Jago Cooper facts for kids

Jago Cooper (born June 1, 1977) is a British archaeologist. An archaeologist is like a detective who studies the past by digging up old objects and buildings. Jago Cooper is currently the Executive Director of the Sainsbury Centre and a professor at the University of East Anglia.

Before this, he was a curator at the British Museum. A curator is someone who looks after a museum's collections. His work has mostly focused on ancient cultures in South America and the Caribbean. He is especially interested in how climate change has affected island communities throughout history. Since 2011, he has also created and presented many TV shows for BBC Four. These shows include Lost Kingdoms of South America, Lost Kingdoms of Central America, and The Inca: Masters of the Clouds. He has also written several books about art and archaeology.

About Jago Cooper

Jago Cooper went to Bryanston School in Dorset, England. He then studied archaeology at University College London (UCL). There, he earned his Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD degrees. After teaching at the University of Leicester and UCL, he joined the British Museum in 2012.

His Archaeological Work

Jago Cooper's archaeology work mainly explores the pre-Columbian past of the Americas. "Pre-Columbian" means the time before Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas. He has worked on big projects in places like El Chorro de Maíta and Los Buchillones in Cuba.

He is an expert in how climate change has impacted island societies in the Caribbean. For example, he has studied the ancient caves of Isla de Mona near Puerto Rico. In 2012, he released a book called Surviving Sudden Environmental Change: Answers from Archaeology. This book looked at how people in the past dealt with big changes in their environment.

Jago Cooper on TV

In 2009, Jago Cooper helped present a TV series called Man on Earth on Channel 4. In 2011, he wrote and presented Lost Kingdoms of South America for BBC Four. This series had four episodes. They explored the Chachapoya people, the city of Tiwanaku, the legend of El Dorado, and the Kingdom of Chimor.

A second series, Lost Kingdoms of Central America, came out in 2014. It focused on the Olmec, Chiriquí (Ngäbe), and Taíno people. It also explored the ancient Mexican city of Teotihuacan. In 2013, he filmed a special show called Easter Island: Mysteries of a Lost World. This show looked at why the society on Easter Island changed so much in the past. In January 2015, his two-part series The Inca: Masters of the Clouds was broadcast on BBC Four.

Exhibitions He Curated

Jago Cooper has helped create several important exhibitions at the British Museum.

• Peru: A Journey in Time (November 11, 2021 - February 20, 2022): This exhibition celebrated Peru's 200 years of independence. It showed the history, beliefs, and achievements of different peoples in Peru from about 2500 BC until Europeans arrived in the 1500s. It also looked at their lasting impact.
• Arctic: Culture and Climate (October 22, 2020 - February 21, 2021): This exhibition was made with the help of Arctic communities. It showed how Arctic peoples have been clever and strong throughout history. It told the story of how they have lived respectfully with icy worlds and used the weather to thrive.
• Where the Thunderbird Lives: Cultural Resilience on the Northwest Coast of North America (February 23 - August 27, 2017): This exhibition celebrated the strong cultures of First Nation communities on the Northwest Coast of North America. It aimed to share the story of these communities, who have kept their culture for over 10,000 years, with people around the world at the British Museum.

Books He Has Written

Jago Cooper has written or co-written several books about archaeology and culture.

• Cooper, J. & Sheets, P. (eds). 2012 Surviving Sudden Environmental Change: Answers from Archaeology.
• Lincoln, A, Cooper, J. & Loovers, J. P. L. 2020 Arctic: Culture and Climate.
• Sunnucks, L. O. & Cooper, J. 2021 Mapping a New Museum.
• Pardo, C. & Cooper, J. (eds). 2021 Peru: a journey in time.