Sir Daniel Wilson and the Prehistoric Annals Of
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DANIER SI L PREHISTORICE WILSOTH D NAN ANNALSF O SCOTLAND: A CENTENARY STUDY . DOUGLAbW y S SIMPSON, C.B.E., M.A., D.LITT., LL.D., F.S.A., F.S.A.SCOT. Read at the Annual General Meeting, 30th November, 1963 sciencey stude INth an always f i yo t i , srewardina g thing occasionall baco g ko yt d reaan d agai e greath n t classical treatises that have provide e foundatioth d n materia modere th r lfo n developmen subjecte th f o t . About such works there clings an indelible impression of youthful vigour and freshness, of the deployment of broad philosophical principles, in those happy days before our scientific disciplines becam boggeo es d dow technicalitiesn ni overweighteo s d an ,sheee th y rd b burde n of accumulated fact—t extene oth t thamodere th t n scientist, compelled inexorably to an ever-narrowing specialisation, is sometimes uncharitably described as knowing more and more about less and less. Moreover, the great nineteenth-century pioneers o ft disdaisciencno d writo t ndi e e literature marken i , d contras e moderth o t tn tendency to write jargon. Thus in archaeology, when we read about the cross- fertilisation and hybridisation of Beakers; when we find old and well-established terms such as Windmill Hill and Peterborough, Hallstatt and La Tene, superseded by letters of the alphabet, or even by letters and figures in a kind of pseudo-algebraical combination; when we are told that the Larnians were 'advanced enough in tech- nology croso t e Nort' th s h Channel—in other words, thed boats—wheyha e nw ladiesd ol fino , dtw though sacrificialle b o t t y burie prehistoria n di c hut, described, poor dears 'ideologicas a , l lubricants'—the begie nw wondeo nt r whethe writine rth g of book archaeologn so exercisn a ceases faie e yha b th r literatureo n edt n i o s i d an , road to becoming what a seventeenth-century critic described as 'the obfuscation of understanding'. It is for such reasons that, in my submission, every modern geologist would do wel reao t l d over again, oncwhilea n ei , Lyell's Principles— Scota e o b t , e h or,f i read and reread the splendidly eloquent writings of Hugh Miller. In the same way, biologise th todaf o t y would refres souls rened hhi an , grass whi firs f po t principles, by reading again Darwin's Origin of Species. And it is with such considerations in mind that I have the honour of inviting your attention this evening to the first great scientific study of the whole field of Scottish archaeology, from the earliest traces of human occupatio landr ou ,n nMiddle i closdowe th th f eo o n t e Ages booe Th .n k i question is Sir Daniel Wilson's Prehistoric Annals of Scotland, of which the second editio publishes nwa 1863—jusn di hundree on t d years ago. Henc t seemeei e m o dt that a backward glance at this famous book might be a suitable contribution to the proceeding r Annuaou f o s l Meetin n thigi s centenar ye fina yeath f l o rfor f mo Wilson's work. Often rereadinn i , classicaga l wor sciencn ko historyr eo bac o wels g i o kt t o i t l, the first edition. Later issues, revising, patching, darning, amending and qualifying as the weight and scope of knowledge increased, tend to lose something of their 2 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F O S , 1963-64 early zest. How infinitely better to read is the first edition of Collingwood Bruce's Handbook to the Roman Wall, than the eleventh or latest edition, brought up to date bees ha ant si with unrivalled master scholarshipDanier d case ySi an f th e o n li t Bu . Wilson's book, the second edition, so carefully revised and enlarged by the author, and so greatly benefiting by his study of contemporary primitive communities in Worldw bettea evern i Ne y mord s e i ,an yr wa th e satisfying work tha firste nth . witis hIt this second edition tha I propost presen deathe eto in l t short evaluation of what undoubtedl majoa s yi r landmar earle th yn k i developmen science th f o tf eo archaeology. Perhaps at the outset I may justify this claim by venturing to repeat what I wrote as a contribution to the standard life of Sir Daniel Wilson, published in 1929 LangtonH. H. lat bythaat ,the eMr t tim oppositemy e numbe Torontrin o Uni- versity. Thi whas si I thet n said: He was unquestionably the pioneer of scientific Scottish archaeology, and in some respects he led the way for the whole world. I know of no book, with the exception of Worsaae's Primeval Anti- quities of Denmark, which gave so systematic an account of the archaeology of any northern country as firse th t editio Wilson'f no Scotlandr s probablworfo u o d t yo ks di n firs e A .th yma t s knowwa e h , propound the view that the Celts were not the earliest human race in Britain, and quite recently Sir Arthur Keith has paid him a special tribute as a pioneer for the whole world in the application of craniometry to archaeological questions. Incidentally, and upon a minor point, it was Wilson who in this work first coined the word 'prehistoric', which has now obtained universal currency in the English-speaking world. Daniel Wilson was born in Edinburgh on 5th January 1816, the eldest child of t verno ya successful wine merchant, Archibald Wilson camo wh ,e from Argyllshire. A younger brother was Dr George Wilson, one of the most distinguished chemists earle oth f y nineteenth century frod an m, 1855 unti untimels hi l y deat n 1859hi , Regius Professor of Technology in the University of Edinburgh. It seems probable that both these brothers, Danie Georged an l , derived their outstanding gift intelf o s - lect wels a ,theirs a l earnest piety, from their mother, Janet Aitken Greenoca , k lady of remarkable strengt d originalitan h f charactero y . Fro s mothemhi r certainly Daniel inherited his artistic skill and literary ability. The two boys were sent to Edinburgh High School; and, while their schoolmates spent their leisure in youthful sports, young Danie Georgd an l e 'ransacke wynde d th closed san Edinburgf so r hfo quaint nooks and old buildings'. Already as a schoolboy Daniel had begun to make those sketches of ancient houses in the Capital which in due course were to appear in his first famous book, Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time, published in 1847. This work, it is scarcely necessary to remind you, is of permanent value because it preserves ha appearance dth Edinburgd ol f eo e day th sn h i befor e remorselesth e s han f moderdo n 'improvement' swept awa mano s picturesquys it f yo e buildings. The originals of his beautiful drawings for this richly illustrated book are now pre- served in the Library of our Society. Nobody who has looked at these drawings can gainsay that Wilson was an artist of outstandin gfirss abilityhi t s intentio facn wa I .t i t earo n t livins nhi thin gi s way; SIR DANIEL WILSON: A CENTENARY STUDY 3 1835n i o s , d witan boldnesha s whic retrospecn hi t seems downright reckless lefe h , t Universite th Edinburgf yo h without takin yearo gdegreea tw s d lateran , , wito hn more than five pounds in his pocket, made his way up to London. Already for a few beed yearha ne sh learning spars steef hi o et n i l, ar timeengravin e th , g from William Miller well-knowa , n Edinburgh engrave connoisseurd an r London I . e nh was fortunat obtaio t e introduction na Turnero nt commissioneo wh , youne dth g Scotsman to execute a steel engraving of what is certainly not nowadays accounted one of the best of Turner's paintings, The Embarkation of Regulus. Wilson himself has give vivia amusind s nu d an g accoun storms hi f o t y interviews wit greae hth t English peppere th d gentlemad landscapen yol e th n ni e acceptew painterho d s dhi an , ideas as to the way in which the picture should be altered to make it more suitable fo steea r l engraving e storTh y. doe t concerno s t i heres s nu a r , fa excep o s n i t reveal strengte sth wilf tenacitd ho an l convictiof yo n which, long afterwards, were to be Sir Daniel Wilson's mainstay in the high and difficult office of President of Toronto University. For three years Wilson struggled to establish himself as an artist in London, eking out his scanty earnings by literary hack-work. In 1840 he married Margaret Mackay, daughter of a Glasgow business man. Possessed of practical ability and a 'calm sough' provede sh , invaluabln a e helpmee r husbanhe o t t d unti r deathe l n hi Toronto in 1885. Daniel Wilson's heart was always anchored in Scotland. So in 1842 he returned o Edinburght , wher e continueh e mako t d a modese t incom y miscellaneoub e s writingScotsman.e numbet a criti Th ar r s s o cn t Fo 184wa I year .f wa o r e 6h e sh elected a Fellow of our Society, and next year became one of its honorary secretaries.