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'I took a man over & began to dig': Catherine Downes' excavation of Roman Warminster, 1786

19 February 2020, 6:00 pm–7:00 pm

IoA History of Archaeology seminar: Catherine Downes' excavation of Roman Warminster, 1786

Madeline Pelling (University of York) will give a seminar organised by the History of Archaeology Research Network at the UCL Institute of Archaeology on 19 February.

This event is free.

Event Information

Open to

All

Availability

Yes

Cost

Free

Organiser

Dr Amara Thornton – Institute of Archaeology

Location

Room 209
Institute of Archaeology
31-34 Gordon Square
London
WC1H 0PY
United Kingdom

Abstract

In 1786, Catherina Downes was travelling through Warminster when she heard about the discovery of an ornate Roman mosaic in a nearby field. Employing a local man, she set off to excavate it, later writing up her findings which, together with detailed sketches of the site, she afterwards sent to the Society of Antiquaries in London. This paper explores the opportunities open to women engaging in early archaeological practice and asks how we might recover their often invisible contributions to otherwise all-male institutions of knowledge. 

Further details

About the Speaker

Madeleine Pelling

Research Associate at University of York

More about Madeleine Pelling