Peter Drewett

Who is Peter Drewett?

Peter Ladson Drewett was an English archaeologist and academic, best known for his work in Sussex.

Drewett was brought up in Croydon, where he first became interested in archaeology; he began working on excavations in his early teens, joining the Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society in 1960. Drewett later worked on digs in Sussex, and in 1973 joined Sussex Archaeological Society in 1973. After graduating, he became a lecturer at the London Institute of Archaeology and founded the Sussex Archaeological Field Unit, subsequently being involved in over 200 projects in the county. Sites he worked on included Caburn hillfort, Black Patch and Chanctonbury Ring. He obtained his Ph.D. in Prehistoric Archaeology from the Institute of Field Archaeology in 1986.

In 2004 Drewett left his post in London to become the first Professor of Archaeology at the University of Sussex. He was Chair and later President of Sussex Archaeological Society.

Professor Drewett also worked on excavations overseas, including Barbados and the British Virgin Islands. At the time of his death, he was Emeritus Professor at Sussex University's Centre for Community Engagement.