Thomas George Eyre Powell (13 January 1916 – 8 July 1975) was a British archaeologist who specialized in the study of the

Neolithic British Isles The Neolithic British Isles refers to the period of British, Irish and Manx history that spanned 4000 to 2,500 BCE. The final part of the Stone Age in the British Isles, it was a part of the greater Neolithic, or "New Stone Age", across Eu ...

and the

Celts The Celts (, see pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancien ...

Biography

Thomas George Eyre Powell was born in 1916. He was a great-nephew of

antiquary An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...

George Eyre Evans, and descended from

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

settlers in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. While studying archaeology at the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, Powell received the nickname Terence, which stuck with him throughout his life. Powell worked in air photographic intelligence for the British in

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

, India during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. After the war, Powell continued his work with archaeology. In 1948, he was appointed to the Rankin lectureship in Prehistoric Archaeology in the School of Archaeological and Oriental Studies at the

University of Liverpool , mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning , established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...

. In March 1948, Powell was elected a Fellow of the

Society of Antiquaries of London A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societ ...

. Powell specialized in the archaeology of ancient

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...

, particularly the

and the

. Along with

Glyn Daniel Glyn Edmund Daniel Fellow of the British Academy, FBA, Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, FRAI (23 April 1914 – 13 December 1986) was a Wales, Welsh scientist and archaeologist who taught at Cambridge University, ...

, he conducted pioneering excavations at

Barclodiad y Gawres Barclodiad y Gawres (Welsh for "The Giantess's Apronful") is a Neolithic burial chamber between Rhosneigr and Aberffraw on the south-western coast of the island of Anglesey in North Wales. It is an example of a cruciform passage grave, a notab ...

in modern-day Wales. His 1958 book ''The Celts'', established Powell won him wide renown. Powell (along with Glyn Daniel) excavated the Neolithic passage grave of Barclodiad y Gawres on Ynys Mon, between 1952 and 1953. Barclodiad y Gawres is the only attested example of a cruciform type in North Wales. The monument is one of the most impressive decorated megalithic monuments in north-western Europe. The passage, measuring approximately 6m and leads to a cruciform passage which has a series of uprights decorated with chevrons, lozenges, spirals and zigzag designs. Powell and Daniel excavated much of the passage and chamber areas, along with sections of the mound. The chamber area was once covered by at least several enormous capstones. The chamber and passage architecture prior to excavation was not covered. The forecourt area opens out onto views across the western coast of Ynys Mon. Within the central chamber was discovered a hearth approximately 1m in diameter which contained a mixture of charcoal and stone chips. A collection of shells, fish bones, and the bones of tiny animals, reptiles, and amphibians were also found. Powell also excavated Dyffryn Ardudwy in 1973. From 1970 to 1974, Powell was President of

The Prehistoric Society The Prehistoric Society is an international learned society devoted to the study of the human past from the earliest times until the emergence of written history. Now based at University College London in the United Kingdom, it was founded by V. ...

. In 1971, he was appointed Rankin Professor of European Archaeology at the University of Liverpool. Powell died on 8 July 1975.

Selected works

* ''Barclodiad y Gawres'', 1956 * ''The Celts'', 1958 * ''Prehistoric Art'', ' The World of Art Library' series, 1966 * ''Megalithic Enquiries in the West of Britain'', 1969

Notes

References

* * * * 1916 births 1975 deaths Academics of the University of Liverpool Alumni of the University of Cambridge British archaeologists British people of Welsh descent British people of World War II Celtic studies scholars Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London 20th-century archaeologists {{Archaeologist-stub