Agnes Conway facts for kids

Agnes Ethel Conway (born May 2, 1885 – died 1950), later known as Agnes Horsfield, was a British writer, historian, and archaeologist. She worked in the Middle East from 1929 to 1936. She is perhaps best known for her archaeological digs at Petra and Kilwa. Agnes also wrote books and articles about the history of Allington Castle. This castle was once owned by the Wyatt family in the 1500s.

Early Life and Education

Agnes Conway was born in 1885. Her father, William Martin Conway, was an art historian, collector, explorer, and politician. Her mother was Katrina Conway. Agnes went to Baker Street High School and Kings College. She then studied at Newnham College, Cambridge from 1903 to 1907.

By 1907, Agnes had completed her History Tripos, which is a special type of university exam. She helped organize and add to her father's large collection of photographs of historical objects. In 1912, she worked on this project with Eugénie Sellers Strong at the British School at Rome.

Marriage and Later Life

While working in Petra, Agnes met George Horsfield, who was also an archaeologist. They got married in St George's Cathedral in Jerusalem in January 1932. They lived together in Jerash until 1936. After that, they traveled around the Mediterranean Sea.

Eventually, Agnes and George returned to England. They stayed there until Agnes passed away in 1950. She left her family's important papers to Joan Evans, a historian. These papers are now kept at the Cambridge University Library.

Her Work and Discoveries

Agnes Conway mainly studied Ancient History at Newnham College, Cambridge. She also learned Greek from Jane Ellen Harrison. Jane Harrison was a famous expert in classical archaeology.

In 1913, Agnes became a student at the British School at Athens. In 1914, she traveled widely in Greece and the Balkans with her friend, Evelyn Radford. Agnes wrote a book about her journey in 1917. It was called "A Ride through the Balkans, on Classic Ground with a Camera". Her book included photos of refugees and the effects of war.

From 1917 to 1929, Agnes worked for the Imperial War Museum. She was in charge of collecting materials about women's work during World War I. She was the curator of the Women's Work Section. She also served as the Honorary Secretary of the Women's Committee.

After the war, Agnes studied the economic history of England in the 1500s. Her father, Martin Conway, had bought Allington Castle in Kent in 1905. He spent many years restoring the castle. During this time, Agnes wrote several articles about the castle and the Wyatt family who once lived there.

Exploring Petra

Agnes Conway first visited Petra in 1927. She went with family friends on a big trip through the Middle East. This trip included Egypt, Palestine, Transjordan, and Iraq. She contacted George Horsfield, who was the Chief Inspector of Antiquities for the Transjordan Government. She wanted to learn more about Petra.

In March 1929, Agnes became part of an archaeology team exploring Petra. The team included George Horsfield, Tawfiq Canaan, and Dr. Detlief Nielsen. In 1930, Agnes gave a lecture about Petra at the Royal Geographical Society. It was titled Historical and Topographical Notes on Edom: With an Account of the First Excavations at Petra. She and George Horsfield also published a paper with the same title. This was the first published report of any archaeological dig at Petra. They continued to publish reports on the site in the 1930s and 1940s.

Digging at Kilwa

In 1932, Agnes Conway visited Kilwa. She went with George Horsfield and Nelson Glueck. Nelson Glueck was the director of the American School of Oriental Research in Jerusalem. This trip lasted five days. The three of them wrote an article together about their findings in 1933.

Today, an archive of Agnes's work is kept at UCL's Institute of Archaeology. It includes hundreds of personal photographs, letters, postcards, and notes from her travels and digs. Agnes is credited with taking most of the photos in this collection.

See also

In Spanish: Agnes Conway para niños