Chris Caple

Involved in the excavation of archaeological sites since the age of 14, Caple graduated from Cardiff College of the University of Wales in 1979, with a Bachelor of Science degree in archaeological conservation.{{sfn|Department of Archaeology}} In 1986 he received a Ph.D. from the University of Bradford, for researching the composition and manufacturing of medieval copper alloy pins.{{sfn|Department of Archaeology}}

Caple has been an excavating archaeologist for 34 years, an archaeological conservator for 32, and a lecturer in the latter subject for 20 years.{{sfn|Centre for the Ethics of Cultural Heritage}} From 1984, while still a student, to 1988, he worked at the York Castle Museum as the artefacts conservator, after which he took a post at Durham University's department of archaeology as a lecturer in archaeological conservation and archaeological science; in 1988 he also became the director of the university's artefact conservation postgraduate programme.{{sfn|Department of Archaeology}}

Caple has authored two books: Conservation Skills: Judgement, Method and Decision Making in 2000,{{sfn|Caple|2000}} and Objects: Reluctant Witnesses to the Past in 2006.{{sfn|Caple|2006}} Both are used as textbooks in courses on conservation, and museum studies.{{sfn|Department of Archaeology}}{{sfn|Scott|2003|p=284}} Conservation Skills was reviewed as a broad assessment of the conservation field,{{sfn|Rhyne|2002}} and as a "well-balanced" book that "achieves a detached approach without preaching to the audience",{{sfn|Scott|2003|p=284}} using case studies to illustrate the underlying issues of, and philosophy of approach to, conservation.{{sfn|Scott|2003|p=283}}{{sfn|Dreghorn|2002|p=118}}{{sfn|Kolb|2001}} A case study on the "re-reconstruction" of the Sutton Hoo helmet, which became an icon of Anglo-Saxon England after it was reconstructed by Herbert Maryon in the 1940s, yet was then reconstructed again by Nigel Williams in the 1970s, focuses on the concepts of reversibility and truthfulness.{{sfn|Caple|2000|pp=132–135}}

{{scholia|author}}

• {{Cite book | last = Caple | first = Chris | title = Conservation Skills: Judgement, Method and Decision Making | date = 2000 | publisher = Routledge | location = Abingdon | isbn = 0-415-18880-6 }}
• {{Cite book | last = Caple | first = Chris | title = Objects: Reluctant Witnesses to the Past | date = 2006 | publisher = Routledge | location = Abingdon | isbn = 0-415-30589-6 }}
• {{Cite book|last=Caple|first=Chris|title=Dryslwyn Castle Excavations 1980-1995|publisher=Society for Medieval Archaeology|year=2007|isbn=9781905981885|location=|pages=}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{cite web | ref = {{harvid|Centre for the Ethics of Cultural Heritage}} | title = Dr Chris Caple | date = | website = Centre for the Ethics of Cultural Heritage | publisher = Durham University | url = https://www.dur.ac.uk/cech/staff/caple/ | access-date = 28 March 2018 }} {{open access}}
• {{cite web | ref = {{harvid|Department of Archaeology}} | title = Dr Chris Caple, BSc, PhD, ACR, FIIC, FSA | date = | website = Department of Archaeology | publisher = Durham University | url = https://www.dur.ac.uk/archaeology/staff/?id=148 | access-date = 28 March 2018 }} {{open access}}
• {{cite journal | last = Dreghorn | first = Brenda | date = April 2002 | title = Review: Conservation Skills: Judgement, Method and Decision Making | journal = Journal of the Society of Archivists | publisher = Society of Archivists | volume = 23 | issue = 1 | pages = 118–119 | doi = 10.1080/00379810220120636 | s2cid = 220463247 }} {{closed access}}
• {{cite journal | last = Kolb | first = Charles C. | date = May 2001 | title = Review: Conservation Skills: Judgement, Method and Decision Making | journal = Choice Reviews | volume = 38 | issue = 9 | pages = 38–5089| doi = 10.5860/CHOICE.38-5089 | doi-broken-date = 1 February 2025 }} {{closed access}}
• {{cite journal | last = Rhyne | first = Charles S. | date = 2002 | title = Review: Conservation Skills: Judgement, Method and Decision Making | journal = Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites | volume = 5 | issue = 3 | pages = 185–187 | url = http://www.reed.edu/art/rhyne/papers/caple.html }} {{free access}}
• {{cite journal | last = Scott | first = David A. | date = 2003 | title = Review: Conservation Skills: Judgement, Method and Decision Making | journal = Studies in Conservation | publisher = International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works | volume = 48 | issue = 4 | pages = 283–284 | jstor = 1506919 }} {{closed access}}

• {{official website}}
• [https://www.dur.ac.uk/archaeology/staff/?id=148&publications=1 List of publications]

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Category:Conservator-restorers

Category:Living people

Category:Alumni of the University of Wales

Category:Alumni of the University of Bradford

Category:Academics of Durham University

Category:Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Castellologists