John Garstang
| John Garstang | |
|---|---|
John Garstang aged 80
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| Born |
5 May 1876 Blackburn, England |
| Died | 12 September 1956 (aged 80) Beirut, Lebanon |
| Nationality | British |
| Fields | Archaeology |
| Institutions | University of Liverpool |
John Garstang (5 May 1876 – 12 September 1956) was a British archaeologist of the ancient Near East, especially Anatolia and the southern Levant. He was the younger brother of Professor Walter Garstang, FRS, a marine biologist and zoologist. Garstang is considered a pioneer in the development of scientific practices in archaeology as he kept detailed records of his excavations with extensive photographic records, which was a comparatively rare practice in early 20th century archaeology
John Garstang was born in Blackburn on 5 May 1876, the sixth child of Walter and Matilda Garstang. He was educated at Blackburn Grammar School and in 1895 he obtained a scholarship for Jesus College, Oxford to study mathematics. While at Oxford, Garstang became interested in archaeology and conducted excavations at Ribchester. Encouraged to take up archaeology, Garstang excavated other Romano-British sites during his vacations from Oxford.
After gaining a 3rd from Oxford in 1899, Garstang joined the team of Flinders Petrie at Abydos. He excavated various sites in the vicinity, including the discovery of the great tombs at Beit Khallaf in 1901. In 1902 he carried out his first independent excavation in Egypt at Reqaqnah. The excavation was funded by an excavation committee, a group of wealthy donors who in turn would receive a selection of objects from Garstang's excavations in exchange for their patronage. Like Petrie before him, Garstang would continue to use Excavation Committees to fund his excavations for most of his career.
In 1902, Garstang was also appointed the honorary reader in Egyptian archaeology at the University of Liverpool. In 1904, Garstang founded the Institute of Archaeology, which was affiliated with the University. From 1907-1941, Garstang was the first professorship in the methods and practice of archaeology at the University. On behalf of the Institute, Garstang excavated sites in Egypt, Sudan and the Near East up to the out break of World War I.
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