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Margaret Enid Crichton Stewart (28 February 1907–1986) was a Scottish female archaeologist.

Early Life

Margaret Mitchell was born on 28 February 1907 in Trivandrum, Travancore in southern India. She was daughter of Professor Alexander Crichton Mitchell, a Scottish meteorologist and Agnes Robertson. Shortly after her birth, the family returned to Edinburgh.

Education

Stewart did her university studies at the University of Edinburgh, where she graduated with an MA with honours in 1930. She was the first recipient of the Class Medal in Archaeology in 1928-1929. Stewart went on and completed a PhD, being the only student to complete a doctorate degree with Professor Gordon Childe. Her research focused on the Scottish Beaker pottery and her thesis was titled 'The Distribution of Early Bronze Age types in Scotland', submitted on the 11th of April 1933. It was later published in volume 85 of the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.

Personal life

During World War II Stewart served in Admiralty Intelligence, decrypting German Ultra codes in the North African campaign. In 1936 she married John Stewart, a Perth solicitor, after which she moved to Perthshire, contributing significantly to local archaeology.

Contributions to archaeology

Stewart was a notable Scottish archaeologist and can be identified in photographs of Childe's 1927-1930 excavations of Skara Brae in Orkney, alongside other female archaeologists who had previously been dismissed as visitors or tourists, but who can be seen holding trowels, which indicate their active role in the excavations.

During the early stages of Perth's urban development, Stewart quickly became aware, and was pivotal for the awareness, of the archaeology lying underneath the local streets and buildings. She was responsible for the creation of various groups which would monitor these developments and take the opportunities to further explore local archaeology.

Stewart is also known for her involvement in major excavations of various important monuments including: Stone Circles at Monzie, Crieff, Scone and at Lundin, Carse and Tirinie farms (Aberfeldy); Chambered Cairns at Dull, Aberfeldy and Clach na Tiompan in the Sma' Glen; hut circles at Dalnaglar, Glenshee; a short cist cemetery at Almondbank, Perth; deserted settlements at Allean Forest, Loch Tummell and at Allt na Moine Buidhe, Rannoch; a circular homestad above QUeen's View, Loch Tummel; the stone circle and henge at Moncrieff, Bridge of Earn. She was director of excavation for Breadalbane Heritage Society throughout the 1960s. Stewart also carried out important work with her research into the location and distribution of cup-and-ring rock art, resulting in a large amount of information which she was still compiling by the time of her death.

Stewart was involved with a number of societies and professional bodies. She was a member of the Edinburgh League of Prehistorians (ELP) (1929-1948), a society founded by Gordon Childe and open to all interested in prehistory. The ELP organized lectures, excursions and excavations. The first lecture was delivered in January 1930 and she organized the first excursion to the Scottish Borders in the same year. She was elected vice-president of the ELP in 1933. Later, she also acted as the vice-president and president of Discovery and Excavation Scotland.

Stewart had a great interest in sharing Scottish archaeology and was involved with various local communities. She served on many local and national committees, established the archaeological section of Perthshire Society of Natural Science (1948) and was a founding member of the Perth Civic Trust which she chaired between 1970-1972. Margaret was the first honorary president of Breadalbane Archaeological Society founded in 1962. At a time when archaeology was more interested in gaining a more professional attitude, Margaret was encouraging of the involvement and training of students and others, as well as volunteer participation in excavations. For example, during the excavations at the four-poster stone circle on Lundin Farm Road (1963), she divided the site into sections to "give everyone experience of digging".

She was a published author, with various articles in the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and the Transactions and Proceedings of the Perthshire Society of Natural Science.

Awards

Stewart was awarded a Jubilee Medal and an MBE as recognition of her work, dedication and accomplishments, and was honoured by the University of St Andrews with a DLitt degree. She was the first woman to be distinguished as an Honorary Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.

Stewart died in 1986 and in her will she endowed the Margaret Stewart Bequest Scholarship for the study of European Beaker pottery and related topics, naming the Abercromby Professor of Archaeology as chair of its Trustees.

Selected publications

Mitchell, M. E. C. (1933) The Distribution of Early Bronze Age Types in Scotland. University of Edinburgh. Thesis submitted for Degree of PhD.

References

1. Mitchell, Margaret (1933). The Distribution of Early Bronze Age Types in Scotland. University of Edinburgh: Thesis Submitted for Degree of Ph.D, University of Edinburgh.
2. Huw, Williams (21 March 2019). "Skara Brae Women archaeologists who were written out of history".
3. Kearton, Amy Jo. "Margaret E C Stewart in Breadalbane Heritage Society 0 Our First Honorary President". Breadalbane Heritage Society. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
4. Taylor, D B (1988). "Obituary Margaret E C Stewart". Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. 118: 1–2.
5. Ralston, Ian. "Gordon Childe and Scottish Archaeology: the Edinburgh Years 1927-1946". European Journal of Archaeology. 12 (1–3): 47–90.
6. Kearton, Amy Jo. "Margaret E C Stewart in Breadalbane Heritage Society - Our First Honorary President". Breadalbane Heritage Society. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
7. Mitchell, Margaret. "A new analysis of the Early Bronze Age Beaker pottery of Scotland". Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. 68: 132–189.
8. https://dwharding.com/abercromby/

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