Veronica Seton-Williams facts for kids

Veronica (Marjory) Seton-Williams (born April 20, 1910 – died May 29, 1992) was a British-Australian archaeologist. She was an expert in finding and studying ancient objects and places. Veronica explored many historical sites in Egypt and the Near East. She studied history and politics at the University of Melbourne. Later, she learned about ancient Egypt and early human history at University College London.

Veronica's Early Life and Education

Veronica Seton-Williams was born in Melbourne, Australia. Her father, Seton Gordon Nixon Williams, was a lawyer. Her mother was Eliza Mary Staughton.

Veronica was taught at home for many years. In 1925, she started attending Clyde Girls Grammar School. She went on to study at the University of Melbourne. In 1934, she earned a degree in history and political science.

Moving to England and Studying Archaeology

In 1934, Veronica moved to England. She began studying archaeology at University College London. She learned from a famous archaeologist named Mortimer Wheeler.

Veronica first planned to study Egyptology, which is the study of ancient Egypt. However, she was encouraged to study British prehistory instead. She later earned her PhD in Syrian Archaeology in 1957.

Archaeological Discoveries and Work

Veronica worked on many important archaeological digs. These were places where ancient objects and buildings were uncovered.

Digging in Different Countries

From 1934 to 1936, she excavated at Maiden Castle, Dorset with Mortimer Wheeler. This is a large ancient hillfort in England.

She then traveled to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. There, she worked at Sheikh es-Zuweid from 1935 to 1936. She also dug in Palestine and Turkey from 1936 to 1937. During this time, she worked with another well-known archaeologist, John Garstang.

Veronica also helped with excavations at Tell el-Duweir from 1937 to 1938. In 1935, she worked at Whitehawk Camp in Brighton, England.

Working in Challenging Conditions

Veronica learned to speak Arabic. This helped her talk to and supervise the local workers at the dig sites. Sometimes, the work was difficult due to local unrest. Sadly, one of her fellow archaeologists, James Leslie Starkey, was killed during this time.

World War II and Later Excavations

During the Second World War, Veronica helped her country. She drove ambulances and worked in a department that checked mail. She also worked for the British Council's Ministry of Information.

After the war, Veronica returned to archaeology. In 1949, she worked at Sakçe Gözü in Turkey. This site had been excavated before by John Garstang.

She also led digs at Tell Rifa'at in Syria in 1956, 1960, and 1964.

Leading the Buto Excavation

In 1964, Veronica became the field director for the Egypt Exploration Society. She led their excavations at Buto in Egypt from 1964 to 1968. She worked with Dorothy Charlesworth at this important site.

After her work at Buto, Veronica spent a lot of time writing about her discoveries.

Teaching and Publications

From 1958 to 1961, Veronica led excavations at Barkhale Camp in Sussex, England. These digs were also used to train students from the University of London.

Veronica taught Egyptian and Mesopotamian archaeology for 25 years at the University of London. She often worked with her colleagues Joan du Plat Taylor and John Waechter on projects in Cyprus, Syria, and Turkey. She also taught about ancient Egypt at the City Literary Institute. She continued teaching until 1977.

She wrote many books and articles in both English and French. Some of her works include Britain and the Arab states (1948), Egyptian stories and Legends (1988), and Egypt (Blue guides) (1988).

Veronica Seton-Williams passed away on May 29, 1992, in Balsham, Cambridgeshire.