating progression onto undegraduae degrees in the School of History, Archaeology and Religion. For further details see:
Biography
I came to Cardiff University to study history and archaeology as a mature student during the mid-1990s. For a number of years, I co-ordinated a vibrant programme of open access adult education courses in history and archaeology at the Centre for Lifelong Learning. I assumed the role of Lecturer and Community Engagement Co-ordinator in the School of History and Archaeology at Cardiff in 2009 where I also teach and research. I specialise in the history of slavery and servitude in the societies of medieval Britain. I have published a number of articles on this topic and my book Slaves and Warriors in Medieval Britain and Ireland, 800-1200 (2009) examines the social and cultural significance of slavery for these societies. My research interests also include: Viking era settlement and society in the Irish Sea region, gender and power in early-medieval Britain and the Anti-Slavery movement in 19th Century Wales, community engagement and co-production in relation to heritage and the archaeology and history of Caerau and Ely in Cardiff.
Education and qualifications
1998-2003, PhD in Medieval History, Cardiff University 'Slavery and culture in medieval Britain and Ireland : an alternative perspective of an enduring institution'
1997-1998, MA in Medieval British Studies with distinction, Cardiff University
1995-1997, BA Joint Honours in History & Archaeology, 1st Class, Cardiff University
Career overview
September 2009 to present day:
- Reader in Early Medieval History, Community and Engagement
- School of History and Archaeology, Cardiff University.
November 2003 to August 2009:
- Co-ordinating Lecturer in History & Archaeology.
- Cardiff Centre for Lifelong Learning, Cardiff Univers
- Archaeological Supervisor/Analyst, School of History and Archaeology, Cardiff University.
Honours and awards
Awards won:
- 2020 CBA/Marsh Award for Best Community Archaeology Project with paid support https://new.archaeologyuk.org/news/marsh-awards-for-community-archaeology-2020-winners-announced
- 2017 Times Higher Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/view/1021451-success-for-cardiff-university-in-higher-education-oscars
- 2014 Cardiff Celebrating Excellence Award Outstanding Contribution to Innovation and Engagement, 2014 (CAER Heritage)
- 2014 NCCPE Engage Competition - overall winner (CAER Heritage) https://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/blog/engage-competition-2014-awards-ceremony
- 2012 Cardiff Celebrating Excellence Award for Outstanding Contribution to Innovation and Engagement
- 2011 Universities Association for Lifelong Learning (UALL) Highly Commended Award for the Exploring the Past Progression Pathway
Successful grant applications secured
2012 The CAER Heritage Project £25,000 (AHRC Connected Communities), (Heritage art, geophysical survey)
2013 Pathway to the Past £9,638.00 (Heritage Lottery Fund), (Heritage mural and short trail)
2013 Digging Caerau £89,578.00 (AHRC Connected Communities), (Community excavation and year of heritage initiatives)
2013 HEART of Cardiff £31,511.00 (AHRC Connected Communities), (Co-design digital heritage trails and art across Ely and Caerau)
2014 On Shared Ground (CAER) £39,476.00 (AHRC Connected Communities), (Collaborative film with communities in Ely, Sheffield and Aberdeen)
2014 Digging communities £51,352.00 (AHRC Connected Communities), (Community excavation, co-produced heritage-art, films, performances)
2015 Messages from Medieval Caerau £1,250.00 (Cardiff University), (Co-produced geophysical survey of medieval ringwork
2015 CAER HEDZ £9,990.00 (AHRC Connected Communities), (Co-produced animated film exploring value of Caerau’s heritage)
2015 Romano-British £1,490.00 (Arts Council Wales), (co-produced heritage art installation with local schools)
2016 CAER Young People Opportunity proj. £29,973.00 (RCUK Schools Partnership), (Providing heritage themed life opportunities for young people facing exclusion)
2016 Dusty’s First World War Project £12,000.00 (AHRC WW1 Engagement), (Exploring WW1 origins of Ely’s garden village housing estate)
2016 The Model Village Project £19,973.00 (AHRC Connected Communities), (Community excavation at deserted medieval village in Ely plus animated co-produced film
2016 Trek to Connect £5,000.00 (Cardiff University, City Region) (Create geocaching trails with communities in Ely/Caerau, Merthyr Tydfil and Buretown)
- 2017 Uneathing Utopias - £2,980.00 (AHRC) (Community heritage partnership project with University of Lincoln)
- 2017 CAER Studio - £97,575.00 (AHRC Follow on) (Heritage arts co-production see https://caerstudio.com/ )
- 2017 Hidden Hillfort Project - £156,900.00 (National Lottery Heritage Fund) Development Phase.https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/view/795770-uncovering-cardiffs-hidden-hillfort
- 2019 Hidden Hillfort Project - £892,000.00 (National Lottery Heritage Fund) Delivery Phase https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/view/1463026-1.65m-community-project-to-reveal-6,000-year-old-hidden-historic-site-in-cardiff?fbclid=IwAR3Gd1NVuJfnTUy_e87xhxKQc91EZ1l3MyQDOCFRgvYE1Lg4MMgA7gZ8rhE
Professional memberships
- Trustee Action in Caerau and Ely (ACE) https://www.aceplace.org/