Tony O’Connor

Tony O’Connor, an archaeologist, museum professional and highly experienced tour lecturer, has led tours throughout the Middle East, Italy and North Africa, in particular, Algeria and Tunisia. With an honours degree in Ancient History and Archaeology (Manchester), he has worked extensively as a field archaeologist on major North African sites, including the city of Ptolomais in Libya and many Roman villas, small towns and military sites. His knowledge of the region is both profound and extensive, aided in part by the fact that he has made landscape surveys in Libya sponsored by UNESCO.

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and past committee member of the Society of Libyan Studies, Tony is a polymath, combining archaeological research with important roles in museums. He is a past committee member of the Society of Museum Archaeologists, Chairman of Museums of East Anglia, Chairman of the West Essex Archaeological Group and a trustee of Museums Essex. He has been Deputy Keeper at the Verulamium Museum, St Albans, Keeper of Antiquities at the Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery, and Museum Heritage and Culture Manager, Epping Forest District Museum.

Tony’s passion, however, is for designing, running and teaching on cultural tours. Along with his Algerian, Tunisian and Lebanese tours, his extraordinary experience in this field includes developing and leading tours to Syria, Northern Egypt and the Western Desert, Jordan, Libya, Calabria, Pompeii and the Bay of Naples, Northern Italy and Provence. ASA welcomes such a passionate and experienced tour leader and lecturer to our team. In 2021 Tony was named a finalist in the ‘Best Specialist Guide’ category at the 2021 Wanderlust World Guide Awards!