sign in sign up
<<
Home , Glyn Daniel, Leonard Woolley, Mortimer Wheeler

Nature Vol. 296 8 April 1982 Spring Books Supplement 515 weapons are at hand. Environmental Samoa, quoted by Desowitz, knowledge of greatest of all archaeological excavators sanitation should be used wherever it is the social organization of the people General Pitt Rivers". It was to those feasible, and coupled with health helped. largely forgotten publications from the end education. Immunization too, has its The essays of Desowitz provoke these of the last century that Wheeler turned, place. Smallpox was eliminated by a and many other thoughts. They are and with their aid developed systems of vaccination campaign carried out with recommended to students of medicine, recording, with emphasis upon the inter­ military determination, and immunization public health and biology, to pretation and drawing of stratigraphic markedly reduced the incidence of administrators of international health sections, which transformed excavation in poliomyelitis in industrialized countries. programmes and to those who enjoy a Britain from a pastime into a discipline. Chemoprophylaxis and chemotherapy are good read about science and the world in Wheeler's most personal contribution also useful. They greatly reduced the which we live. D was an unfailing grasp of what he called the prevalence of yaws and have protected Tactics and Strategy of excavation. Those millions of people and domestic animals same qualities which produced a first-class Tony Allison is Director of the Institute of from parasites. As in the case of Biological Sciences at Syntex Research, Palo soldier (he rose to the rank of in chemoprophylaxis against filariasis in Alto. the Second World War and fought at ) and highly effective administra­ tor (Director General of the Archaeological of India) made him a masterly field worker, with an unrivalled perception of the real objectives of the The making of an archaeologist work in hand and of the most appropriate measures for their achievement. Indeed, it could be argued that with Wheeler : Adventurer in in Britain not only for more substantial excavation became to what Archaeology. By . subsequent television coverage (the Buried experiment is to the physical sciences- the Pp.416. ISBN 0-297-78056-5. (Weidenfeld Treasure series, and then Chronicle) but opportunity through clear thinking and & Nicolson: 1982.) £10.95. also, it could be argued, for the rapid careful planning to try out new ideas and to growth over the past 20 years of test old ones. Of course British archae­ "TURNING out of Pall Mall, I was archaeology as a degree subject which is ology overseas had other pioneers of field transfixed by the steely gaze of Mr. numerically strong in a number of method besides Wheeler - Sir Flinders . 'Hullo, Rikki,' he said; universities. As the author stresses here, Petrie, as Wheeler himself acknowledged, 'still digging?'. 'Hullo, Augustus,' I Wheeler was, in his early excavating days in or Sir or Sir Max replied; 'still sketching?'. With these words the 1920s, a pioneer of what today might be Mallowan. But Wheeler was the unflagging Sir Mortimer Wheeler (Rik to his friends) called public relations. But of course it was advocate of sound field method as the began Still Digging, his vivacious auto­ very much more than this: Wheeler saw his essential basis of further work, and his biography, published by Michael Joseph in discoveries in human, personal terms and teaching in the years after the First World 1955. Its subtitle, "Adventures in he never lost the gift of catching the War promoted in Britain an awareness of Archaeology", is recalled in that of the imagination of the non-specialist. He saw, stratigraphic principles which persists biography of Jacquetta Hawkes, now pub­ too, that if the ultimate aim of archaeology today and is ultimately sounder and more lished six years after his death. is to inform us about the human past, it is productive than the metrical thoroughness There is no more equivocal gift to the the duty of the academic not only to of the German school or the statistical biographer than a really good auto­ research but to communicate. As he wrote enthusiasm of the American. biography. The freshness and energy of in his best book, Archaeology from the Jacquetta Hawkes does not perhaps Still Digging make it lively reading today, Earth ( University Press, 1954): "In evaluate as highly as she might this par­ and its very excellence offers Jacquetta a simple, direct sense, archaeology is a ticular achievement, although she Hawkes something of a challenge, to which science that must be lived, must be describes Wheeler's individual excavations she has risen conscientiously and above all 'seasoned with humanity'. Dead archae­ fully and well. It deserves to be set in a sympathetically, making considerable ology is the driest dust that blows". wider context. For it would be quite possi­ effort to get behind the public persona and In his later years, as Secretary of the ble to see Wheeler's keen sense of problem reveal the human being. , Wheeler made sub­ in fieldwork as anticipating in some It is indeed for that persona that Wheeler stantial contributions to the development respects the deliberately problem-orien­ is still most widely remembered. For those of archaeology in Britain and indeed to the tated approaches of the ''New too young to have been viewers, it is diffi­ standing of the humanities in general. The Archaeology", which grew up in the last cult to convey the national impact of his British Academy, a much more recent decade of Wheeler's life. It is not the charismatic role, back in the 1950s, in that creation than the Royal Society, has even inclination of either approach to set great remarkable television programme Animal, now not quite achieved the active leader­ store on facts just for their own sake. Both Vegetable, Mineral. Both Wheeler and the ship within its own field which its elder see the aim of fieldwork as the verification question master became sister has among the sciences. That the two or testing of hypotheses through the household names - they were elected "TV are nonetheless at least comparable owes gathering of fresh material, and recognize Personality of the Year'' in 1954 and 1955 much to Wheeler's leadership during his that it is ideas and problems which should respectively. This was haute vulgarisation, tenure as Secretary from 1949 to 1968, as determine the excavation strategy. This in Glyn Daniel's term, popularization at its Jacquetta Hawkes describes most clear sense of priorities makes Archaeology best and with a serious purpose. It made effectively. from the Earth an inspiring introduction to archaeology both better known and more Undoubtedly, however, Wheeler's main fieldwork; still the best introduction, in my widely understood, laying the foundation claim to lasting fame rests with his work as view, although many new techniques have a pioneer of archaeological field methods. been introduced over the past 30 years. His incisive and systematic approach to the And while the author rightly stresses • The third edition of Digging up Bones by problems of excavation was not entirely Wheeler's ability to imagine and bring to D.R. Brothwell, published by the (Natural History) and Oxford new - as he generously acknowledged in life the people behind the archaeological University Press, appeared earlier this year. the preface to Archaeology from the Earth, record, his encouragement of the technical Price in paperback is £8.95. many of the methods and principles which specialisms of archaeological science - he used were derived "from those of the whether conservation or radiocarbon

© 1982 Nature Publishing Group 516 Spring Books Supplement Nature Vol. 296 8 April 1982 dating - and his recognition of their place within a more disciplined approach are at Grounds for doubting the pessimists least as important. The author's emphasis is perhaps a more P. D. Henderson personal one, although she copes well and The Ultimate Resource. By Julian L. environmental pollution and conservation. expertly (being an archaeologist herself) Simon. Pp.412. US ISBN 0-691-09389-X; On all of these Simon points out, with some with Wheeler's excavations and research. UK ISBN 0-85520-440-0. (Princeton Uni­ well chosen and carefully presented She is concerned to see Wheeler as a versity Press/Martin Robertson: 1981.) statistics, that the evidence of recent person, dealing as much with the private $14.50, £9.50. decades is more encouraging than is life (and many loves) as with the public generally realized. Thus minerals, food achievement. She begins: "Mortimer WRITING in 1933, Keynes said ofMalthus's products and energy supplies have over the Wheeler will rise from these pages as a Hero Essay on the Principle of Population that past century become less costly in relation "it attracted immediate attention, and the to wages; world food supplies have grown warfare of pamphlets instantly more rapidly than population; while the commenced ... which for 135 years has expectation of life, which he regards as the never ceased". Hostilities have continued best single indicator of pollution, has risen during the half-century since Keynes all over the world. In Simon's judgement, wrote, and Julian Simon's new 400-page all these favourable trends are likely to be volume is a reminder that not only maintained into the indefinite future: in the pamphlets are involved. The issues that case of the cost of raw materials, he makes Mal thus raised so provocatively in 1798 are an engaging offer to back his assessment still live, unsettled and highly contentious. with money, by accepting bets from The main issues are two: first, the extent readers who take a different view. He thus to which it is possible for human societies rejects completely the notion that to achieve material progress; and second, economic growth is constrained by the the effects of population changes on their availability or cost of resources. prospects of doing so. In relation to these, Part Two is mainly concerned with the it is still possible to think of the main effects of population growth on average battleline as drawn between Malthusians income per head. In most of the economic­ and anti-Malthusians, though as in other cum-demographic models that have been spheres of conflict there are wide differ­ developed over the past 20 to 30 years, ences of view within each of the two factions. these effects are unfavourable, largely Following in the steps of the master, because it is assumed that with more modern Malthusians are pessimistic on children in the average family the rate of ~ both issues, or at least inclined to saving and capital accumulation will be .9 emphasize dangers and limitations rather lower, and that a higher proportion of ;,;:~ than opportunities. As to material capital investment will go towards progress, the possibilities for growth in duplication of facilities (more schools, for Mortimer Wheeler - creator of a discipline. output are seen as restricted in any given example), rather than increasing capital figure. Of that I feel sure even as I write the society, and for the human race as a whole, per head. As against this, Simon makes very first words of my book''. Certainly the because of constraints on the availability of three main points. First, larger families remarkably varied career - yet single­ land or natural resources. From this arises may increase the willingness of individuals minded in its devotion to archaeology- is the threat of overpopulation. It is admitted to save and invest. Second, there are likely admirably told. Her earlier chapters and that population growth will create a larger to be significant gains from economies of description of the war years inevitably owe labour force- more hands, as well as more scale, since total output will be higher. a great deal to the autobiography. But sur­ mouths- and thus tend to raise the level of Third and most important, output per head prisingly, perhaps, it is the portrait of Rik potential output; but given the constraints will benefit from "the contribution of Wheeler in his old age, as he is remembered imposed by nature, not much can be additional people to our stock of useful by many today (including myself) which expected from this positive effect. Thus knowledge" (p.l96): a larger population seems the most compelling, indeed higher rates of population growth will means not only more mouths and hands, moving. Those same qualities of panache, often be a drag on material progress. but also more brains. His broad of awareness of the effect of the moment, Conversely, lower population growth may conclusion, which he argues is consistent which may have raised eyebrows (and hold the key to sustainable prosperity. with the facts of economic history, is that indeed aroused some enmities) earlier, and By contrast, anti-Malthusians take a moderate as distinct from zero rates of which caught the attention of millions of more sanguine view. They are sceptical population growth are likely to have viewers in the 1950s, made him the most ahout limits to growth, while at the same favourable effects on income per head, at splendidly vivacious good company in his time many of them stress the positive any rate in the longer run, in rich and poor seventies and eighties, and a friend and effects of population increase on a countries alike. encouragement to many half a century society's capacity to produce goods and In Part Three ("Beyond the Data") the younger than he. They come over well in services. These are the two main themes of argument is taken further than the issue of this affectionate portrait. Simon's interesting and readable book. material progress alone, and other values Wheeler came to archaeology with a The author pours scorn on current are brought in. Simon holds that enabling military briskness of mind which helped pessimism and prophecies of doom - an extra person to live and enjoy life has him to make the subject, in the scientific as despite one or two favourable references to value in itself, and that the well-being of a well as the organizational meaning of the Malthus himself - and the book may be society has to be defined with reference not term, a discipline. Perhaps just as impor­ described as a scholarly polemic. just to the average standard of living of its tant, he brought with him a zest and a gusto Most of the argument is directed to the members, but to their total numbers also. which made it, in a real and un-trivial two issues identified above. Part One He makes a sharp attack on the values and sense, entertaining. 1_1 ("Towards Our Beautiful Resource assumptions of anti-natalist bodies, such Future") considers the possible scarcity of as Planned Parenthood, and argues that Colin Renfrew is Disney Professor of Archae­ natural resources, and deals successively there is no justification for trying to reduce ology at the . with minerals, food supplies, land, energy, rates of population growth, as distinct

© 1982 Nature Publishing Group