Caroline Wickham-Jones: Archaeology loses one of its leading lights

Caroline Wickham-Jones: Archaeology loses one of its leading lights

It is with great sadness that we note the passing of our friend and colleague, Caroline Wickham-Jones. Caroline was a celebrated archaeologist, author and talented prehistorian. Here in Archaeology at Aberdeen, we remember her generosity - with her time and her knowledge - and her unrelenting enthusiasm for all things archaeological.

Caroline was a good friend to many of us in the Department, as well as an amazing colleague, and was one of our founding members. Indeed, she taught archaeology in Aberdeen through the Centre for Lifelong Learning in the years before the Department was formally established. There she helped to develop the distance teaching and learning programme in Archaeology. When in 2009 she joined the newly-formed Department of Archaeology, as a Lecturer, her commitment to making archaeology accessible for all continued as she ran our distance and flexible learning programmes.

Throughout her teaching career Caroline was also kept busy by her wide range of research projects centred on Scotland’s earliest archaeology. In 2011 she was awarded a prestigious Leverhulme Research Fellowship for ‘The Rising Tide’ project, which focused on sea-level change and the submerged archaeology of Scotland’s coastlines. After her retirement from the University in 2015, Caroline continued to play an active role in Departmental life as an Honorary Researcher, working closely with departmental colleagues on recent projects including recent work on Scotland’s Late Glacial (Ice Age) archaeology. She also co-organised our annual fieldtrip to Orkney, where she made her home. This was a highlight of the academic year for many of us, as well as for our students, and where she would share her love for the archaeology and heritage of Orkney with us.

From her early work on Mesolithic sites on the Isle of Rum to her week spent living in the ‘Stone Age’ in 1980s Lapland, Caroline pushed boundaries in archaeology (and in life) and was never afraid of a challenge. She also believed firmly that Archaeology was for everyone. She was incredibly generous in sharing her experience and insights with students, colleagues and members of the public. In turn, she was always open to (and excited by) new ideas. Throughout her long career, before and after her time in Aberdeen, she also made significant contributions to the wider archaeological and natural environment communities across the country, serving as a Council Member for the Society of Antiquaries (1984-1987), Institute of Field Archaeologists (1986-1990), the Orkney Heritage Society (2018-2021), and as a Trustee for the John Muir Trust (1989-1995), the Orkney Archaeological Trust (2003-2010) and the Caithness Archaeological Trust (2012-2016). Her enormous contributions to the Archaeology of Scotland were recently recognized through her appointment to the Society of Antiquaries as an Honorary Fellow in 2018.

Caroline leaves behind a significant legacy of academic writing and popular books on prehistoric Scotland that have forever influenced how academics and the public alike view Scotland’s deep human past. Her passing leaves a big hole in our Department, in Scottish Archaeology, and in our hearts - she will be deeply missed and fondly remembered.

--

Please note, the funeral of the Late Caroline Wickham-Jones will take place at St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, on Saturday 5th of February at 11:00am. Her son, Guille, requests that – in lieu of flowers – donations can be made to charities that were important to Caroline - Guille Lopez is fundraising for CLAN (justgiving.com) and https://www.socantscot.org/support-us/donations-welcome/

Search News

Browse by Month

2024

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2024
  2. Feb
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2024
  4. Apr
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2024
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2024
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2024
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2024
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2024
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2024

2023

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2023
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2023
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2023
  4. Apr
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2023
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2023
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2023
  12. Dec

2022

  1. Jan
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2022
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2022
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2022
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2022
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2022
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2022
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2022
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2022
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2022

2021

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2021
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2021
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2021
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2021
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2021
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2021
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2021
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2021
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2021
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2021

2019

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2019
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2019
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2019
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2019
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2019
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2019
  11. Nov
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2019

2018

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2018
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2018
  3. Mar
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2018
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2018
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2018
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2018
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2018
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2018
  12. Dec

2017

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2017
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2017
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2017
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2017
  5. May
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2017
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2017
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2017
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2017
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2017
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2017
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2017

2016

  1. Jan
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2016
  3. Mar
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2016
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2016
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2016
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2016
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2016
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2016
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2016
  11. Nov
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2016

2015

  1. Jan
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2015
  3. Mar
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2015
  5. May
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2015
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2015
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2015

2014

  1. Jan
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2014
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2014
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2014
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2014
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2014
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2014
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

2013

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2013
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2013

2012

  1. Jan
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2012
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2012
  11. Nov
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2012

2011

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2011
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2011
  3. Mar
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2011
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2011
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2011
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2011
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2011
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2011
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2011

2010

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2010
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2010
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2010
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2010
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2010
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2010
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2010
  8. Aug
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2010
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2010
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2010
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2010