R. A. Stewart Macalister facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
R. A. Stewart Macalister
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| Born |
Robert Alexander Stewart Macalister
8 July 1870 |
| Died | 26 April 1950 (aged 79) |
| Education | Cambridge University |
| Occupation | Archaeologist |
Robert Alexander Stewart Macalister (born July 8, 1870 – died April 26, 1950) was an important Irish archaeologist. He spent many years digging up ancient sites, especially in the Middle East and Ireland. His work helped us learn a lot about how people lived thousands of years ago.
Contents
About Robert Macalister
Robert Macalister was born in Dublin, Ireland. His father, Alexander Macalister, was a professor. When Robert was young, his family moved to Cambridge, England. He went to The Perse School and later studied at Cambridge University.
Early Archaeology Work
At first, Robert was interested in the history of Ireland. But soon, he became very interested in something called "biblical archaeology." This means studying ancient places mentioned in the Bible.
From 1898 to 1900, he worked with Frederick J. Bliss. They dug up several old towns in a region called the Shephelah in what was then Ottoman Palestine. They used new methods to figure out the age of things they found. One method was called stratigraphy. This means studying the different layers of soil, because older things are usually found in deeper layers. They also used typology, which is a way to date pottery by looking at its style and shape.
After Bliss retired, Macalister became the leader of the excavations for the Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF) in 1901.
Discoveries at Gezer
From 1902 to 1909, Macalister was in charge of digging at Gezer. Gezer was an ancient city in what is now Israel, near Jerusalem. This was one of the first big scientific archaeological digs in that area.
At Gezer, he found the famous Gezer calendar. This is a very old piece of writing in ancient Hebrew. It describes the different farming seasons of the year. Macalister also found evidence of ancient practices around a special place called the High Place of Gezer. These findings helped him understand more about the ancient people who lived there, like the Amorites.
Later Work in Ireland
In 1909, Macalister left biblical archaeology. He became a professor of Celtic archaeology at University College, Dublin. He taught there until he retired in 1943.
During this time, he worked at an ancient Irish royal site called the Hill of Tara. He also helped put together a list of all known ogham inscriptions. Ogham is an ancient Irish alphabet. Many of his translations of old Irish myths and legends are still used today.
He was elected to the Royal Irish Academy in 1910. He even served as their president from 1926 to 1931. He was also president of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland from 1924 to 1928.
Robert Macalister is buried in Cambridge, England, with his wife, Margaret A. M. Macalister.
See also
- Lebor Gabála Érenn
