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The Modern Antiquarian Forum » Women in archaeology - Maud Cunnington |
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tjj 3606 posts |
Edited Aug 25, 2010, 07:39
Aug 24, 2010, 15:44
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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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tiompan 5758 posts |
Edited Aug 24, 2010, 17:20
Aug 24, 2010, 16:11
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Diggers at excavations are unsung and often women , but if it's doing poncey stuff like book writing then Frances Yates gets my votes but to be fair she did dig too as did Ruth Tringham , and Margaret Stewart , must give a mention to Miss Sylvia Benton ,who excavated Sculptors Cave in the late 1920's ,the daftest . But the bonny Blaze O' Connor was a great recent loss to excavation and interpretation and would be first choice .
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goffik 3926 posts |
Aug 24, 2010, 17:22
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I vote for Margaret Curtis. Instrumental in much of the archaeology arounsd Callanish. G xi
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strathspey 79 posts |
Aug 24, 2010, 17:57
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Audrey Henshall for me. "The Chambered Cairns of the Central Highlands" is like a guide book for me. Author of other literary gems in the same vein, the woman and her work are legendary!
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Sanctuary 4670 posts |
Aug 24, 2010, 18:04
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tjj wrote: 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 Keillor referred to her as ‘that bloody woman’ – in my book a great accolade - albeit unintended. Yes I'd go for Maud as well. I have my own copy of An Introduction to the Archaeology of Wiltshire and I refer to it quite often as it is a good read. I think she was more fortunate than most woman because for a start she was married to a well-known archo and secondly, sites to investigate and excavate were easier to come by in her time. I don't listen much to unfortunate comments made by other acho's about other archo's as I've never met one yet that didn't want to go one better than the last person to excavate a site or have an opinion on something. I think it's something they put in their milk as a child!!
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thesweetcheat 6217 posts |
Aug 24, 2010, 18:48
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Not an archaeologist, but she wrote about visiting some pretty remote parts of England (for the time), including a visit to every county: Celia Fiennes. A Wiltshire-born near contemporary of Daniel Defoe's, she travelled the country on horseback and wrote about her travels (this is in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, when even the better roads were little more than muddy tracks). She merited an episode/chapter in Nick Crane's "Great British Journeys" TV series/book and that's as good a recommendation as you need. Here she is on Stonehenge: Stonehenge that is reckoned one of the wonders of England how such prodigious stones should be brought there; no such sort of stone is seen in the country nearer than 20 mile; they are placed on the side of a hill in rude irregular form, two stones stand up and one laid on their tops with mortises into each other, and thus are severall in a round like a wall with spaces in between, but some are fallen down so spoyle the order or breach in the temple –- as some thinke it was in the heathen tymes….to increase the wonder of the story is that none can count them twice alike, they stand confused, and some single stones at a distance, but I have told them often and bring their number to 91.
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tjj 3606 posts |
Edited Aug 24, 2010, 22:36
Aug 24, 2010, 20:54
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There are some inspiring names here - I was very sad to read the post about Blaze O'Connor last year. Margaret Curtis is a good choice and I will look out for Audrey Henshall's book if I ever get back up to Scotland. Celia Fiennes' description of Stonehenge was charming too. And all those nameless female archaeology students and volunteers who turn up at digs and carefully work away. (Thanks all) Also Dr Ros Cleal the knowledgeable curator of the Alexander Keiller Museum in Avebury. She works tirelessly to make the archaeology of Avebury accessible to anyone who is interested. I met her and her equally charming assistant Matilda Webb on an organised walk last year. Matilda had worked for six years on Orkney and was more than happy to talk about her work there.
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fitzcoraldo 2709 posts |
Aug 24, 2010, 21:50
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Archaeology has many remarkable women My vote would go to the wonderful Jacquetta Hawkes, her guide to the Prehistoric monuments in England and Wales was one of the first archaeological books I read. Margaret Curtis is a national treasure.
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tjj 3606 posts |
Aug 24, 2010, 22:04
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fitzcoraldo wrote: Archaeology has many remarkable women My vote would go to the wonderful Jacquetta Hawkes, her guide to the Prehistoric monuments in England and Wales was one of the first archaeological books I read. Margaret Curtis is a national treasure. Thanks fitz, I have seen Jacquetta Hawkes name mentioned many times but have never actually come across her work (I'll look harder). I found this online article about her - wittily called 'A Rare Bird'. http://www.archaeology.org/0101/abstracts/hawkes.html
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goffik 3926 posts |
Aug 24, 2010, 22:29
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Damn. I was going to say Jacquetta Hawkes as well. Got a few of her books. Damn fine they are too! G x
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