Key archaeology images made available online
Posted on 24 July 2012
The new Archaeology Slide Collection contains around 5,000 images, most of them taken by Philip Rahtz, who was a major figure in mid-20th century British archaeology and the founding professor of the Department of Archaeology at York. He died last year at the age of 90.
Best known for his contribution to medieval archaeology, Philip Rahtz helped to transform the practice of archaeology in Britain in the 1960s and 70s and was a founder member of Rescue, set up to prevent the destruction of archaeological remains during urban redevelopment. The group’s campaigning led to the creation of today’s system of developer-funded archaeology.
Philip Rahtz became the first professor of a new Department of Archaeology at the University of York in 1978. His vision for a radically new approach to educating future archaeologists set the department on its way to its current international reputation, sealed last year by the award of a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in recognition of its research and teaching excellence.
Julie Allinson, York Digital Library Manager, said: “The images date back to the 1950s and many document the work of York’s Department of Archaeology over the past years. It is a fascinating collection which archaeologists, and others, will find very useful.”
The new collection is a remarkable resource, chronicling archaeology over a number of decades
Professor Julian Richards
The Collection is publicly available and can be browsed or searched by anyone. High resolution images can be viewed online, and smaller images are available to download and can be used for non-commercial purposes.
Many of the images chronicle Philip Rahtz’s digging at sites including the Anglo-Saxon palace at Cheddar in Somerset, Bordesley Abbey in Worcestershire, and Wharram Percy in North Yorkshire.
Professor Julian Richards, Head of York’s Department of Archaeology, said: “Philip had worked as a photographer before taking up archaeology and his lectures and publications were always full of good photos.
“The new collection is a remarkable resource, chronicling archaeology over a number of decades. We are very thankful to Philip’s widow Lorna for the crucial role she played in bringing this collection to York.”
The Archaeology Slide Collection is available online at http://tinyurl.com/cy2ahzz.
Notes to editors:
- More information on the York Digital Library at www.york.ac.uk/digitallibrary
- More information on the University of York’s Department of Archaeology at www.york.ac.uk/archaeology
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