Marion Rawson

Marion Rawson (August 17, 1899 – October 29, 1980) was an American archaeologist. She is known for her work with Carl Blegen at Pylos in Greece and ancient Troy in modern Turkey. After her death, the University of Cincinnati established the Marion Rawson Professorship of Aegean Prehistory "in honor of her contributions to the field of Bronze Age Archaeology."^[1]

Early life and education

Marion Rawson was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. She attended Wykeham Rise School for Girls in Washington, Connecticut. She enrolled at Bryn Mawr College in 1918. Her focus of study was psychology, economics, and politics. She graduated in 1923, and then focused her studies at home in English and Archeology from 1923–1926.^[1]

During this time, she worked with the Vocation Bureau of the Cincinnati Board of Education in the area of intelligence testing. In 1926, she enrolled in courses at the University of Cincinnati's School of Architecture. In 1928 she participated the University of Cincinnati sponsored excavation at Prosymna in Greece.^[1]

Archeological career

Rawson met archaeologist Carl Blegen when she was a student at the University of Cincinnati. Blegen, assistant director at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens had supervised archeological work at Prosymna, Greece beginning in 1925. In 1927, during the excavation's second season, he accepted a position as Professor of Classics at the University of Cincinnati. In 1928, Blegen invited Rawson to Greece for the third season of excavation at Prosymna.^[1]

In 1928, Rawson joined the expedition at Prosymna and assisted in the cataloging and photographing of the excavation artifacts. She later returned to Cincinnati to continue work on her B.S. degree in Architecture, which she obtained in 1931. In 1932, Rawson joined Blegen's University of Cincinnati's Trojan Expedition. Rawson's assigned project during the first season at Troy was to search for pre-classical tombs. In 1933 and subsequent seasons until 1938, Rawson was given additional responsibilities: supervising selected dig areas, managing the pottery inventory, and putting together the history of the "crucial central area" of Troy. The excavation at Troy was completed in 1938.^[1]

Rawson, co-author with Carl Blegen and John Caskey, worked on preparing materials for the expedition publication for the next twenty years. During World War II, from 1941–1942, Rawson worked with the Bureau of Civilian Defense and from 1943–1945, she worked as a laboratory technician at Cincinnati General Hospital. After the war ended, the three authors worked together to finalize preparation for the publication. The first three volumes of the Troy expedition were released in 1950, 1951, and 1953.^[1]

In 1952, with the three volumes finished, Blegen planned a new expedition to Pylos. His initial excavation in 1939 had uncovered evidence of a large building, "and for the first time in Mainland Greece, quantities of Linear B tablets". Starting in 1953, Rawson began working at Pylos with Blegen. From 1953 to 1964, she was one of the lead archaeologists in the excavation at the Palace of Nestor. In 1962, in recognition of her work at Troy and Pylos, Rawson was awarded an honorary doctor of law degree (L.L.D.). by the University of Cincinnati. Also in 1962, Rawson partnered with Blegen in preparing materials for publication on the work at the Palace. In 1966, Volume I of Rawson's and Blegen's work, The Palace of Nestor at Pylos in Western Messenia was published.^[1]

Rawson died on October 29, 1980.^[1]

Selected bibliography

• Troy: Excavations Conducted by the University of Cincinnati, 1932–1938, Volumes I—4, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1950–1958, (co-authored with Carl Blegen and John Caskey)^[1]
• A Guide to The Palace of Nestor, 1962, Cincinnati, University of CincinnatiPress, (co-authored with Carl Blegen)^[1]
• The Palace of Nestor at Pylos in Western Messinia I: The Buildings and their Contents, 1966, Princeton, University of Princeton, (co-authored with Carl Blegen)^[1]

References