O. G. S. Crawford
Encyclopedia
Osbert Guy Stanhope Crawford (28 October 1886–28 November 1957) was an English
archaeologist and a pioneer in the use of aerial photographs for deepening archaeological understanding of the landscape.
and Hampshire
by his maternal aunts due to the death of his mother in 1886 and his father in 1894. Crawford was educated at Marlborough College
and then Keble College, Oxford
where he began reading literae humaniores
but changed to geography
. Upon graduation in 1910 he worked as demonstrator in the Department of Geography at Oxford until 1911. In 1913 Crawford joined the Scoresby Routledge expedition to Easter Island
but quarrelled with the principals and left before the expedition reached its destination. Instead he joined Henry Wellcome
's excavations at Jebel Moya and Abu Gelli in the Sudan
. On his return to England he excavated a long barrow
on Wexcombe Down with E.A. Hooton.
he served first in the London Scottish, then in the Survey Division of the Third Army, and from 1917 as an observer with the Royal Flying Corps
. His aircraft was shot down in 1918 and he was held prisoner at Holzminden
until the end of the war.
, a post he held until his retirement in 1946. By 1945, he was powerful enough at the Survey to have an assistant, W.F. (Peter) Grimes.In 1927 he founded Antiquity; A Quarterly Review of Archaeology. He became known over time among archaeological circles for his cap, which rarely left him. When he went indoors it was in his pocket, rolled up. When he was in a moment of defiance he would throw it to the floor.
He was instrumental in the discovery of Woodhenge
, situated near Stonehenge
, which had been the subject of a study by Gilbert Stuart Martin Insall
. During 1925, Insall had photographed the area and found a barrow with white spots in a circular formation. Crawford identified it to be a henge.
was the victim of a bombing attack the next year.
Also during the blitz he created a photographic record of old Southampton for the National Building Record.
"Future archaeologists will perhaps excavate the ruined factories of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries when the radiation effects of Atom bombs have died away" he wrote in his 1953 book, Archaeology in the Field.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
archaeologist and a pioneer in the use of aerial photographs for deepening archaeological understanding of the landscape.
Early life
Born in the city of Bombay the son of a civil servant, he was brought up in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
by his maternal aunts due to the death of his mother in 1886 and his father in 1894. Crawford was educated at Marlborough College
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
and then Keble College, Oxford
Keble College, Oxford
Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...
where he began reading literae humaniores
Literae Humaniores
Literae Humaniores is the name given to an undergraduate course focused on Classics at Oxford and some other universities.The Latin name means literally "more humane letters", but is perhaps better rendered as "Advanced Studies", since humaniores has the sense of "more refined" or "more learned",...
but changed to geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
. Upon graduation in 1910 he worked as demonstrator in the Department of Geography at Oxford until 1911. In 1913 Crawford joined the Scoresby Routledge expedition to Easter Island
Easter Island
Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people...
but quarrelled with the principals and left before the expedition reached its destination. Instead he joined Henry Wellcome
Henry Wellcome
Sir Henry Solomon Wellcome FRS was an American-British pharmaceutical entrepreneur. He founded the pharmaceutical company Burroughs Wellcome & Company with his colleague Silas Burroughs, which is one of the four large companies that merged to form GlaxoSmithKline...
's excavations at Jebel Moya and Abu Gelli in the Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. On his return to England he excavated a long barrow
Long barrow
A long barrow is a prehistoric monument dating to the early Neolithic period. They are rectangular or trapezoidal tumuli or earth mounds traditionally interpreted as collective tombs...
on Wexcombe Down with E.A. Hooton.
World War I
During the First World WarWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he served first in the London Scottish, then in the Survey Division of the Third Army, and from 1917 as an observer with the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
. His aircraft was shot down in 1918 and he was held prisoner at Holzminden
Holzminden
Holzminden is a town in southern Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Holzminden. It is located directly on the river Weser, which here is the border to North Rhine-Westphalia.-History:...
until the end of the war.
Work as an archaeologist
Following a series of short-term jobs, in 1920 he was appointed the first Archaeology Officer of the Ordnance SurveyOrdnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
, a post he held until his retirement in 1946. By 1945, he was powerful enough at the Survey to have an assistant, W.F. (Peter) Grimes.In 1927 he founded Antiquity; A Quarterly Review of Archaeology. He became known over time among archaeological circles for his cap, which rarely left him. When he went indoors it was in his pocket, rolled up. When he was in a moment of defiance he would throw it to the floor.
He was instrumental in the discovery of Woodhenge
Woodhenge
Woodhenge is a Neolithic Class I henge and timber circle monument located in the Stonehenge World Heritage Site in Wiltshire, England. It is north-east of Stonehenge in the parish of Durrington, just north of Amesbury.-Discovery:...
, situated near Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
, which had been the subject of a study by Gilbert Stuart Martin Insall
Gilbert Stuart Martin Insall
Gilbert Stuart Martin Insall VC MC was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
. During 1925, Insall had photographed the area and found a barrow with white spots in a circular formation. Crawford identified it to be a henge.
World War II
During the Second World War he was responsible for saving much historical material in his garage in Nursling. He had noticed that all the major museums and galleries were hoarding their valuables, and the Ordnance Survey wasn’t doing anything with the original ordnance maps. He took on the senior ranks of the Survey, who eventually allowed him to talk to the Director-General. In a meeting described in British Archaeology, issue no.42 in 1999, Crawford, his cap (which he held in his hand), and Peter met with the Director-General, who told them nothing would be done. Crawford threw his hat to the floor, and threatened to write to The Times in order to get the public on his side. The Director-General (who didn’t seem to be affected by such a threat) asked Crawford about the whereabouts of his residence, and then said “if you think so much of the precious maps you’d better take them to Nursling”, which ended the audience. Crawford and Grimes stored all of the old maps in Crawford’s garage the following week. This proved to be useful, because the Ordnance Survey offices in SouthamptonSouthampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
was the victim of a bombing attack the next year.
Also during the blitz he created a photographic record of old Southampton for the National Building Record.
Post war
In 1951 he wrote: ""How much nonsense have not we of the present generation seen faded by our silence (...) Where now are (...) the Old Straight Trackers (...)." He did not live to see the revival of Ley Lines from the late 1960s."Future archaeologists will perhaps excavate the ruined factories of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries when the radiation effects of Atom bombs have died away" he wrote in his 1953 book, Archaeology in the Field.
Books by O. G. S. Crawford
- The Long Barrows of the Cotswolds, 1925
- Wessex from the Air, 1928
- Air Survey and Archaeology 1928
- Air-Photography for Archaeologists 1929
- Topography of Roman Scotland North of the Antonine Wall, 1949
- Archaeology in the Field, 1953
- Said and Done: the autobiography of an archaeologist, 1955
- The Eye Goddess, 1957
Books about O. G. S. Crawford
Hauser, Kitty Bloody Old Britain: O.G.S. Crawford and the Archaeology of Modern Life 2008External links
- Quote from O.G.S. Crawford, taken from his book 1953 "Archaeology in the Field", p.19, Phoenix House: London.
- British Archaeology, issue no.42, 1999
- Photo of O.G.S. Crawford
