HARDY FORUM ARCHIVE H03055 6/30/03 "HARDY ARCHEOLOGY"
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Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2003 19:09:44 +0100
From: "Marta Rabikowska" <Rabikom@edgehill.ac.uk>
Subject: Hardy and Archeology

Dear All,
I have two issues I would like to ask you about. They regard contacts of Hardy with archeology. I wonder how deep his interest in excavations was, and whether it was motivated by the literary needs of the Author, or he had some professional inquiries about archeological expeditions of his time. Was it only General Pitt Rivers who encouraged him for more professional studies on fossils?. There is not much information about their friendship in Gittings (except for a famous dance with Agnes). I visited Dorset County Museum last year but I did not find any information about Hardy's interest in collecting fossils.

While visiting the Museum I wrote down a following fragment from Hardy, but I cannot find its source now. I would be happy if anyone could identify an exact reference:

It regards Maumbury Rings, a part adopted by Romans for an amphitheatre:
"Some old people said that at certain moments in the summer time, in broad daylight, persons sitting with a book, or dozing in the arena, had, on lifting their eyes, beheld the slopes lined with a gazing legion of Hadrian's soldiery, as if watching the gladiatorial combat, and had heard the roar of their excited voices; that the scene would remain but a moment, like a lighting flash, and then disappear".


Thank you very much,
Marta Rabikowska

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Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2003 14:22:33 -0400
From: Shannon Rogers <srogers@sju.edu>
Subject: RE: Hardy and Archeology
s:

I can't say much to the first off of the top of my head, BUT as for the second,
it's from The Mayor of Casterbridge, Ch. XI.

Cheers,
Shannon

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Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2003 12:45:41 -0700
From: Betty Cortus <hardycor@owl.csusm.edu>
Subject: Re: Hardy and Archeology

Marta, I turned to my trusty copy of the _Oxford's Reader's Companion to
Hardy_ and found there is a quite comprehensive article on Hardy and
Archeology by Harold Orel, who also cites another article he wrote titled
"Hardy and the Developing Science of Archeology," _Thomas Hardy Annual_ 4
(1986). I haven't read it, but it seems to be one of the few discussions
of this topic.
Best Wishes,
Betty Cortus

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