Ladies of the Field

The first women archaeologists were Victorian era adventurers who felt most at home when farthest from it. Canvas tents were their domains, hot Middle Eastern deserts their gardens of inquiry and labor. Thanks to them, prevailing ideas about feminine nature — soft, nurturing, submissive — were upended.Ladies of the Field tells the story of seven remarkable women, each a pioneering archaeologist, each headstrong, smart, and courageous, who burst into what was then a very young science.Amanda Adams takes us with them as they hack away at underbrush under a blazing sun, battle swarms of biting bugs, travel on camelback for weeks on end, and feel the excitement of unearthing history at an archaeological site.Adams also reveals the dreams of these extraordinary women, their love of the field, their passion for holding the past in their hands, their fascination with human origins, and their utter disregard for convention.

The first women archaeologists were Victorian era adventurers who felt most at home when farthest from it. Canvas tents were their domains, hot Middle Eastern deserts their gardens of inquiry and labor. Thanks to them, prevailing ideas about feminine nature — soft, nurturing, submissive — were upended.Ladies of the Field tells the story of seven remarkable women, each a pioneering archaeologist, each headstrong, smart, and courageous, who burst into what was then a very young science.Amanda Adams takes us with them as they hack away at underbrush under a blazing sun, battle swarms of biting bugs, travel on camelback for weeks on end, and feel the excitement of unearthing history at an archaeological site.Adams also reveals the dreams of these extraordinary women, their love of the field, their passion for holding the past in their hands, their fascination with human origins, and their utter disregard for convention.

Field Notes

The Nile’s Grand Dame
Amelia Edwards (1831-1892)
Noah’s Ark – A good poem by 7 – No one to say no – the Dolomites – Lady ‘L’ – Voyaging on the Nile – Pyramids and other wonders – Abu Simbel – Responding to a threat – Egyptology – The fund – To break a leg – Revelations

All Dressed Up in a Man’s Suit
Jane Dieulafoy (1851-1916)
In a man’s suit – Tomboy – Meeting Marcel – Being a solider – Partnership – The first excavations – Persia – The Lion Frieze and glory of Susa – Rejection – Paris saloons and a yawn – Down south – Writing about it all – Back to the field – Fever – On being married

Mexico’s Archaeological Queen
Zelia Nuttall (1857-1933)
Queening at the table – Gold Rush – A special picture book – Alphonse and Nadine – Terracotta heads – The big fair – Mr. Boas – Casa Alvarado – Lost things – The Island of Sacrificios – Fury – Fame – A return to light

Oh, Desert Tiger!
Gertrude Bell (1868-1926)
Catching the eye of a star – Growing up with gardens – Family matters and letters home – School days – Languages and leaving – The field – Pretty things – Petra – Days melt like snow – (lost) Love - Death and reflections on adventure

Just Like a Volcano
Harriet Boyd Hawes (1871-1945)
Inside a volcano – Athens by bicycle – Nursing – Across the wine dark sea – Digging in Crete – Donkeys at a Trot – Gournia – The Headhunter – Now, the kitchen – Babies & books – A rumbling wake

Archaeology’s Big Detective
Agatha Christie (1890-1976)
M is for mystery – Girls? They should run wild – Ashfield – Coming out in Cairo – Mrs. Christie – Around the world – The bad year – Vanished – Orient Express – Meeting Max – Le Camping – Khabur Valley – A detective’s eye - Tell me

Like a Glass of Stony White Wine
Dorothy Garrod (1892-1968)
Archaeology’s new voice – family of science – three brothers – Abbé Breuil – Human origins – A tiny skull in her hands – Mount Carmel – Sherry Sabbath – Deafening! - Hello Cambridge – Ancient beaches – The Amazons have broken down the gates at last

Excavations
Glossary
Notes
Bibliography
Recommended Reading
Acknowledgments