George Speake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Speake
FSA
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| Nationality | English |
| Education | Slade School of Fine Art |
| Alma mater | University of Oxford |
| Known for | Leading authority on Anglo-Saxon animal art |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Art history and archaeology |
| Institutions | Institute of Archaeology at Oxford |
| Thesis | The beginnings and developments of Salin's style II in England (1974) |
| Doctoral advisor | Sonia Chadwick Hawkes |
| Other academic advisors |
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George Speake is an English expert who studies art history and archaeology. He is a special researcher at the Institute of Archaeology at Oxford University. Many people consider him a top expert on Anglo-Saxon animal art.
Right now, Speake helps the team working on the amazing Staffordshire Hoard. He is helping put back together the famous Staffordshire helmet.
Becoming an Expert
George Speake went to the Slade School of Fine Art in the 1960s. He also studied at the University of Oxford in the 1970s. At Oxford, he attended St John's College. He also studied at the Institute of Archaeology.
He learned from two important teachers, Christopher and Sonia Hawkes. In 1974, he earned his Ph.D. (a high university degree). His special project was about Anglo-Saxon animal art.
What He Does
George Speake is an expert in Anglo-Saxon art. This means he studies the art made by the Anglo-Saxons. He also studies iconography, which is the meaning behind images.
Since 2016, he has been working on a big puzzle. He is helping to rebuild the Staffordshire helmet. This helmet has more than 1,000 pieces! He also worked on the Prittlewell burial. He teaches fine art and art history too.
In 2014, he helped write a book about the Staffordshire Hoard. The book is called Beasts, Birds and Gods: Interpreting the Staffordshire Hoard. In it, he pointed out a special "eyeless, open-jawed serpent" on the helmet. He is still an Honorary Research Fellow at the Institute of Archaeology at Oxford.
His Important Book
Speake wrote an important book in 1980. It was called Anglo-Saxon Animal Art and its Germanic Background. This book was based on his Ph.D. work. It was a big step forward in understanding Anglo-Saxon art styles.
The book looked closely at something called "style II" art. This was a type of animal decoration. It was used in Northern Europe from the mid-500s AD to the late 600s AD. Before his book, this style was not well understood.
Style II art was often used for important people. You can see it on objects found in the Sutton Hoo ship-burial. It is also on items from the Vendel boat graves. Speake's book talked about every known example of this style up to 1974. He also showed that this art style came to England from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
