Cova del Parco rockshelter Palaeolithic excavation site and landscape, Alòs de Balaguer. On left is view from rockshelter, looking down to the Segre River in the valley below. Killian excavating with members of SERP

Killian Driscoll

Dr Killian Driscoll is an archaeologist who specialises in prehistoric archaeology. He studied archaeology and history at the National University of Ireland, Galway where he also earned his masters before completing his PhD at University College Dublin, Ireland.

Killian has been a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Barcelona, the Université de Montréal, and University College Dublin, with his research focused on Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic archaeology, particularly on studying the raw materials and manufacturing techniques of stone tools, as well as landscape archaeology.

His current project in Ireland is a continuation of the National Geographic funded fieldwork that involves investigating the sourcing of raw materials for stone tools in prehistory, while his current work in Spain is a landscape archaeology project, focused on the prehistoric landscapes in the Barcelona province of Catalonia.

Killian founded Artoba Tours in order to provide unique, bespoke expert-led tours of the archaeology of Barcelona and Catalonia, where he originally moved with his wife and children in 2011 to research at the University of Barcelona. As well as designing the tours, Killian leads every tour as the Expeditions Expert, thus providing you with an unrivalled one-to-one personal service, and sharing his love and passion for the archaeology, history, culture, and gastronomy of his adopted home of Catalonia.

Along with his keen interest in archaeology, Killian’s business is founded on the tenets of responsible / sustainable tourism. This means that Killian and is dedicated to running the archaeology tours in the most environmentally friendly way, with special regard for:

  • Small group sizes of every tour, which benefits both you, our client, and the locals during our tour of the sites, towns, and countryside of Catalonia
  • Highlighting less well-known sites and areas, and taking the burden away from saturated tourist markets
  • Making the optimal use of environmental resources in both the company’s office and while running the tours, including using a carbon offsetting system for the transport component of the tour
  • Using local resources sustainably
  • Maintaining and encouraging natural diversity of the Catalan landscapes
  • Promoting education and awareness for sustainable development, and the natural and cultural heritage of Catalonia
  • Supporting Accessible Tourism through the provision of tour options for people with different mobility needs or disabilities
  • Supporting local craftspeople, artists, and small business owners
  • Eating at local restaurants
  • 10% of the company’s profits are donated to charity (Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Acciona Natura

 

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