In light of ‘Digging for Britain’ (being discussed elsewhere) presented by the bright and beautiful Alice Roberts, I was wondering how many women out there have made a significant, though perhaps unsung, contribution to archaeology.
My nomination goes to Maud Cunnington whose superb handbook The Archaeology of Wiltshire is currently in my possession on loan from the library. Of the Romans in Wiltshire she says:
There is no reason to imagine any sudden or great change in the manners or customs of the bulk of the people as consequence the Roman occupation. There was no break in continuity; in many cases the villages founded in pre-Roman times were inhabited throughout the Roman period and it is possible to trace, by means of pottery and other objects, a gradual transition from the pre-Roman to Roman types.
I mention this only in relation to the first episode of Digging for Britain; although focussed on the Romans, Alice Roberts was at pains to make the same point. The book starts with a geological section and then the Old Stone Age.
Married to the great grandson of William Cunnington, Ben Cunnington – the two devoted themselves to the archaeology of Wiltshire until their deaths in 1950 and 1951. Maud outlived her husband by a few months and left her savings of £14,000 to the Devizes Museum (now the Wiltshire Heritage Museum) which enabled them to appoint the first paid curator.
Footnote:
Apparently Alexander Keiller referred to her as ‘that bloody woman’ – in my book a great accolade - albeit unintended.
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