Dr Peter Tomkins
Peter fell in love with Crete in 1991 on a gap year spent travelling in Greece. Arriving on the island for a planned two-week visit, he was still there three months later pushing a wheel-barrow for the British School excavations at the Bronze Age town of Palaikastro in East Crete. After reading Classics at Oxford, the call of Cretan prehistory became too great to ignore and, after an MA in Archaeology at University College London, there followed a PhD thesis on the Cretan Neolithic at the University of Sheffield. Since then, he has held a series of research and teaching posts at universities and research institutions in the U.K., Belgium, Greece and Italy. He is a specialist on the Neolithic and Bronze Age of the Aegean with a focus on Crete, where he has been involved in the study of many sites around the island, most notably the site of Knossos. Currently a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Catania, Peter is writing a monograph on Neolithic Knossos, where he also co-directs a team of specialists preparing the publication of the Neolithic excavations.
What previous guests have to say about Peter:
"A superb guide and expert in the history and archeology of Crete. Peter's 30 years of experience on Crete provided unparalleled insight into the ancient culture. He helped create a wonderful spirit of kindness, humor, and camaraderie among all of the travelers." Deborah Goldberg
"Knowledgeable, informative and accessible. He brought Cretan prehistory and history to life. He was also personable, caring, and fun to be with." Reg Whitaker
"Peter's knowledge of the Minoan era is second to none but I was also impressed by his telling of World War Two in Crete and his personal link to that time. He also showed quiet and unobtrusive concern for all of the group who was not as mobile as the rest." Diana May
"Knowledgeable, friendly, and engaging." Alyson Ward
"Peter was phenomenal. An excellent guide. Extremely knowledgeable, very thoughtful and very friendly." Terry O'Rourke
"Peter and his fellow guide Maria worked well together and gave us a wonderful experience to see (with some imagination), feel (by being in the same place) and taste the influences of many different peoples over the ages in Crete and beyond! Peter was so passionate about his field, potential new finds and new ways of looking at the past! It was exciting to have Peter on the tour given his background, fields of interest, knowledge and ability to make it understandable to us!" Annabelle Irey
