I first met Albert in 1982 when I arrived in Garchy as a 3rd year placement student in Archaeological Sciences at the University of Bradford. Albert had recently taken over as the Director of the CNRS geophysics research centre there and had limited time for his beloved research. Nevertheless, he was an approachable and supportive individual and we came to know each other well. In the 40 years since Garchy, I saw Albert intermittently, mostly at conferences. One memorable experience was when Albert took Chris Gaffney and I to a Turkish Bath in Ankara during the International Archaeometry Symposium in 1994.
I was invited to dinner at Albert’s just before my placement ended in March 1983. Albert peeled off at the wine label, signed it and presented it to me. I have kept it ever since. It’s a fond memory of his warmth and friendship. He was a true pioneer and passionate about the contribution of geophysics to archaeology.