Thomas Dhoop – a short biography

My name’s Thomas Dhoop and I am a maritime archaeologist. I am one of the facilitators on the ‘Shipwrecks and Submerged Worlds’ course. I was educated as an archaeologist at the University of Leuven in Belgium (BA and MA in archaeology) and specialised in maritime archaeology at the University of Southampton (MA in maritime archaeology). I have participated in several archaeological digs in Flanders and from 2010 until 2012, I took part in the excavations of the Roman site Sagalassos in Burdur, Turkey. I also worked on the ‘Kogge Project‘ in Antwerp, recording and 3D modelling archaeological ship timbers of the cog finds from Doel.

Currently, I am undertaking Ph.D. research on the impact of maritime commerce and trade on urban development in 12th to 14th century northern Europe at the University of Southampton. On this project, I am collaborating with the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde (Denmark).

My main research focuses on the impact of medieval commerce and seafaring on urban topology in northern Europe. Next to this, I study the construction and design principles underpinning clinker-built ships and the preservation and dissemination of (shipbuilding) knowledge. Another interest of mine lies in the study of Bronze Age connectivity, where I am currently focussing on the relationships between the peoples of the Scheldt and Leie basins (Belgium) and their neighbours across the Channel.

If you would like to read more about my research you can follow me on my Maritime Archaeology Blog.