Alexander Keiller
Alexander Keiller (born December 1, 1889 , † 1955 ) was a British amateur archaeologist and patron .
Life
Keiller was heir to a jam factory that his family had owned in Dundee since 1797 , attended Eton College, and took over management of the company at the age of 17 after the death of his parents.
He was also an amateur archaeologist who invested large sums of money in research. He pioneered aerial archeology in England in the 1920s and published the book Wessex from the Air in 1928 . In the 1930s, he began digging at Windmill Hill , which became a classic mining site , and later at Avebury . He also acquired extensive land holdings around the archaeological site (3.8 square kilometers in Avebury, Windmill Hill), which he sold cheaply to the National Trust in 1943 . Finds from his excavations are on display in what is now the National Trust's Alexander Keiller Museum in Avebury. Keiller restored the Avebury megalithic complexes and erected stones. Avebury looks today in large part thanks to his dedication.
In Avebury in 1938 he also discovered the skeleton of a medieval barber-surgeon who was buried under a megalithic stone.
literature
- Lynda J. Murray: A Zest for Life. The story of Alexander Keiller. Morven Books, Swindon 1999, ISBN 0-9536039-0-3
Web links
- National Archives, Alexander Keiller Museum
- Biography at Avebury Manor and Gardens
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Keiller, Alexander |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British amateur prehistorian |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 1, 1889 |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1955 |