The Human Story of the Jurassic Coast | Steve Wallis
In this talk, Steve Wallis explores the long and fascinating history of human life along the Jurassic Coast, examining how people have lived on, shaped, and responded to this dramatic landscape over the past few thousand years. While this span is brief in geological terms, it encompasses countless human generations and rich layers of social, cultural, and economic history.
The presentation will focus in particular on the visible traces of past human activity that remain in the landscape today — such as hillforts, settlements, buildings, and field systems — and what these enduring features can reveal about the lives, beliefs, and challenges of the communities who created them. By reading the landscape as a historical record, the talk will show how the coast has continually influenced patterns of habitation, defence, industry, and trade.
Drawing on archaeological evidence and excavation results, Steve will also highlight recent discoveries that deepen our understanding of how people interacted with this ever-changing environment. Together, these insights reveal a dynamic relationship between humans and the Jurassic Coast, where natural processes and human activity have been intertwined across millennia. This talk offers a compelling perspective on the human past embedded within one of Britain’s most iconic landscapes.
Steve Wallis is a Senior Archaeologist at Dorset Council, where he provides specialist archaeological advice on planning applications and development-related projects, helping to ensure that Dorset’s rich historic environment is protected and sensitively managed. His work plays a key role in balancing development with the conservation of the county’s archaeological heritage.
Steve has been closely involved in several significant heritage projects, including the recent refurbishment of Dorchester’s Roman Town House and the ongoing archaeological work at High Angle Battery, where he has contributed to research, interpretation, and public understanding of this important site.
Alongside his professional practice, Steve is deeply committed to public engagement and outreach. He is co-author of the Dorset History Walk guides produced as part of the Stepping Into Nature project, which encourages people to explore and connect with Dorset’s landscapes through their history and archaeology. Through talks, publications, and community projects, Steve works to make archaeology accessible and relevant, sharing the stories of Dorset’s past with a wide and diverse audience.
