Ladies of the Field: Early Women Archaeologists and Their Search for Adventure

This was useful for a report I did on Agatha Christie's contribution to archeology. Although this had a limited purpose, I enjoyed the chapter on Dame Christie and I see the ability to use it for other information in the future.

This book devotes a chapter each to 7 female archeologists. Leaving out the preachy and dated beginning and end chapters and spending more time on the archaeologists would have made a better book. This was a pretty good read

Ladies Of the Field is a wonderful glimpse into the lives of several amazing women, who dared to venture far from the drawing room. Mystery lovers may be surprised to learn that Agatha Christie tried her hand at field work and researched several of her stories while on site in Egypt. All in all, it's a great read for lovers of archeology and for archeologists of the arm chair variety.

Too bad the author could not capture the extraordinary excitement of these lives! I will read more about each of them.

I devoured this book. I bought it mainly for reading about Harriet Howes and then read the rest. Well written and so interesting.

arrived in good condtion

Author Amanda Adams brings a group of pioneering women scientists back to life in "Ladies of the Field: Early Women Archaeologists and Their Search for Adventure." Her book encompasses the collected biographies of seven women archaeologists all working in or born in the Victorian era (1837-1901), all of whom were known on their own terms, not simply as co-workers or as the wives of male archaeologists.Be prepared for some surprises, from Victorian author of tales of the supernatural Amelia Edwards (surely the inspiration for the Amelia Peabody of Elizabeth Peters' "Crocodile on the Sandbank" and other archaeological mysteries) to French happily-married and happily cross-dressing Jane Dieulafoy to Mexico's grande dame of pre-Columbian archaeology Zelia Nuttal, and ending with Paleolithic cave explorer Dorothy Garrod, who managed to reconcile her strong Catholic beliefs with scientific evidence for a much older Earth, among others.For those for whom her sketches seem all too brief, Adams supplies a bibliography and recommended reading list (including online resources) for further exploration.Adams' writing is never as powerful as that of some of her subjects, who include lay authors, in addition to Amelia Edwards, Gertrude Bell and Agatha Christie. However, her enthusiasm for the practice of archaeology and for her subjects should put this on the want to read list of anyone of any gender interested in archaeology and its history.

Amanda Adams writes of seven ladies who were among the first archaeologists. They were all born in the 1800's, a time that was influenced by Victorian ideas and standards; where women were supposed to be satisfied by making their husbands happy. If you do not know their biographies, there are some surprising stories in here: Agatha Christie and Gertrude Bell, also included are; Amelia Edwards, Jane Dieulafoy, Zelia Nuttall, Harriet Boyd Hawes and Dorothy Garrod. These are very interesting and influential ladies, not necessarily the leading archeologists of all times,Some pictures are included, of the ladies and or archeological finds; however for most of those pictures, nothing is explained other than what the objects are. Are they associated with the lady in which they are included in the chapter or are they just examples of archeological finds??Adams inserts her comments in many instances: Dorothy Garrod is a calmer and more introverted Gertrude Bell, Agatha Christie was a cougar.Those who are concerned with women's studies, archeology and biographical studies of a different sort would enjoy this book.