Howard Middleton-Jones
Howard is a retired archaeologist
specialising in Egyptian Coptic heritage. Educated at Swansea University, Wales, (Classics, Ancient History and Egyptology) and Oxford
University England, (archaeology).
Howard is the founder (2009)
and director of the UK Coptic Research and Resource Centre, he was a corporate member of the Institute of Archaeologists and
member of the International Association for Coptic Studies (AICS)
In 1999 Howard set up the archaeology
Higher Education Certificate programme at the Department of Adult Continuing Education, Swansea
University, Wales,
and in 2008 set up the Coptic Studies programme for the part time degree scheme at the same institute.
In 2004, Howard was instrumental
in setting up modules for the first online ‘e-learning’ off campus courses via the Adult Continuing Education
department at Swansea University.
He continues to maintain and promote the Coptic Studies programme.
With over 20 years experience
of visiting Egypt, Howard has built up a useful and reliable network of contacts, not only within the field of Egyptology,
but in recent years excellent contacts within the field of Coptology, including many Coptic Church senior members. He also
attends regular Coptic conferences and symposiums presenting various Coptic related research papers.
Howard is also a regular contributor to the
series volumes of 'Christianity and Monasticism in Upper Egypt' AUC press - see below for current 2013 Aswan volume
Howard began taking parties of students and
escorting individual travellers in Egypt in 1997 and continues to travel to Egypt on a regular basis
The current research project
underway is that of the ruins of the Coptic Church at Qubbat el-Hawa, Aswan
– The Digital reconstruction of Qubbat el-Hawa’ – please follow the link below to the Qubbat el-Hawa website.
Howard is also an experienced and qualified MLTB (Summer) mountain leader, and in the 1980's set up the Three Cliffs Activities
walking tours on Gower. The tours were based on his popular book 'Journey Through Gower' (1982 and 1993) visiting sites of
historical and archaeological interest
Howard’s main interest
is in the conservation and preservation of Coptic heritage and the ancient sites of south-west France
Howard has also spent over 30 years of regular travelling to France, and since 2014 has been living six months of the year
in the Languedoc'Roussillon and Midi Pyrenees region
Howard is also a qualified Mountain leader, summer, (MLTB Plas-y-Brenin 1977) and is a keen fell runner and was the first
full time National Trust Warden on the Gower Peninsula (1972)
He currently lives in the seaside village of Mumbles
near Swansea, and has two grown up daughters.
