Marion Campbell (archaeologist)

Last updated
Marion Campbell
Born16 December 1919
London, England
Died13 June 2000
Oban, Scotland
NationalityScottish
PartnerMary Sandeman (1954-1995)

Marion Campbell (c. 16 December 1919 - 13 June 2000) was a Scottish archaeologist. She was one of the first people to complete an archaeological survey of Kilmartin Glen in Mid Argyll. [1] Campbell was an advocate for local history; she promoted and donated to several Argyll museums and published works about Argyll's history. [2] She also published several fictional novels. [3]

Contents

Personal life

Marion Campbell was the daughter of John Campbell and Marion Durand. [3] Campbell lived most of her life in Argyll (today part of Argyll and Bute) at her family's estate in Kilberry. [2] She inherited Kilberry when she was 8, following her father's death. [3] The estate was sold to an older cousin, but Campbell regained possession of it once she turned 18. [3]

During World War II, Campbell served in the British military as part of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) and the Women's Royal Navy Service (WRNS). [2] Following her military service, Campbell returned to Kilberry where she operated and managed several farms on her estate. [3]

Campbell was involved in local politics, and she served as a district councillor and a member of the Scottish National Party for 20 years beginning in 1955. [2]

In 1954, Campbell's childhood friend Mary Sandeman moved into Kilberry Castle. [3] The two lived and worked together until Sandeman died in 1995. [3]

Archaeologist and Historian

Standing stones at Kilmartin Glen, where Campbell completed much of her professional work. Neolithic standing stones, Kilmartin glen - Scotland - panoramio.jpg
Standing stones at Kilmartin Glen, where Campbell completed much of her professional work.

Between 1954 and 1963, Campbell and Sandeman completed a field survey of Mid Argyll. [4] The survey noted the locations of objects and sites that warranted further archaeological study, including standing stones, cairns, Early- and Medieval-Christian artifacts and sites, and forts. [4] The survey was published in volume 95 of the journal Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (PSAS) in 1962. [1] Campbell's work included the first survey of Kilmartin Glen; it also created direction for many later archaeological studies of Mid Argyll. [1] [3]

The Kilberry Sculptured Stones in the structure built by the Ministry of Works. Kilberry Sculptured Stones - geograph.org.uk - 1272276.jpg
The Kilberry Sculptured Stones in the structure built by the Ministry of Works.

Among the artifacts described by Campbell were the Kilberry Sculptured Stones, found on Campbell's estate. [4] These artifacts are dated to the Early and Medieval Christian Period and consist of 26 sculptured stones, including crosses and cross fragments, grave slabs, and effigies. [5] Campbell moved many of the Kilberry Sculptured Stones to the basement of Kilberry Castle in 1948 to better preserve and protect them. [5] In 1951, she donated the stones to the Ministry of Works, which displayed them in a new, separate structure on Campbell's estate. [6]

Campbell was passionate about and an advocate for the history of Argyll, where she lived most of her life. [2] She promoted the conversion of Auchindrain Township into a museum; the museum opened in 1968 and today educates visitors about traditional Scottish farming life. [1] [3] [7] In the 1990s, Campbell donated her personal collection of artifacts to form the founding collection of the Kilmartin House. [1] Today, known as the Kilmartin Museum, the organization educates the public about the archaeological and natural history of Kilmartin Glen, where much of Campbell's professional work was focused. [8] [1]

In 1977, Campbell published the book Argyll: The Enduring Heartland which details the history of Argyll and Campbell's love and connection to the region. [3] [9] Campbell's account of Scottish history and pride was well-received, with three separate editions appearing in print since its original publication. [9] [3] [2] Campbell also researched Alexander III, a Scottish king with ties to Argyll. [2] She compiled a decades-worth of research into the biography Alexander III, King of Scots, published shortly before she died in 1999. [10] [2]

In 1955, Campbell founded the Natural History and Antiquarian Society of Mid Argyll, an organization dedicated to discussing, preserving, and educating the general public about the local history of Mid Argyll. [11] She served as president of the Society from its founding until 1990. [12] In 1971, she became the founding editor and a regular contributor to the Mid Argyll Society's journal The Kist. [12]

Campbell became a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland in 1949 and an Honorary Fellow of the Society in 1988. [2]

Novelist

Campbell published two nonfiction books. Argyll: The Enduring Heartland combines historical and archaeological accounts of Argyll with poetry and personal essays written by Campbell; it was published in 1977. [3] Her biography of Alexander III, entitled Alexander III, King of Scots, was published in 1999. [2]

Campbell also wrote several works of historical fiction. Her children's historical novel The Wide Blue Road was published in 1957 and was her debut fictional work. [3] It was followed by three more in the series.

The Dark Twin was set in Bronze Age Scotland, and was published in 1973. [3] [13] Campbell based the storyline from mysterious, waking dreams she had during this period. [3] [13] The novel was particularly popular in the United States, and in the 1990s Campbell sold the film rights. [3] The Dark Twin was reissued in 2024 by Solar Press. [14]

Legacy

The 2014 play The Air that Carries the Weight by Rebecca Sharp features Marion Campbell as a character; the play also incorporates her archaeological and fictional writings. [15]

The Kilmartin Museum's library is dedicated to and named after Campbell. [1]

Published works

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunadd</span>

Dunadd is a hillfort in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, dating from the Iron Age and early medieval period and is believed to be the capital of the ancient kingdom of Dál Riata. Dal Riata was a Gaelic kingdom spanning the northern Irish coast to Argyll and the Scottish islands in the early centuries AD, possibly after the Romans had abandoned Southern Britain and at the time when the Anglo Saxons were crossing the North Sea to counter incursions over Hadrian's Wall by the Picts and Dalriadan Scots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knapdale</span> Parishes and area in Scotland

Knapdale forms a rural district of Argyll and Bute in the Scottish Highlands, adjoining Kintyre to the south, and divided from the rest of Argyll to the north by the Crinan Canal. It includes two parishes, North Knapdale and South Knapdale. The area is bounded by sea to the east and west, whilst the sea loch of West Loch Tarbert almost completely cuts off the area from Kintyre to the south. The name is derived from two Gaelic elements: Cnap meaning hill and Dall meaning field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kilmartin</span> Village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland

Kilmartin is a small village in Argyll and Bute, western Scotland. It is best known as the centre of Kilmartin Glen, an area with one of the richest concentrations of prehistoric monuments and historical sites in Scotland. It contains over 800 monuments within a six-mile (ten-kilometre) radius. It is home to Kilmartin Museum and the Kilmartin Hotel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kilmartin Glen</span> British Neolithic monument site

Kilmartin Glen is an area in Argyll north of Knapdale. It has the most important concentration of Neolithic and Bronze Age remains in mainland Scotland. The glen is located between Oban and Lochgilphead, surrounding the village of Kilmartin. In the village, Kilmartin Museum explains the stories of this ancient landscape and the people who dwelt there. There are more than 800 ancient monuments within a six-mile (ten-kilometre) radius of the village, with 150 monuments being prehistoric. Monuments include standing stones, a henge monument, numerous cists, and a "linear cemetery" comprising five burial cairns. Several of these, as well as many natural rocks, are decorated with cup and ring marks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland</span> 1908–2015 Scottish government agency

The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) was an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government that was "sponsored" [financed and with oversight] through Historic Scotland, an executive agency of the Scottish Government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carnasserie Castle</span>

Carnasserie Castle is a ruined 16th-century tower house, noted for its unusual plan and renaissance detailing. It is located around 2 kilometres north of Kilmartin, in Argyll and Bute, western Scotland, at grid reference NM837009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kilberry</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Kilberry is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is close to the western coast of the district of Knapdale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castle Sween</span> 11th century castle in Scotland

Castle Sween, also known as Caisteal Suibhne, and Caistéal Suibhne, is located on the eastern shore of Loch Sween, in Knapdale, south of the forestry village of Achnamara on the west coast of Argyll, Scotland. Castle Sween is thought to be one of the earliest stone castles built in Scotland, having been built in the late 11th century. The castle's towers were later additions to wooden structures which have since vanished.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auchindrain</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Auchindrain lies on the A83, 6 miles (10 km) south of Inveraray in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is the only township to survive substantially unaltered from amongst the many hundreds that existed across the Scottish Highlands before the Highland Clearances of the late 18th and 19th centuries. The major feature of the museum is the 22 buildings and building remains of the township. Twelve of these buildings are mainly complete, with the remains of the other 10 either needing or undergoing restoration work. Much of this work is carried out by volunteers and enthusiasts like the West of Scotland Dry Stone Walling Association.

Christian Maclagan was a Scottish antiquarian and early archaeologist. She is known for her collection of rubbings of Celtic crosses and Pictish stones from across Scotland, and was a pioneer of stratigraphic excavation. Although she lost the use of her right hand due to a medical condition she nevertheless produced numerous drawings, sketches and paintings with her left hand. She took action to help those affected by poverty in Stirling. She refused to sit for portraits although one obituary described her as tall. She was a suffragist. She wrote an autobiography but the script remains lost. She was nominated to be one of Scotland's Heroines honoured at the National Wallace Monument's Hall of Heroes. She died in Ravenscroft, Stirling.

Kilberry Castle is a Category B listed country house near Kilberry in South Knapdale in the county of Argyll, in western Scotland on the shores of the Sound of Jura.

Eachann Mac Goraidh MacAlasdair, was the 6th of Loup, Chief of Clan MacAlister. He succeeded to the title in 1636. He was hanged for treason at Whinny Hill, Kinlochkerran, Scotland in 1647.

Dunan Aula, also known in Scottish Gaelic as Dùnan Amhlaidh, is the site of an exposed cist, located in the parish of Craignish, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, at grid reference NM83420697. The place-name means "Olaf's mound"; it is said to commemorate a Viking prince so-named, who fell in battle against the native Scots.

The Aberlemno Sculptured Stones are a series of Pictish standing stones originating in and around the village of Aberlemno, Angus, Scotland. Three are located in the village and a fourth, found in 1962, is on display in The McManus in Dundee. They date from the Early Medieval period. A fifth stone standing in the village has signs of carving, but is of unknown authenticity as a Pictish artefact.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunoon Castle</span>

Dunoon Castle is a ruined castle in Dunoon, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The castle sat upon a cone-shaped hill about 80 feet (24 m) high. Very little remains of the castle's structure today. Castle House, built in 1822, stands a few yards north of the castle ruins.

Dame Rosemary Jean Cramp, was a British archaeologist and academic specialising in the Anglo-Saxons. She was the first female professor appointed at Durham University and was Professor of Archaeology from 1971 to 1990. She served as president of the Society of Antiquaries of London from 2001 to 2004.

Ewan Campbell is a Scottish archaeologist and author, who serves as the senior lecturer of archaeology at the University of Glasgow. An author of a number of books, he is perhaps best known as the originator of the historical revisionist thesis that the Dál Riata did not originate from Ireland. He has also authored works about Dunadd and Forteviot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audrey Henshall</span> British archaeologist (1927–2021)

Audrey Shore Henshall was a British archaeologist known for her work on Scottish chambered cairns, prehistoric pottery and early textiles.

Sally M. Foster is a Scottish archaeologist and senior lecturer at the University of Stirling. She specialises in the archaeology of Scotland, particularly the Picts and their neighbours in the early medieval period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Ritchie (archaeologist)</span> British archaeologist

Dr Anna Ritchie OBE, BA, PhD, FSA, Hon FSA Scot is a British archaeologist and historian.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Library | Kilmartin Museum" . Retrieved 2019-05-09.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Fisher, Ian (2000). "Obituary Marion Campbell of Kilberry". Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. 130: 7–9. ISSN   2056-743X.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Ewan, Elizabeth; Innes, Sue; Reynolds, Siân; Pipes, Rose, eds. (2006). Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women. Edinburgh University Press. pp. 64–65. ISBN   9780748626601.
  4. 1 2 3 Campbell, Marion; Sandeman, Mary L S (1961). "Mid Argyll: a field survey of the historic and prehistoric monuments". Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. 95: 1–125.
  5. 1 2 "Kilberry Sculptured Stones Statement of Significance". Historic Environment Scotland. 2004.
  6. ↑ "Kilberry Sculptured Stones: History". www.historicenvironment.scot. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
  7. ↑ "Auchindrain Township | About Auchindrain". www.auchindrain.org.uk. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  8. ↑ "About Us | Kilmartin Museum" . Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  9. 1 2 ""ARGYLL - The Enduring Heartland" by Marion Campbell, with an outstanding Foreword by Neal Ascherson". www.houseoflochar.com. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  10. ↑ ""Alexander III, King of Scots" Author: Marion Campbell". www.houseoflochar.com. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  11. ↑ "About us". kist.scot. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  12. 1 2 "Publications". kist.scot. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  13. 1 2 ""The Dark Twin" Author: Marion Campbell". www.houseoflochar.com. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
  14. ↑ "The Dark Twin by Marion Campbell". Solar Press. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  15. ↑ "The Air That Carries the Weight". Stellar Quines. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.