'I took a man over & began to dig': Catherine Downes' excavation of Roman Warminster, 1786
19 February 2020, 6:00 pm–7:00 pm
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 209Institute of Archaeology31-34 Gordon SquareLondonWC1H 0PYUnited 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