Bridget Allchin facts for kids

Bridget Allchin (born February 10, 1927 – died June 27, 2017) was a famous archaeologist. She focused on studying ancient cultures in South Asia. She wrote many books and articles, often with her husband, Raymond Allchin.

Early Life and Education

Bridget Gordon was born in Oxford, England, on February 10, 1927. Her father, Stephen Gordon, was a doctor in the Indian Army. Her mother was Elsie Cox.

Bridget grew up on a farm in Galloway, Scotland. During World War II, she and her mother mostly ran the farm. They even had help from prisoners of war.

She started studying history at University College London. But after her first year, her parents moved to South Africa. Bridget joined them there.

She wanted to learn about the local culture in Basutoland (now Lesotho). So, she went to the University of Cape Town. There, she studied African cultures, including anthropology and archaeology. She also learned to speak Sesotho and took flying lessons.

Bridget became an expert in the Stone Age of South Africa. In 1950, she returned to England. She started her PhD at the Institute of Archaeology. She wanted to learn more about ancient stone tools from around the world.

Career in Archaeology

In 1950, Bridget met Raymond Allchin, who was also a PhD student. They got married in March 1951.

Bridget first traveled to India with Raymond in 1951. She quickly became a leading expert in the prehistory of South Asia in the UK. She was a pioneer, meaning she was one of the first women to do fieldwork in archaeology in South Asia.

Her research covered a wide area, from Afghanistan to Sri Lanka. At first, she helped Raymond with his fieldwork. But she also started her own projects. She found funding and led important archaeological digs.

One of her projects was in the Thar Desert in India. She worked with Professor K. T. M. Hegde and Professor Andrew Goudie. Later, she helped start a project in the Pothohar Plateau in Pakistan. This project looked for very old stone tools.

Bridget was also an important author. She wrote books like:

• The Stone-Tipped Arrow (1966)
• The Prehistory and Palaeogeography of the Great Indian Desert (1978)
• Living Traditions: Studies in the Ethnoarchaeology of South Asia (1994)

Besides fieldwork and writing, Bridget had other important roles. She was the first editor of the journal South Asian Studies for over ten years. She was also a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (FSA). This means she was recognized for her knowledge of ancient things.

She was also a Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge. Bridget helped start the Ancient India and Iran Trust. She was also a founding member and Secretary General of the European Association of South Asian Archaeologists.

Bridget Allchin passed away in Norwich, England, on June 27, 2017, at the age of 90. She is remembered by her two children, Sushila and William.

Awards and Recognition

In 2014, Bridget Allchin received the Royal Asiatic Society Gold Medal. This award recognized her important work in South Asia.

An annual event, the Allchin Symposium of South Asian Archaeology, is named in honor of Bridget and her husband.

Selected Works

• The Stone Tipped Arrow (1966)
• The Prehistory and Palaeogeography of the Great Indian Desert (1978)
• The Rise of Civilization in India and Pakistan (1982) with F. Raymond Allchin
• From the Oxus to Mysore in 1951: The Start of a Great Partnership in Indian Scholarship (Hardinge Simpole, 2012) with F. Raymond Allchin