John Gilbert Hurst was a leading authority on medieval villages and pottery, and a dedicated civil servant. His work focused on archaeological excavations and the research of deserted medieval villages, often in collaboration with other notable scholars. He also devoted himself to the study of pottery, which reveals key information about past life. His dedication to his field and civil service left an indelible mark on the study of medieval rural life.
Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the original dig, this is the first published account by site archaeologists of the re-discovery of a deserted medieval village at Wharram Percy, Yorkshire. The explorations provide a new perspective on the history of the English village.