Abercromby Professorship of Archaeology is a chair at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

. It was endowed in the will of

John Abercromby, 5th Baron Abercromby John Abercromby, 5th Baron Abercromby of Tullibody (15 January 1841 – 7 October 1924) was a Scottish soldier and archaeologist. Life Abercromby was born in Tullibody House as the son of George Abercromby, 3rd Baron Abercromby, and Louisa P ...

(1841–1924), who left instructions to establish a chair in

prehistoric archaeology Prehistoric archaeology is a subfield of archaeology, which deals specifically with artefacts, civilisations and other materials from societies that existed before any form of writing system or historical record. Often the field focuses on ages s ...

at the university. With the new post having been advertised, it was filled for the first time in 1927 by

V. Gordon Childe Vere Gordon Childe (14 April 189219 October 1957) was an Australian archaeologist who specialised in the study of European prehistory. He spent most of his life in the United Kingdom, working as an academic for the University of Edinburgh and th ...

. Abercromby's will set out the focus of the chair and requirements of its holder: they should be knowledgable of the

prehistory of Europe Prehistoric Europe is Europe with human presence but before the start of recorded history, beginning in the Lower Paleolithic. As history progresses, considerable regional irregularities of cultural development emerge and increase. The region of ...

and of the Near East, and that the professor would be actively involved in archaeology research.

List of Abercromby Professors of Archaeology

* 1927–1946:

* 1946–1977:

Stuart Piggott Stuart Ernest Piggott, (28 May 1910 – 23 September 1996) was a British archaeologist, best known for his work on prehistoric Wessex. Early life Piggott was born in Petersfield, Hampshire, the son of G. H. O. Piggott, and was educated t ...

* 1977–2007:

Dennis Harding Dennis William Harding, (born 1940), known as D. W. Harding, is a British archaeologist and academic, specialising in the British Iron Age. Having taught at the University of Durham from 1966 to 1977, he was then Abercromby Professor of Archaeol ...

* ''2007–2012: vacant'' * 2012–2019:

Ian Ralston Ian or Iain is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin, derived from the Hebrew given name (Yohanan, ') and corresponding to the English name John. The spelling Ian is an Anglicization of the Scottish Gaelic forename ''Iain''. It is a popular name in Sc ...

* ''2019–2022: vacant'' *2022-present: Manuel Fernández-Götz

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Professor of Archaeology, Abercromby, Edinburgh Archaeology, Abercromby Archaeology, Abercromby, Edinburgh Prehistory