Veronica Seton-Williams

Veronica Seton-Williams was born in Melbourne, Australia, the daughter of Seton Gordon Nixon Williams (1856-1927), a lawyer, and Eliza Mary (Ellie) Staughton (1875-1947).[1]

Veronica was educated at home until 1925 when she attended Clyde Girls Grammar School. In 1934 she graduated from the University of Melbourne with an undergraduate degree in history and political science and in the same year moved to England to study under Mortimer Wheeler at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. She initially enrolled for a degree in Egyptology, under professor Stephen Glanville, but was persuaded to read British prehistory instead, going on to complete a Ph.D. on Syrian Archaeology in 1957.[2] During that time she excavated at Maiden Castle, Dorset (1934-1936) with Mortimer Wheeler, and went on to excavate at Sheikh es-Zuweid at the Sinai Peninsula (1935-1936) with Flinders Petrie, in Palestine and Turkey (1936-1937) with John Garstang, and Tell el-Duweir (1937-1938).[3]

During the Second World War she worked in the Postal Censorship Department and in the British Council's Ministry of Information.[4]

In 1949 Veronica worked on renewed excavations at Sakçe Gözü, in Turkey, a site previously excavated by John Garstang. In 1956,1960 and 1964, she excavated at Tell Rifa'at in Syria. In 1964, she was appointed field director of the Egypt Exploration Society's excavations at Buto (1964-1968), where she worked alongside Dorothy Charlesworth who became field director in 1969.[5][6] After Veronica Seton-Williams' fieldwork in Buto was completed, she went on to write extensively.

Veronica taught Egyptian and Mesopotamian archaeology for 25 years at the University of London, during which time she frequently collaborated with colleagues Joan du Plat Taylor and John Waechter on field projects in Cyprus, Syria and Turkey. She also taught Egyptology at the City Literary Institute. She continued to teach until 1977.[7][8]

She published in English and French. Her works include Britain and the Arab states, Egyptian stories and Legends, a short history of Egypt, etc.