Are you passionate about exploring the world’s archaeological and historical treasures
Archaeology Travel stands as a premier digital destination for travelers passionate about exploring the world’s archaeological and historical treasures. Founded by a dedicated team of professional archaeologists and historians, this specialized platform transforms the way people discover, plan, and experience cultural heritage sites around the globe.
Why Archaeology Travel?
What sets Archaeology Travel apart is its commitment to scholarly authenticity—guides are crafted by experienced archaeologists and historians who conduct detailed research and their own site visits to inform their content. This approach ensures that every recommendation goes beyond the typical tourist trail, offering travelers access to both renowned landmarks and hidden archaeological gems that suit varying levels of interest and expertise.
About the Platform.
The platform serves as both an educational resource and a practical planning tool, featuring comprehensive travel guides across continents—from the ancient wonders of Europe and Asia’s spellbinding sacred spaces to Africa’s cradle of humanity and North America’s rich cultural heritage.
Their innovative interactive maps and itinerary builder allow travelers to create personalized journeys while benefiting from tips and suggestions from fellow explorers who have already visited these remarkable destinations.
Whether you’re planning a once-in-a-lifetime expedition or a weekend cultural escape, Archaeology Travel caters to all travel styles and budgets—from luxury experiences to backpacker adventures. The site features specialized resources like their Interactive Map of Ancient Rome and detailed regional guides such as their comprehensive England travel guide, complete with everything from Stonehenge to Hadrian’s Wall.
Explore & Learn
For those seeking guided experiences, Archaeology Travel curates a carefully vetted selection of archaeological tours and cruises, partnering only with providers who share their passion for bringing history to life.
This unique blend of scholarly expertise, practical travel planning, and community engagement makes Archaeology Travel an invaluable resource for anyone eager to explore humanity’s fascinating past through meaningful travel experiences.
Thomas Dowson – Profile and Background
Thomas Dowson is a South African-born archaeologist who founded Archaeology Travel in 2011. After matriculating in 1981, he trained as an archaeologist at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. In 1994, he took up a position at the University of Southampton in England, where he set up the world’s first postgraduate degree programme in rock art studies.
Academic Career and Research
Rock Art and Shamanism Research:
Dowson is best known for his pioneering work with David Lewis-Williams arguing that the cave art of Palaeolithic Western Europe was the product of a shamanistic belief system. Together with Lewis-Williams, he explored the relationship between universal neuropsychological patterns and rock art imagery, particularly developing a neuropsychological model for the shamanistic interpretation of Southern African and other rock art traditions.
His research on prehistoric rock art was featured in a BBC documentary marking the new millennium that explored human evolution and what it means to be human. Together with various colleagues over the years, he significantly developed the shamanistic interpretation of rock arts around the World, most notably the Stone Age cave art of western Europe.
Key Publications:
One of his books, “Rock Engravings of Southern Africa” published in 1992 by Witwatersrand University Press, was the first book to offer a detailed interpretation of the petroglyphs of southern Africa. It was a best seller in South African bookshops for a number of months.
Archaeology Travel
Website Launch and Mission:
In 2011, Dowson launched Archaeology Travel. This was still a time when information about archaeology sites and museums was not readily available on the internet. His aim was quite simple: to provide information about archaeology for people who wanted to explore beyond the iconic sites.
Current Services:
With over 30 years experience, Thomas Dowson offers private guided tours and an itinerary service for cave art in France. For those who wish to purchase a bespoke itinerary, Thomas can create one to suit your interests and requirements. For those wishing to go a step further and enjoy a private guided tour, Thomas can create an itinerary according to your needs, and be your driver and guide for the tour. Although the focus is on Ice Age cave art, other sites and attractions can be incorporated.
Sustainable Tourism Focus:
Because of the global pandemic, and the time he had during lockdown, he began to think about the mission of Archaeology Travel in relation to the increasingly pressing and unavoidable discussions about sustainable development.
Relevant Links and Resources
- Archaeology Travel Website: https://archaeology-travel.com/
- Thomas Dowson’s Profile Page: https://archaeology-travel.com/about/thomas-dowson/
- Google Scholar Profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=RobjvdYAAAAJ&hl=en – shows he has been cited by 4,323 publications, with research areas in Archaeology, Gender Studies, and Rock Art
- LinkedIn Profile: https://de.linkedin.com/in/thomasdowson
- Travel Massive Profile: https://www.travelmassive.com/@archtrav
Academic Impact and Legacy
When Dowson reads rock art research today, he notes being “still amazed at how some aspects of what is said about what the images might have meant are now taken for granted. Back in the 1990s discussions about these issues, even amongst rock art scholars, were all but pitched battles.” His work has been both influential and controversial, with ongoing scholarly debates about the shamanic interpretation of rock art.
His research interests have taken him all over the World, from Alaska to Australia, Argentina to Alta in Norway. After many years teaching archaeology to university students, and researching cave art, he exchanged academia for a B&B in France.
Thomas Dowson represents a unique figure in archaeology who successfully transitioned from academia to heritage tourism, while maintaining his commitment to making archaeological knowledge accessible to the public through his Archaeology Travel platform.
Additional Context
Career Transition:
In 2005, Dowson moved to France, opened a B&B and offered archaeology tours. Besides learning some great French cooking, he became aware of the lack of decent information about archaeological sites in Normandy for tourists. And looking further afield, when information is available the quality is inconsistent and in many cases misleading.
Professional Recognition:
In 2015 Thomas Dowson was invited to Bulgaria to consult on the privately owned Historical Park, a history theme park now open near Varna. The campaign they devised to promote the archaeology of Bulgaria was recognised by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in 2017.
Current Focus:
Archaeology is going to have to play a much more active role in the growing movement of responsible tourism. Dowson hopes ‘Archaeology Travel’ will contribute to that, by encouraging people to look beyond the bucket list approach to the past.
