I. W. Cornwall facts for kids

Ian Wolfran Cornwall (born November 28, 1909 – died November 18, 1994) was a British expert in archaeology. He was also a university teacher and wrote many books. During World War II, he worked for the British government. Later, he taught archaeology at the University of London from 1951 to 1974. He helped dig up ancient sites in places like Tell es-Sultan, York, and Knossos. One of his books, The Making of Man, won a special award called the Carnegie Medal in 1961.

Early Life and Learning

Ian Cornwall was born on November 28, 1909, in Coonoor, India. When he was a teenager, he went to school at Wellington College in Berkshire, England.

After high school, he went to St John's College, Cambridge and earned a degree in 1931. Later, in the late 1940s, he studied archaeology at the University of London. He earned his advanced degree, a Doctor of Philosophy, in 1952.

Working as an Archaeologist

Before becoming an archaeologist, Ian Cornwall had several different jobs in the 1930s. He sold vacuum cleaners, worked as a teacher, and even helped make medicines.

From 1939 to 1945, during World War II, Cornwall worked for the Ministry of Information. His job was in the censorship department. This meant he helped control what information was shared with the public.

Teaching Archaeology

In 1948, Cornwall started working at the University of London as a secretary. Just a few years later, in 1951, he began teaching archaeology there. He continued to teach at the university until he retired in 1974.

Digging Up the Past

As an archaeologist, Cornwall took part in many important digs. In 1954, he worked at an excavation site called Tell es-Sultan. Here, he helped uncover parts of ancient human skeletons.

At Tell es-Sultan, Cornwall carefully drew the bones as they were found. He figured out which body parts they were. In a paper he wrote in 1956, he shared his ideas about how people were buried and later dug up at this ancient site. He also helped with digs in York and Knossos in the late 1950s.

Writing Books

Ian Cornwall was also a well-known author. He wrote many books about archaeology and ancient history.

His first book for archaeologists was Bones for the Archaeologist, published in 1956. He followed this with Soils for the Archaeologist in 1958. In the 1960s, he wrote books like The World of Ancient Man (1964) and Prehistoric Animals and their Hunters (1968).

Books for Young Readers

Cornwall also wrote books especially for children. His first children's book was The Making of Man, released in 1960. This book won the famous Carnegie Medal in 1961, which is a big award for children's literature. He also wrote Hunters Half Moon in 1967. His last book was Ice Ages: Their Nature and Effects, published in 1970.

Later Life

Ian Cornwall passed away on November 18, 1994. He was married twice and had two children.