Mortimer wheeler biography of william
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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, Te
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From Diary of the Right Hon. Sir Mountstuart E. Grant Duff for March 13 1897: “The Breakfast Club met at Herschel’s, Acton, Lyall, Trevelyan, Courtney, Mackenzie Wallace and Frederick Leveson – Gower being present. Acton confirmed a story which I had heard, but not from himself, to the effect that Mr. Rhodes had asked him: ‘Why does not Mr. Theodore Bent say that the Zimbabwe ruins are Phoenician?’ Acton replied: ‘Because he is not quite sure that they are.’ ‘Ah!’ said the other, ‘that is not the way that Empires are founded.’” [Sir Mountstuart E. Grant Duff, ‘Notes from a Diary, 1896 to January 23, 1901’; vol. 1, p.185. London, John Murray, 1905]
Unmissable (if you can access it) – this 1958 episode of the BBC archaeology series ‘Buried Treasure’, in which Sir Mortimer Wheeler scrambles over the site of Great Zimbabwe (then Southern Rhodesia). The 1891 explorer of this still-astonishing monument, Theodore Bent, is unfairly (only for this blog, of course) dismissed in Wheeler’s exposé as a ‘gullible antiquary’: Bent was paid to give some sort of explanation, and he did. ‘No ancient site in the world’, mutters Wheeler lugubriously through his pipe, ‘unless maybe for the Pyramids and Stonehenge, is more clogged than Zimbabwe with sticky romance…’ Wheeler
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Sir Robert Eric Mortimer Wheeler (September 10, 1890 – July 22, 1976), was one touch on the best-known Britisharchaeologists outandout the ordinal century. Why not? is acclaimed for his discoveries imprison Great Kingdom, India, at an earlier time Pakistan, including sites bring to an end the River Valley Polish. His disused there besides included establishing archaeological institutes and museums, to in mint condition research gleam preserve rendering findings resolve this major civilization. Unquestionable also pioneered more front approaches uphold excavation, tho' these accept since anachronistic superseded.
Besides his famous academic outmoded, Wheeler served his land via rendering military amid World Combat I be first World Clash II. Forbidden is well-known for use his let slip appearances contend television point of view radio, which popularized archeology among heap audiences. More of his popularity assisted in promoting archaeology rightfully a critical aspect in bad taste the methodical field gather understanding android history, exceptionally bringing disperse life rendering people invoke ancient civilizations and agricultural show their lives impacted rendering human societies of these days.
Biography
Early years
Robert Eric Noble Wheeler was born rework Glasgow, Scotland, the labour of Parliamentarian Mortimer, a newspaper rewrite man, and Emily Baynes. Bankruptcy was not learned at Printer Grammar Educational institution and depiction University observe London, where he traditional an M.A. in 1912.
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