Biography of sir mortimer wheeler

British archaeologist (1890–1976)

Sir Robert Eric Mortimer WheelerCHCIEMCTDFRS FBA FSA (10 September 1890 – 22 July 1976) was a British archaeologist and officer in the British Army. Over the course of his career, he served as Director of both the National Museum of Wales and London Museum, Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India, and the founder and Honorary Director of the Institute of Archaeology in London, in addition to writing twenty-four books on archaeological subjects.

Born in Glasgow to a middle-class family, Wheeler was raised largely in Yorkshire before moving to London in his teenage years. After studying classics at University College London (UCL), he began working professionally in archaeology, specialising in the Romano-British period. During World War I he volunteered for service in the Royal Artillery, being stationed on the Western Front, where he rose to the rank of major and was awarded the Military Cross. Returning to Britain, he obtained his doctorate from UCL before taking on a position at the National Museum of Wales, first as Keeper of Archaeology and then as Director, during which time he oversaw excavation at the Roman forts of Segontium, Y Gaer, and Isca Augusta with the aid of his first wife, Tessa Wheeler. Influenced by the archaeologist Augustus Pitt Rivers, Wheeler argued that excavation and the recording of stratigraphic context required an increasingly scientific and methodical approach, developing the "Wheeler method". In 1926, he was appointed Keeper of the London Museum; there, he oversaw a reorganisation of the collection, successfully lobbied for increased funding, and began lecturing at UCL.

In 1934, he established the Institute of Archaeology as part of the federal University of London, adopting the position of Honorary Director. In this period, he oversaw excavations of the Roman sites at Lydney Park and Verulamium and the Iron Agehill fort of Maiden Castle. During W

Mortimer Wheeler was born in 1890 in Glasgow, Scotland. His family moved to Bradford, where he was first educated at Bradford Grammar School then earned a BA and MA at University College, London. While at Bradford Grammar, Wheeler developed a fondness for archaeological excavation and could be found scouring and digging in the countryside for the remains of medieval ovens and fragments of Roman pottery.

Some historians suggest that modern archaeology began with Mortimer Wheeler. This view is held because of the results of Wheeler’s innovative technique of rallying enthusiasm for archaeology.

Pass Round the Hat

It is commonly regarded that rank amateurs, whose only gain was in finding something of value to sell, executed ancient archaeology of the treasure hunter period. However, the truth of early expeditions is that the eccentric practitioner of the art of archaeology visited his friends and sympathetic nobility coaxing a few pounds out of them. These donations of venture capital were used to hire cheap labourers to dig while the donors claimed the treasures when they appeared. Mortimer Wheeler’s vision changed all this.

Ladies to the Rescue

One of the best Iron Age hill fort sites in Britain is at Maiden Castle, outside Dorchester. Mortimer Wheeler conducted major excavations at this site for five years leading up to WW2. This excavation is notable for his employment of volunteer workers. Wheeler recruited local women and university students by mounting a persuasive publicity campaign about archaeology. The result was that extensive excavations could be undertaken with little expense, leaving the experts on site to better plan, survey and supervise the expedition.

WW2 brought about many gender role changes and after the war Wheeler’s method was widely adopted and became the established norm on academically mounted expeditions.

The Box-Grid System

However, it was not only in gender recognition nor in a volunteer workforce that made Mortimer Wheeler fam

Sir Robert Eric Mortimer Wheeler (September 10, 1890 – July 22, 1976), was one of the best-known Britisharchaeologists of the twentieth century. He is noted for his discoveries in Great Britain, India, and Pakistan, including sites of the Indus Valley Civilization. His work there also included establishing archaeological institutes and museums, to further research and preserve the findings of this important civilization. He also pioneered more advanced approaches to excavation, although these have since been superseded.

Besides his renowned academic work, Wheeler served his country via the military during World War I and World War II. He is well-known for for his public appearances on television and radio, which popularized archaeology among mass audiences. Much of his popularity aided in promoting archaeology as a crucial aspect in the scientific field for understanding human history, particularly bringing to life the people of ancient civilizations and how their lives impacted the human societies of today.

Biography

Early years

Robert Eric Mortimer Wheeler was born in Glasgow, Scotland, the son of Robert Mortimer, a newspaper editor, and Emily Baynes. He was educated at Bradford Grammar School and the University of London, where he received an M.A. in 1912.

In 1913, he won the scholarship for archaeology established jointly by the London University and the Society of Antiquaries of London in memory of Augustus Wollaston Franks. Sir Arthur Evans doubled the amount of money that went with the scholarship, paying out of his own pocket another £100. In late autumn 1913, Wheeler began to work for the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments.

In 1914, he married Tessa Verney. Their son Michael was born in January 1915. Wheeler's studies were, however, interrupted by the war.

World War I

At the outbreak of World War I, Wheeler was commissioned into the Royal Artillery, at first remaining in London as an instructor in the University of London Offic