Born in Ireland, the author’s family later migrated to England where he completed an undergraduate degree in Environmental Sciences at The University of East Anglia. Thereafter, a number of years were spent travelling the world; during that time many of the great archaeological sites in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Africa and Asia were visited. A long-held passion for ancient history was given a formal outlet when, having settled in Australia, he enrolled in the Faculty of Arts at The University of Melbourne: being awarded a First Class Honours degree from the Department of Classics and Archaeology in 1996, and a PhD from the School of Historical Studies in 2007. He is currently an Honorary Fellow at The University of Melbourne.