HARDY FORUM ARCHIVE H0084 10/13/00 "HARDY AND ARCHEOLOGY" =================================================== From: Rebecca A.Hadley Subject: Re: Hardy and Archeology Date: Sat, 14 Oct 2000 09:00:51 -0400 (EDT) Dear Rebecca Harold Orel has an article entitled "Hardy and the Developing Science of Archaeology" in *Thomas Hardy Annual No. 4*, ed. Norman Page (London: Macmillan, 1986), pp. 19-44. With best wishes for your project, Martin Ray Dr Martin Ray Department of English University of Aberdeen Aberdeen Scotland, UK m.ray@abdn.ac.uk ========== Date: Sat, 14 Oct 2000 10:45:53 -0700 From: Betty Cortus Subject: Re: Hardy and Archeology Dear Rebecca, In James Gibson's edition of _Thomas Hardy: Interviews and Recollections_,Macmillan, 1999, he notes a description of some acheological artifacts displayed in Hardy's drawing room at Max Gate. Although the author of the article in which it appears is unknown, Gibson suggests that it could have been written by Hardy himself, or based upon notes supplied by him. "Immediately on looking round the room we observe that Mr Hardy's collection of old china is of a very peculiar kind. In place of the regulation Nankin, cracked, and what not, we see groups of black urns and vases of various designs characteristic of Anglo-Roman work of the third or fourth century, vividly recalling the pots and pans of Mr Alma-Tadema's picture of "Visit of Hadrian to the British Potteries." With some surprise we learn from our hostess that such urns as these abound in the earth beneath our feet, the specimens on the shelves having been dug up in excavating the foundation at the building of the house. Human skeletons were also discovered here, curiously interred in oval graves cut from the maiden chalk, each body lying on its right side, with the knees drawn up to the chest in a manner strongly suggestive of the chicken in the egg-shell. With these venerable pieces of crockery lie an iron blade, the head of a spear taken from the side of one of the same interred Roman warriors; with a gilt-bronze fibula - similar to those in the British Museum - which Mr Hardy himself unfastened from the forehead of a skull discovered under his kitchen, proving that these clasps were used to sustain some sort of head-fillet, and not only the cloak or other garment, as usually supposed. . . . " (21) Betty Cortus hardycor@mailhost2.csusm.edu ========== From: "schweik" Subject: Re: Hardy and Archeology Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2000 20:22:48 GMT In addition to what's already been mentioned, in "The Influence of Religion, Science, and Philosophy on Hardy's Writings" in the *Cambridge Companion to Thomas Hardy*, ed. by Dale Kramer, Cambridge UP, 1999, pp. 61-62, I provide a documented overview of the influence of archaeology on Hardy's writings, and the brief bibliography for that chapter includes a reference to Harold Orel's *The Unknown Thomas Hardy: Lesser Known Aspects of Hardy's Life and Culture* which includes a part on Hardy and archaeology. Best wishes, Bob Schweik ========== Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2000 11:20:28 +1000 From: David Cornelius Subject: Re: Hardy and Archeology Rebecca, You might look at the short stories in A Group of Noble Dames, and A Tryst by an Ancient Earthworks. See also in Harold Orel Thomas Hardyâs Personal Writings: Prefaces - Literary Opinions - Reminiscences, 1967, London, Macmillan - Some Romano-British Relics Found at Max Gate, Dorchester p.191 ff; "Shall Stonehenge Go" p. 196f.; Maumbury Ring p.225f. You might find that his interest in church restoration and the preservation of old buildings might also fit into your topic. Best wishes, David Cornelius David Cornelius 5 Caltowie Place Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia. dcorney@midcoast.com.au Carpe diem! ==========