Ladies of the Field: Early Women Archaeologists and Their Search for Adventure

---

Find a copy in the library

In the early twentieth century there was a new voice for archaeology, and it was Dorothy Garrod. Take the following as an example. In the passage below Garrod offers a technical description of wind-borne sands that would have inspired Amelia''s pen to heady prose musing on those bits of ancient earth snatched by a swinging gale, bound in heavenly light. Garrod was a little more straightforward: Apart from their contents the way in which layer 1 was driven up against the face of the rock and into the roof of the fissure demonstrates this beyond question.

The older accounts of the field that melded travelogue and discovery in equal measure were laid to rest, relegated to literary artifact. They were appreciated to be sure they were the written foundations of the field , but personal memoir no longer had a place in an archaeological survey report. In the beginning archaeology served the personal taste of the researcher; it was a kind of intellectual pursuit sidesaddled to the exotic.

Now archaeology was the thing served; served by scientists willing to leave out any mention of themselves. The spotlight shone exclusively on a site, the evidence found, and the conclusions drawn. Archaeology was suddenly selfless. People were still proud to put their names on reports, build reputable careers, and drum up recognition for their scholarly finesse, but the stories of individual experience and romance were relegated to the discipline''s backwaters. The goal had shifted from entertainment to information testing and building. Archaeology had at last dug out its place as a credible international science.

With so much evidence coming to light, ranging from buried towns like Gournia to ancient bones that revealed the intricacies of our human evolution, the questions archaeology could ask were becoming more pointed. The stakes were higher, the answers more complex yet increasingly within reach. A new generation of archaeologists set aside the once colorful tales of adventure and got down to a different kind of business.

Book Review: Ladies of the Field by Amanda Adams – Tomb Raider Horizons

She tackled archaeology the way a physicist might break down the structure of a proton; she was thorough and methodical and had an eye fastened to detail. Her good friend, Gertrude Caton-Thompson , another notable early woman archaeologist, referred to a "Garrod tradition of eminence in the advancement of scientific learning. Though a woman, she matched precedent and eventually won recognition as a "towering figure" in archaeological history, one who exerted an "enormous intellectual legacy.

Standing on the edge of an excavation unit in the Paleolithic cave site of Tabun in Palestine, Garrod gazed down at a cleared span of nearly , years of human history, a layer cake of history made of old hearth ash, tools, bones, and crumbled red ocher, all cascading beneath her boots in varying shades of soil. Her quest was prehistory--human origins and the first seeds of agriculture, to be specific--and she considered the revolutionary new discoveries of early man yes, women too throughout Europe and beyond "the very life-blood of our science.

She worked with leading men of the day as a highly respected colleague, if not a leader. Her training was tough--one mentor made her place her hand in a bag, feel the stone tools, and identify them by touch alone--and she traveled far and wide to work in the cave sites where our ancestors once lit warm fires during a dark and cold Ice Age. Like the women archaeologists who came before her, Garrod traveled to remote corners of the earth under harsh conditions--in some regions she couldn''t go anywhere without an armed escort--yet this legendary woman remains a little opaque to the public eye.

Highly reserved, she didn''t showcase her personal life or write a string of gushing letters home, and until recently, very few photographs of Garrod were known to exist. So little personal information was available that for years rumors claimed she had burned everything--notebooks, pictures, letters, and sketches. Another gave a nod to her "sound judgment," explaining that Garrod was "a good mixer, with a genuine interest in people, whatever their age, status, or diversified affairs.

Her retentive memory, wide reading and interest outside her own subject, such as music she played the violin and flute , fitted her to contribute something of interest, fun, or wit to most type of conversation. Stannus, he had always been accustomed to the Victorian man's ideal of what a lady should be, a delicate fragile being who would scream at the sight of a mouse" Garrod and her fellow ladies delight in the gender role reversal of Mr.

Stannus, rather than the other way around. Their femininity is not in question, but perhaps his masculinity is. Many, with the notable exception of Dieulafoy, maintained the dress and customs of ladies back home, even when in the field. What astounds me and to be frank, uplifts me as I approach 35 myself most about the achievements of these women is that they all became extraordinarily active late in life.

Edwards mastered Egyptian hieroglyphics in her late 30s; Nuttall didn't venture out into the field until she was fifty-three ; Bell was forty-four when she took off for Iraq to help found a national museum and buy her first home in the desert.

In our youth-obsessed culture, it is wonderful to see that life really can begin at forty, and that one's best and most satisfying adventures may be yet to come" That , in many ways, is as awesome to me as overcoming the profound gender barriers erected over one of the most "male" fields in the early modern world.

To completely re-invent yourself and re-purpose yourself is so incredibly daunting a prospect at mid-life, these people deserve respect for that courage alone. For all the strengths of this work, it is, at its roots, a catalog and the brief biographies demonstrate all the shortcomings of such an endeavor.

The individual biographies jump around a lot and end all too soon. While each is very well-researched, many contain too few vignettes to get a genuine feel for the individual. That being said, if you treated this book as a textbook or reference to identifying individual figures in the field who you'd like to learn more about, you could hardly go wrong.

Personally, I'd like to follow up more on Dieulafoy, Garrod, and Bell. Luckily, an ample bibliography and "Further Reading" section have given me some solid prospects for continuing. I think what I'd have liked is an extended work on the culture and society of the Victorian world and more of an historical overview of Archeology with the narratives of these women and their achievements interwoven into that fabric. Something more of a history of feminism in archeology, rather than a series of brief biographies with a smattering of historiography at the beginning and end.

Dec 28, SouthWestZippy rated it it was ok Shelves: A brief summary of Seven female archaeologists who were determined to make their own way in life by searching and finding adventure. You can see some of the research done but the overall felt blah. It lacked depth and that the fact it was a brief look at each woman, it did not give enough attention to each one of them. Also the fact that we needed to be aware of what was expected of a woman in their time as well what they wore and about other protocols over and over became annoying.

I had never A brief summary of Seven female archaeologists who were determined to make their own way in life by searching and finding adventure. I had never heard of several of these women before I read the book so that helps keep it a solid two stars. Apr 03, Jenny Brown rated it did not like it.

Very superficial biographies each based on a very few sources, with the only primary sources quoted coming straight from the pages of other writers' books. The author doesn't have much of a grasp of history, for example, someone is mentioned as dying in "an influenza epidemic" in in a way suggesting the author hadn't heard of the great pandemic.

Ladies of the Field: Early Women Archaeologists and Their Search for Adventure

Someone else is born in "Belgrave, London. When her subjects interact with others well known people or events, Adams doesn't tell us more about them than their names. For example, the role Gertrude Bell played in Iraq is mentioned, but in a way that gives no hint as to how it fit in with the British imperialism of the time. The author doesn't even put her subjects into context re the changing styles of archeology or mention the controversial issue of how 19th and early 20th century English and American archeologists spirited away valuable artifacts to their nations' museums with no regard to the rights of those who are now seen to have had the right to keep them.

The author writes extremely badly, mixing in slang phrases with formal prose in a way that constantly pulled me out of the book. She frequently misuses words. Queen Victoria is described as being "in reign. A typical sentence from p. I assume this is to prove that the book was copyedited. The prose makes one think otherwise. If I seem vehement it is because this is a topic that fascinates me as I studied archeology in college and I have a deep love of 19th century history.

I'm also fond of the English language and the way the author abused it made me fear for its future. Jul 14, genna rated it did not like it. While this book presented the stories of seven fascinating women, it gave an incredibly reductive view of the societies in which they lived and assumed that Victorian gender norms were equally oppressive to all classes and nationalities.

I wanted to enjoy this book for its subject but had to grit my teeth to get to the end. The gushing, gossipy tone detracts from the accomplishments of archaeologists who worked in physical and professional spaces that were considered masculine. Finally, the auth While this book presented the stories of seven fascinating women, it gave an incredibly reductive view of the societies in which they lived and assumed that Victorian gender norms were equally oppressive to all classes and nationalities.

Book Review: Ladies of the Field by Amanda Adams

Finally, the author glosses over problems of imperialism, looting, and race in favor of focusing on these women as only as gender rebels--despite the fact that several of them would not have considered themselves feminists by our present definition at all. Sep 15, Chloe rated it really liked it Shelves: The language of this book often veered into territory just at tad too flowery for me, and I sometimes felt as if the author could have been more academic and less flippant with the biographies she was writing. Nonetheless, this book was a really fun read, and perfect for anyone who just wants a romp through desert sands with runaway Victorian ladies who were not afraid to do things in their own fashion.

Just don't expect a book that is too analytical and sit back and enjoy the ride.

Aug 01, Yuka rated it it was amazing. I will be talking this book up incessantly to all my fellow women archaeologists Engaging, entertaining, well researched, thoughtfully structured themes, and so so fun to read. Mar 01, amy rated it did not like it. I guess I shouldn't have picked up a book centering the experiences of imperialists?

Aug 19, Liz rated it liked it. I liked the information about all the women, but I didn't love the writing. It was ok, but a bit excessive sometimes in the "flattery" of the women.

2 editions of this work

Mar 19, Alex rated it really liked it. Good overview of the role these women played in the development of the field of archaeology. Oct 18, Elisa rated it did not like it Shelves: The tone of the book is 'valley girl coffee chat' and the author is quick to criticize and be condescending towards Victorian women who didn't travel, or who lived a 'traditional' life.

The author refers to the women at home a lot. But the author doesn't take into account that most women worked in domestic service or factories without any labor laws to protect them. The attitude of the author, while praising certain women seems to condemn Victorian women in general. I can't stand reading books t The tone of the book is 'valley girl coffee chat' and the author is quick to criticize and be condescending towards Victorian women who didn't travel, or who lived a 'traditional' life.

I can't stand reading books that are meant to be about praising women in history and yet condemn women in history at the same time. Dec 05, Alexandra rated it really liked it. I loved these stories. Each chapter was meaty enough to satisfy, yet lean enough to make for a quick read which was also satisfying. The author uses her own vibrant skills with poetry and prose to showcase the lives and contributions of these intrepid women.

A couple things stood out to me about these stories. First, these women were so different, not only from the prevailing culture of their days, but also from each other! Married or single, college educated or amateurs, cross dressers or gir I loved these stories. Married or single, college educated or amateurs, cross dressers or girly-girls This, to me, is the definition of feminism; all women should be just exactly who they are, regardless of the prevailing assumptions or expectations of them.

Some of these women would never have identified themselves as feminist--one even believed that women should not have the right to vote and campaigned against the suffragettes! It just goes to show that independent women come in many different guises and with many different ideas. This is an important lesson for our day, when it often feels like there is only one type of successful, modern woman.

Second, the author points out in the conclusion that pretty much the only characteristic that runs as a common thread through all of the stories except for one is that these women got their start in archaeology later in life. Even the one lady who started young had a REstart out in the field in her sixties after a stint as a professor. The author emphasizes this element in her conclusion chapter and expresses how much of an inspiration it is.

I hope that I never lose my sense of capability or excitement for life. I loved this book because it told romantic stories of intellectual accomplishments that have shaped the world's understanding of itself.

Women were the heroes--women who never believed that 'time was up' for them or that their gender somehow dictated the boundaries of their adventures. Thank you, Adams, for compiling this tale and telling it in so marvelous a manner. Oct 02, Melissa Embry rated it really liked it Shelves: Author Amanda Adams brings a group of pioneering women scientists back to life in "Ladies of the Field: Be prepared for some surprises, from Victorian author of tales of the supernatural Amelia Edwa Author Amanda Adams brings a group of pioneering women scientists back to life in "Ladies of the Field: Be prepared for some surprises, from Victorian author of tales of the supernatural Amelia Edwards surely the inspiration for the Amelia Peabody of Elizabeth Peters' "Crocodile on the Sandbank" and other archaeological mysteries to French happily-married and happily cross-dressing Jane Dieulafoy to Mexico's grande dame of pre-Columbian archaeology Zelia Nuttal, and ending with Paleolithic cave explorer Dorothy Garrod, who managed to reconcile her strong Catholic beliefs with scientific evidence for a much older Earth, among others.

For those for whom her sketches seem all too brief, Adams supplies a bibliography and recommended reading list including online resources for further exploration. Adams' writing is never as powerful as that of some of her subjects, who include lay authors, in addition to Amelia Edwards, Gertrude Bell and Agatha Christie. However, her enthusiasm for the practice of archaeology and for her subjects should put this on the want to read list of anyone of any gender interested in archaeology and its history.

Die einzelnen Kapitel lesen sich schnell und unterhaltsam und zeigen sieben sehr unterschiedliche Frauen, die sich dem Frauenbild der viktorianischen Zeit entzogen. Rassismus und Sexismus wird gar nicht erst thematisiert. Es bleibt also Raum nach oben. Dec 29, Annie rated it it was amazing Shelves: Whenever I have been asked what I want to be when I grow up, I have always answered archaeologist.

Something about the adventure and monotony of archaeology attracted my attention as a toddler and remains to this day. So when I saw this book at my local library, I had to pick it up. Before this book, I didn't know of any female archaeologists but now I know of 7 amazing ones. In Ladies of the Field, Adams does a fantastic job of outlining these women's archaeological accomplishments as well as t Whenever I have been asked what I want to be when I grow up, I have always answered archaeologist.

In Ladies of the Field, Adams does a fantastic job of outlining these women's archaeological accomplishments as well as their lives. For each woman, Adams tells of their life-long struggles, romantic interests, career paths, education, opposition to typical female stereotypes, and, of course, their contribution to archaeology. While it was definitely interesting to learn about the contributions these women have made to history, it was more inspiring than informative.

Reading about how these women overcame Victorian stereotypes to follow their passion has inspired me to continue to aspire for a career in this field. If you're looking for some female empowerment I would definitely recommend this book. I know the stories of these women will be a source of inspiration for me. Apr 08, Amy rated it really liked it. Amanda Adams took seven women archaeologists or those passionate about archaeology and did a brief biographical sketch on each. While Adams is an Archeologist herself, she wrote this book for the mainstream public, and I fell in love with the women as much as Adams did herself.

A few days ago I listened to Amanda Adams give a presentation about the book and her process of writing the book. I was charmed as she talked of the Victorian women who shook off the bounds of polite society where women Amanda Adams took seven women archaeologists or those passionate about archaeology and did a brief biographical sketch on each. I was charmed as she talked of the Victorian women who shook off the bounds of polite society where women were only to delicate, frail creatures who should keep to the house and housewifely affairs.

These women, most financially independent, ventured into the wild, unmapped deserts in search of history. Reading about Amelia Edwards and Gertrude Bell as they traveled and explored history of Egypt and modern day Iraq, respectively, I really tasted the adventure they craved and sought after. Another woman, famous mystery author Agatha Christie spent thirty years working on archaeological digs with her second husband, all the while writing her famous stories.

This non-fiction book is written well, fast paced, and a great read on a cold spring night! I could almost feel the desert heat creeping out of the book and warming my toes! Sep 14, Alix rated it it was ok Shelves: Though it's not bad per se, it suffers for a variety of reasons. It attempts to cover the lives of seven women in less than pages.

• Diskursforschung: Eine Einführung für SozialwissenschaftlerInnen (Qualitative Sozialforschung) (Germ
• Hourglass (Evernight, Book 3)
• Fact Proposition Event (Studies in Linguistics and Philosophy)
• Strong Schools, Strong Leaders: What Matters Most in Times of Change
• Molecular Biology of Metal Homeostasis and Detoxification: From Microbes to Man (Topics in Current G
• La magie du rêve (FICTION) (French Edition)
• Super Flumina