Dr Julian Whitewright
Senior Teaching Fellow

Dr Julian Whitewright is a Senior Teaching Fellow in Maritime Archaeology at the University of Southampton. He is coordinator of Postgraduate Teaching in Archaeology, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
I am a maritime archaeologist specialising in the study of boats and ships, specifically their construction and use. I completed my BA(hons) in Archaeology at the University of Southampton in 1999 and the MA in Maritime Archaeology here in 2000. My doctorate, also at Southampton (2008), addressed the theme of maritime technological change in the ancient Mediterranean through the archaeology of sailing rigs. For a number of years I worked jointly between the commercial and academic archaeological sectors, before focussing fully on my academic work.
My interest and love of watercraft extends beyond my job and I am an experienced sailor and rower, primarily in traditional vessels and Bantry Bay Gigs in particular. In 2004 I skippered the United Kingdom Gig which claimed first place in the World Championships, reprising this success as the coach of the team in 2010. I am a trustee within that organisation – Atlantic Challenge Great Britain – where we focus on the teaching of traditional seamanship through experiential endeavour. This work allows me to bring hard-learned practical experience in traditional watercraft into the classroom as a means to further understand maritime archaeology.