Bryony Coles facts for kids

Bryony Jean Coles (born in 1946) is a British archaeologist. She studies things from the very distant past, before people started writing history. She is famous for her work on a huge ancient land called Doggerland. This land is now hidden under the North Sea.

Studying Ancient Times

Bryony Coles was born in 1946. She loved learning about history. She went to Bristol University to study. Later, she continued her studies at the London Institute of Archaeology.

Her Work as an Archaeologist

In 1972, Bryony Coles started teaching prehistoric archaeology at the University of Exeter. She became a full Professor in 1996. When she retired in 2008, she was given the special title of professor emeritus. This means she kept her connection to the university.

Her most famous work began in the 1990s. She started studying a large area of land that used to connect Britain to Europe. This land is now underwater.

Discovering Doggerland

Bryony Coles named this ancient land "Doggerland." She named it after Dogger Bank, a big sandbank in the southern North Sea. In 1998, she created maps showing what Doggerland might have looked like. Her book, Doggerland: a Speculative Survey, helped other archaeologists take Doggerland seriously. It showed how important this lost land was.

Exploring Wetlands

Besides Doggerland, Bryony Coles also studied wetland archaeology. This is about finding ancient things in wet places like swamps or marshes. She worked a lot in the Somerset Levels in England with her husband, John Coles.

Their work helped create a new way of studying archaeology in wetlands. In 1998, they won an award for their important discoveries.

Beavers in the Past

Bryony Coles also became interested in European beavers. She noticed some marks on old wood found in the Somerset Levels. At first, people thought humans made these marks. But Bryony realized they were made by beavers!

To learn more, she spent about five years studying beavers in Brittany, France. She wanted to understand how beavers change the environment. This helped her tell the difference between marks made by beavers and marks made by humans at ancient sites.

Personal Life

Bryony Coles was married to John Coles from 1985 until he passed away in 2020. Together, they set up The John and Bryony Coles Bursary in 1998. A bursary is like a scholarship. It helps students who want to travel to study or work in prehistoric archaeology in another country.

Awards and Recognition

Bryony Coles has received several important honors for her work.

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

See also

In Spanish: Bryony Coles para niños