Robert J. Wallis

I am interested in in the archaeology and anthropology of art and religion, particularly the examination of prehistoric rock art in terms of animism and shamanism, the re-presentation of the past in the present, especially by today’s Heathens, Pagans and neo-Shamans, and the art and archaeology of falconry and other human-raptor relations.

In addition to my books, I have written book chapters recently on the cave art of Lascaux: 'Ontologies of Rock Art' published by Routledge 2021 and 'Visual Culture, Heritage and Identity’, Oxbow 2021. My journal articles on the archaeology of falconry have recently been published in the Archaeological Journal and Cambridge Archaeological Journal. My diverse research articles have been published in, for example, Antiquity, Religions, Journal for the Academic Study of Religion, World Art, Time and Mind: The Journal of Archaeology, Consciousness and Culture, Journal of The Royal Anthropological Institute, World Archaeology, Public Archaeology, Journal of Material Culture, Journal of Contemporary Religion and The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies.

I have a book anthology in press with Bloomsbury on ‘The Art and Archaeology of Human Engagements with Birds of Prey: From Prehistory to the Present’ and I am working on a monograph on ‘The Art and Archaeology of Falconry and Becoming-With Raptors’, as well as a co-authored book, ‘Faith, Folk and the Far Right: Racist and Anti-Racist Heathenry in Twenty-First Century Britain’.

I am a Lecturer and Staff Tutor in Art History at the Open University, formerly Professor of Visual Culture and Associate Dean in the School of Communications, Arts and Social Sciences at Richmond the American International University in London, where I also led the Research Centre for International Visual Arts and Cultures and was Director of the MA in Art History and Visual Culture. I am a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute, and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, as well as Council Member for the Wessex Region of the British Falconers’ Club and Academic Advisor to the British Archives of Falconry.