Jill Cook

Jill Cook (born 1954) is a British museum curator who is the acting Keeper of the Department of Britain, Europe and Prehistory at the British Museum. She curates the collection of European Prehistory and is a specialist in Ice Age art and the archaeology of human evolution.
Career.
Cook joined the British Museum in 1986 as the curator of European Prehistory, becoming Deputy Keeper and is presently the Acting Keeper (head of department) of Britain, Europe and Prehistory. Cook was elected a member of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 1990.
Ice Age Art.
Cook curated the exhibition "Ice Age art: arrival of the modern mind" at the British Museum in 2013. The exhibition was a surprise success for the British Museum, which extended its run, despite the fact that it had struggled to attract sponsorship. "Ice Age art" attracted large visitor numbers and good reviews. Cook used art by Picasso, Degas, Mondrian, and Matisse, as well as work by modern artists such as Ghislaine Howard in combination with Ice Age artefacts to examine the development of western art.
"Ice Age art" was transformed into a new exhibition called "Art in the age of Altamira" at the Fundación Botín, Santander in late 2013.
The Lampedusa Cross.
The Lampedusa Cross was acquired by Cook for the British Museum in 2015. It was made and donated by Francesco Tuccio, a carpenter who created crosses from the wreck of a boat which sank on 11 October 2013 off the coast of Lampedusa resulting in the deaths of 311 people.
Living with Gods.
Cook curated the exhibition "Living with gods: peoples, places and worlds beyond" at the British Museum in 2017-2018. The exhibition was part of a series of related projects produced by the British Museum and the BBC.