Bryony Coles facts for kids

Bryony Jean Coles, born on August 12, 1946, is a famous prehistoric archaeologist. She studies very old human history from before writing was invented. She is best known for her research on a huge area of land called Doggerland. This land was once above water but is now under the North Sea.

Early Life and School

Bryony Coles was born in 1946. She first studied history at Bristol University. After that, she went to the London Institute of Archaeology. There, she earned a special diploma. She then completed her master's degree in Anthropology at University College London.

Archaeology Career

Coles started teaching in 1972 at the University of Exeter. She became a lecturer in prehistoric archaeology. In 1996, she was promoted to a full Professor. When she retired in 2008, she was given the title of professor emeritus. This means she kept her professor title even after retiring.

Discovering Doggerland

Professor Coles began studying Doggerland in the 1990s. She gave the name "Doggerland" to this ancient land. It is named after Dogger Bank, a large sandbank in the southern North Sea. In 1998, she created maps showing what this area might have looked like. Her article from 1998, called Doggerland: a Speculative Survey, was very important. Another archaeologist, Luc Amkreutz, said it was "essential" for making Doggerland a serious topic for study. This land was submerged about 8,000 years ago.

Wetland Archaeology

Besides Doggerland, Professor Coles also did a lot of research in wetland archaeology. This type of archaeology focuses on places that are wet, like swamps or marshes. She worked a lot in the Somerset Levels in England. She did this work with her husband, John Coles. Their work helped create a new way of studying wetlands in archaeology. In 1998, they won an award for their great contribution to knowledge.

Studying Beavers

Professor Coles also started studying the European beaver. She realized that some marks on old wood found in the Somerset Levels were made by beavers, not humans. At first, people thought humans had made these marks. To learn more, she spent about five years mapping beaver activities in Brittany. This helped her learn how to spot signs of beavers in nature. It also taught her how to tell the difference between beaver and human activity at old archaeological sites.

Personal Life

Bryony Coles was married to John Coles from 1985 until he passed away in 2020. Together, they started The John and Bryony Coles Bursary in 1998. This bursary is a special fund. It helps students who want to travel to other countries to study or work in prehistoric archaeology.

Awards and Recognition

Professor Coles has received several important honors for her work.

• On November 27, 1975, she became a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London (FSA). This is a group that supports the study of history and old things.
• In 2007, she was elected a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA). This is a very high honor in the United Kingdom for people who study humanities and social sciences.

See also

In Spanish: Bryony Coles para niños