John Garstang (5 May 1876 – 12 September 1956) was a British archaeologist of the Ancient Near East, especially Egypt, Sudan, Anatolia and the southern Levant. He was the younger brother of Professor Walter Garstang, FRS, a marine biologist and zoologist.
Born~Died May 5, 1876 ~ Sep 12, 1956Last edited Oct 15, 2026, 4:15 PM
John Garstang (5 May 1876 – 12 September 1956) was a British archaeologist of the Ancient Near East, especially Egypt, Sudan, Anatolia and the southern Levant. He was the younger brother of Professor Walter Garstang, FRS, a marine biologist and zoologist. Garstang is considered a pioneer in the development of scientific practices in archaeology as he kept detailed records of his excavations with extensive photographic records, which was a comparatively rare practice in early 20th-century archaeology.1
Biography
John Garstang was born in Blackburn on 5 May 1876, the sixth child of Walter and Matilda Garstang.1 He was educated at Blackburn Grammar School and in 1895 he obtained a scholarship for Jesus College, Oxford to study mathematics.1 While at Oxford, Garstang became interested in archaeology and conducted excavations at Ribchester.1 Encouraged to take up archaeology, Garstang excavated other Romano-British sites during his vacations from Oxford.1
After gaining a 3rd from Oxford in 1899, Garstang joined the team of Flinders Petrie at Abydos. He excavated various sites in the vicinity, including the discovery of the great tombs at Beit Khallaf in 1901. In 1902 he carried out his first independent excavation in Egypt at . The excavation was funded by an excavation committee, a group of wealthy donors who in turn would receive a selection of objects from Garstang's excavations in exchange for their patronage. Like Petrie before him, Garstang would continue to use Excavation Committees to fund his excavations for most of his career.
This page is based on “John Garstang” from English Wikipedia, (r1372023165) CC BY-SA 4.0 used under the license. The original authors are listed in its page history.
In 1902, Garstang was also appointed the honorary reader in Egyptian archaeology at the University of Liverpool.1 In 1904, Garstang founded the Institute of Archaeology, which was affiliated with the university.3 Largely funded by private benefactors, the Institute contained both a library and a museum, intended to support the work of the staff and the teaching of its students. In 2004, this museum was officially renamed the Garstang Museum of Archaeology, to celebrate the centenary of the foundation of the Institute.4
From 1907–41, Garstang was the first professorship in the methods and practice of archaeology at the university. On behalf of the institute, Garstang excavated sites in Egypt, Sudan and the Near East up to the out break of World War I. Some of his assistant excavators include E. Harold Jones, English artist and illustrator.
He taught at the Egyptology section of the Faculty of Arts when this was established in the 1920s. One of his students was Pahor Labib, late Director of the Coptic Museum, Cairo.6
From 1936 to the outbreak of World War II, Garstang excavated Yümük Tepe near Mersin.1 Garstang returned to Turkey after the War, and finished the excavation in 1948.1 In 1948, Garstang founded the British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara, assisted by other Anatolian archaeologists including Winifred Lamb, and acted as its first director (he was succeeded by Seton Lloyd).7
Personal life
Garstang married Marie Louise Berges, from France, in 1907. Over the years, Marie travelled extensively with him.8 "When in England, they lived in Formby, near Liverpool, where Marie died in 1949. He died some years later, in Beirut, on the return journey from a holiday cruise. It was 1956 and he was eighty years old. They had two children, John Berges Garstang who died in 1965, aged 57 years, and Meroe Fleming (born Garstang), who died in 1994 at the age of 79 years."9
Garstang's posthumous monograph The Geography of the Hittite Empire was completed with the help of his sister R. Garstang and his colleague Oliver Gurney after John was disabled by illness in 1953.10 Gurney's wife, Diane Grazebrook, provided the maps.
Excavations
Garstang excavated at various sites in his career, including:
——— (1924). The excavations at Askalon. Annual report (Smithsonian Institution), 1922. Washington: G.P.O. OCLC24016431.
——— (1929). The Hittite Empire: being a survey of the history, geography and monuments of Hittite Asia Minor and Syria. London: Constable and Company, Ltd. OCLC16747179.
——— (1931). The Foundations of Bible History: Joshua, Judges. London: Constable & Co. OCLC937776.
——— (20 September 1936). "Reprint from "Palestine in Peril". The Observer.
———; Garstang, John B. E. (1940). The Story of Jericho. London: Hodder & Stoughton. OCLC314782750.
———; Garstang, Hetty (October 1947). "A Conspectus of Early Cilician Pottery". American Journal of Archaeology. LI (4): 370–388.
——— (1950). "Traveller's Quest". In Michael, M. A. (ed.). Original Contributions towards a Philosophy of Travel. William Hodge and Co. Ltd.
——— (1953). Prehistoric Mersin, Yümük Tepe in Southern Turkey: the Neilson Expedition in Cilicia. London: Oxford at the Clarendon Press. OCLC1721677.
———; Gurney, O. R. (1959). The Geography of the Hittite Empire. Occasional publications of the British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara. Vol. 5. London: British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara. OCLC404320.
Primary sources
The Garstang Museum of Archaeology, University of Liverpool, holds a large collection of John Garstang's archaeological and photographic records,1900-1936, including records from El-Mahasna; Bet Khallaf; Reqaqnah; Beni Hasan; Hierakonpolis; Hissayeh; Esna; Kostamneh; Dakka; Abydos; his survey of Hittite sites in Anatolia; Sakçagözü; Meroë; Jericho. (Reference Number: GB/3431/JG).12
University College, London Archives holds a collection of John Garstang's papers, including material relating to Beisan, Boğazkale, Hazor, and Jericho; albums and other material relating to Yümük Tepe near Mersin; rolled diagrams relating to Sakçagözü; plans relating to Ashkelon. (Reference No: UCLCA/IA/A/17).13
The Palestine Exploration Fund Archives hold Garstang's field notebooks, drawings, papers and photographs, 1930–1936, (Reference Number: PEF/JER/GAR).14
The Abbey House Museum hold Garstang's diaries and papers relating to Jericho, (Reference Number: JC).15
Further research
Many of Garstang's excavations were never fully published in his lifetime and have subsequently been published by other authors after his death:
Downes, Dorothy (1974). The Excavations at Esna, 1905-1906. Aris & Phillips. ISBN 0856680060.
Adams, Barbara (1987). The Fort Cemetery at Hierakonpolis. (Excavated by John Garstang). Studies in Egyptology. London: KPI. ISBN 0-7103-0275-4. 16
Adams, Barbara (1995). Ancient Nekhen: Garstang in the City of Hierakonpolis. Egyptian Studies Association Publication. Vol. 3. New Malden: SIA Publishing. ISBN 1872561039.
Török, László (1997). Meroe City: An Ancient African Capital: John Garstang's Excavations in the Sudan. London: Egypt Exploration Society. ISBN 0-85698-137-0.
Further reading
Gurney, O R; Freeman, P W M (May 2012). "Garstang, John (1876–1956)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press.
Martin Krause, Essays on the Nag Hammad Texts - In Honour of Pahor Labib, Brill, Leiden, 1975, p. 1 ↩
Gill, David W. J. (2018). Winifred Lamb : Aegean prehistorian and museum curator. Oxford: Archaeopress. pp. 214–5. ISBN 978-1784918798. OCLC1042418677. ↩
Parrot, André; Masson, Olivier (1957). "Nécrologie". Syria. Archéologie, Art et histoire. pp. 400–404. Retrieved 12 February 2022. ↩
Garstang, The Geography of the Hittite Empire (1959) p. v "he suffered a severe illness, from which he never fully recovered, and although work on this undertaking continued constantly it became increasingly unproductive. It was not until his sister, Mrs. R. Gurney, offered her help that real progress was made. During 1956 what had already been written was revised, the remaining sections were drafted by her and read to professor Garstang for his approval, and by the time of his departure on his last journey in August 1956 the first draft of the whole book was completed. It was clear that some further revision would be necessary, and Professor Garstang placed the manuscript unreservedly at the disposal of Mrs. Gurney and myself to bring it up to the standard required for publication. During the winter of 1956-7 it was largely rewritten. ... The maps are the work of my (ie. Oliver Gurney's) wife." ↩
Hand-drawn map, Garstang Museum, University of Liverpool. Accessed November 2020. ↩
Archives Hub. "gb3431-jg". Retrieved 2 September 2016. ↩
UCL Archives. "UCLCA/IA/A/17". UCL. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016. ↩
Obituary, Harry Smith, The Guardian, 13 July 2002, Retrieved 11 October 2016 ↩
John Garstang (5 May 1876 – 12 September 1956) was a British archaeologist of the Ancient Near East, especially Egypt, Sudan, Anatolia and the southern Levant. He was the younger brother of Professor Walter Garstang, FRS, a marine biologist and zoologist. Garstang is considered a pioneer in the development of scientific practices in archaeology as he kept detailed records of his excavations with extensive photographic records, which was a comparatively rare practice in early 20th-century archaeology.1
Biography
John Garstang was born in Blackburn on 5 May 1876, the sixth child of Walter and Matilda Garstang.1 He was educated at Blackburn Grammar School and in 1895 he obtained a scholarship for Jesus College, Oxford to study mathematics.1 While at Oxford, Garstang became interested in archaeology and conducted excavations at Ribchester.1 Encouraged to take up archaeology, Garstang excavated other Romano-British sites during his vacations from Oxford.1
After gaining a 3rd from Oxford in 1899, Garstang joined the team of Flinders Petrie at Abydos. He excavated various sites in the vicinity, including the discovery of the great tombs at in 1901. In 1902 he carried out his first independent excavation in Egypt at . The excavation was funded by an excavation committee, a group of wealthy donors who in turn would receive a selection of objects from Garstang's excavations in exchange for their patronage. Like Petrie before him, Garstang would continue to use Excavation Committees to fund his excavations for most of his career.
In 1902, Garstang was also appointed the honorary reader in Egyptian archaeology at the University of Liverpool.1 In 1904, Garstang founded the Institute of Archaeology, which was affiliated with the university.3 Largely funded by private benefactors, the Institute contained both a library and a museum, intended to support the work of the staff and the teaching of its students. In 2004, this museum was officially renamed the Garstang Museum of Archaeology, to celebrate the centenary of the foundation of the Institute.4
From 1907–41, Garstang was the first professorship in the methods and practice of archaeology at the university. On behalf of the institute, Garstang excavated sites in Egypt, Sudan and the Near East up to the out break of World War I. Some of his assistant excavators include E. Harold Jones, English artist and illustrator.
He taught at the Egyptology section of the Faculty of Arts when this was established in the 1920s. One of his students was Pahor Labib, late Director of the Coptic Museum, Cairo.6
From 1936 to the outbreak of World War II, Garstang excavated Yümük Tepe near Mersin.1 Garstang returned to Turkey after the War, and finished the excavation in 1948.1 In 1948, Garstang founded the British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara, assisted by other Anatolian archaeologists including Winifred Lamb, and acted as its first director (he was succeeded by Seton Lloyd).7
Personal life
Garstang married Marie Louise Berges, from France, in 1907. Over the years, Marie travelled extensively with him.8 "When in England, they lived in Formby, near Liverpool, where Marie died in 1949. He died some years later, in Beirut, on the return journey from a holiday cruise. It was 1956 and he was eighty years old. They had two children, John Berges Garstang who died in 1965, aged 57 years, and Meroe Fleming (born Garstang), who died in 1994 at the age of 79 years."9
Garstang's posthumous monograph The Geography of the Hittite Empire was completed with the help of his sister R. Garstang and his colleague Oliver Gurney after John was disabled by illness in 1953.10 Gurney's wife, Diane Grazebrook, provided the maps.
Excavations
Garstang excavated at various sites in his career, including:
——— (1924). The excavations at Askalon. Annual report (Smithsonian Institution), 1922. Washington: G.P.O. OCLC24016431.
——— (1929). The Hittite Empire: being a survey of the history, geography and monuments of Hittite Asia Minor and Syria. London: Constable and Company, Ltd. OCLC16747179.
——— (1931). The Foundations of Bible History: Joshua, Judges. London: Constable & Co. OCLC937776.
——— (20 September 1936). "Reprint from "Palestine in Peril". The Observer.
———; Garstang, John B. E. (1940). The Story of Jericho. London: Hodder & Stoughton. OCLC314782750.
———; Garstang, Hetty (October 1947). "A Conspectus of Early Cilician Pottery". American Journal of Archaeology. LI (4): 370–388.
——— (1950). "Traveller's Quest". In Michael, M. A. (ed.). Original Contributions towards a Philosophy of Travel. William Hodge and Co. Ltd.
——— (1953). Prehistoric Mersin, Yümük Tepe in Southern Turkey: the Neilson Expedition in Cilicia. London: Oxford at the Clarendon Press. OCLC1721677.
———; Gurney, O. R. (1959). The Geography of the Hittite Empire. Occasional publications of the British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara. Vol. 5. London: British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara. OCLC404320.
Primary sources
The Garstang Museum of Archaeology, University of Liverpool, holds a large collection of John Garstang's archaeological and photographic records,1900-1936, including records from El-Mahasna; Bet Khallaf; Reqaqnah; Beni Hasan; Hierakonpolis; Hissayeh; Esna; Kostamneh; Dakka; Abydos; his survey of Hittite sites in Anatolia; Sakçagözü; Meroë; Jericho. (Reference Number: GB/3431/JG).12
University College, London Archives holds a collection of John Garstang's papers, including material relating to Beisan, Boğazkale, Hazor, and Jericho; albums and other material relating to Yümük Tepe near Mersin; rolled diagrams relating to Sakçagözü; plans relating to Ashkelon. (Reference No: UCLCA/IA/A/17).13
The Palestine Exploration Fund Archives hold Garstang's field notebooks, drawings, papers and photographs, 1930–1936, (Reference Number: PEF/JER/GAR).14
The Abbey House Museum hold Garstang's diaries and papers relating to Jericho, (Reference Number: JC).15
Further research
Many of Garstang's excavations were never fully published in his lifetime and have subsequently been published by other authors after his death:
Downes, Dorothy (1974). The Excavations at Esna, 1905-1906. Aris & Phillips. ISBN 0856680060.
Adams, Barbara (1987). The Fort Cemetery at Hierakonpolis. (Excavated by John Garstang). Studies in Egyptology. London: KPI. ISBN 0-7103-0275-4. 16
Adams, Barbara (1995). Ancient Nekhen: Garstang in the City of Hierakonpolis. Egyptian Studies Association Publication. Vol. 3. New Malden: SIA Publishing. ISBN 1872561039.
Török, László (1997). Meroe City: An Ancient African Capital: John Garstang's Excavations in the Sudan. London: Egypt Exploration Society. ISBN 0-85698-137-0.
Further reading
Gurney, O R; Freeman, P W M (May 2012). "Garstang, John (1876–1956)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press.
Martin Krause, Essays on the Nag Hammad Texts - In Honour of Pahor Labib, Brill, Leiden, 1975, p. 1 ↩
Gill, David W. J. (2018). Winifred Lamb : Aegean prehistorian and museum curator. Oxford: Archaeopress. pp. 214–5. ISBN 978-1784918798. OCLC1042418677. ↩
Parrot, André; Masson, Olivier (1957). "Nécrologie". Syria. Archéologie, Art et histoire. pp. 400–404. Retrieved 12 February 2022. ↩
Garstang, The Geography of the Hittite Empire (1959) p. v "he suffered a severe illness, from which he never fully recovered, and although work on this undertaking continued constantly it became increasingly unproductive. It was not until his sister, Mrs. R. Gurney, offered her help that real progress was made. During 1956 what had already been written was revised, the remaining sections were drafted by her and read to professor Garstang for his approval, and by the time of his departure on his last journey in August 1956 the first draft of the whole book was completed. It was clear that some further revision would be necessary, and Professor Garstang placed the manuscript unreservedly at the disposal of Mrs. Gurney and myself to bring it up to the standard required for publication. During the winter of 1956-7 it was largely rewritten. ... The maps are the work of my (ie. Oliver Gurney's) wife." ↩
Hand-drawn map, Garstang Museum, University of Liverpool. Accessed November 2020. ↩
Archives Hub. "gb3431-jg". Retrieved 2 September 2016. ↩
UCL Archives. "UCLCA/IA/A/17". UCL. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016. ↩
