Stuart Piggott, a British Archaeologist, was born on May 28, 1910.
Stuart's name is well known among other Archaeologists. Although he never attended a University, he was a very intelligent man, acquiring his knowledge by teaching himself. Once leaving school, Piggott worked as a junior assistant in Reading Museum. Piggott’s accomplishments were recognized by being appointed Professor at Edinburgh University as Gordon Childe’s successor.
After becoming Professor at Edinburgh, Piggott taught for over thirty years. Considering that Professor Piggott did not have a degree from any college, teaching successfully at Edinburgh was a major accomplishment for him. The war interlude sought Stuart to serve from India as Lieutenant-Colonel in air-photographic interpretation. Two books came out of his experiences at this time: Some Ancient Cities of India (1946) and Prehistoric India (1950). He returned to Oxford after. Over time, Piggott also studied British and Scottish Archaeology. Piggott was much criticized for not making bigger bounds in Scottish Archeology; for it was well known that his heart truly lie with England. None the less, he continued to build on his list of accomplishments by serving as a Trustee of the old National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland and as Commissioner of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland as well. He went on to excavate sites such as, Cairnholy, Dalladies Long Barrow, and more famously, West Kennet, and Stonehenge. Throughout his excavations, Stuart worked with Richard Atkinson and Alexander Kieller.
Throughout his years, Piggott wrote several more books including one of his more famous books called The Druids. Among his many academic honors, Stuart Piggott was elected A Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1956 and was awarded an Honorary Degree of BLitt Hum by the University of Columbia in 1954. He was also a great contributor to scholarships and the field of British Archeology. His contributions and work are missed.
As quoted by a fellow peer, Richard Bradley states of Stuart: "I shall miss visiting Stuart Piggott in his cottage at West Challow with it's enormous library and his collection of fine paintings, many by his friends. And I shall miss talking to one of the greatest Archaeologists of the century who was also one of the kindest."
Stuart Piggott died on September 23, 1996.
References
University of Edinburgh, Obituaries, http://www.cpa.ed.ac.uk/bulletinarchive/1996-1997/01/obit1.html
(March, 2006)
British Archaeology. "Obituary of Stuart Piggott," No 19, November 1996
(Quote obtained from "Obituary of Stuart Piggott" by Richard Bradley)
Piggott, Stuart. "Approach to Archeology," Vol. 26 No.1, Pg 123, 1960
Edited By: Holly Schwichtenberg, 2006