Nicolas Coldstream

John Nicolas Coldstream, , (30 March 1927 – 21 March 2008) was an English archaeologist and academic specialising in the Ancient Greek pottery of the Geometric Period. He lectured at Bedford College, rising to become Professor of Aegean Archaeology, and then lectured at University College London as Yates Professor of Classical Art and Archaeology. His best known excavation sites are Kythera and Knossos.

Early life Coldstream was born on 30 March 1927 in Lahore, British Raj. Sir John Coldstream, his father, was serving in the British colony as a High Court Judge. He was educated at the preparatory school St Cyprian's School, Eastbourne and the all-boys public school Eton College, Eton, Berkshire.

Following school, he undertook national service in the British Army. He saw active service in Egypt and Palestine. He resigned his commission on 28 December 1956. He then worked for one year as a temporary assistant keeper at the department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum. Greek Geometric Pottery was published in 1968,

Personal life He was a cousin of William Coldstream, a painter.

Honours Coldstream was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London (FSA) in 1964, and a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA) in 1977. He was awarded the British Academy's Kenyon Medal for Classical Studies in 2003.

In his obituary, The Times called Coldstream "one of the world's leading Classical archaeologists".