David Randall-MacIver
Encyclopedia
David Randall-MacIver was a British
-born archaeologist, who later became an American
citizen. He is most famous for his excavations at Great Zimbabwe
which provided the first solid evidence that the site was built by Shona
peoples.
Randall-MacIver began his career working with Flinders Petrie in Egypt
, uncovering the mortuary temple of Senwosret III. He moved to America when he was appointed as Egyptology
curator at the Penn Museum, University of Pennsylvania
, in 1905.
He initiated research into the relationship between Egypt and Nubia
, uncovering some of the earliest evidence of ancient Nubian culture, dating back to 3100BCE. Between 1905 and 1906 Randall-MacIver conducted the first detailed study of Great Zimbabwe. The absence of any artefacts of non-African origin led him to conclude that the structure was built by local people. Earlier scholars had speculated that the structure had been built by Arab or Phoenician traders.
Randall-MacIver left Penn museum in 1911, becoming librarian of the American Geographical Society
up to 1914, when he left to work as an intelligence officer in the First World War. In 1921 he moved to Italy to study Etruscan
archaeology. He remained in Italy during World War II
, later assisting the US army to preserve historical monuments.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-born archaeologist, who later became an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
citizen. He is most famous for his excavations at Great Zimbabwe
Great Zimbabwe
Great Zimbabwe is a ruined city that was once the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, which existed from 1100 to 1450 C.E. during the country’s Late Iron Age. The monument, which first began to be constructed in the 11th century and which continued to be built until the 14th century, spanned an...
which provided the first solid evidence that the site was built by Shona
Shona people
Shona is the name collectively given to two groups of people in the east and southwest of Zimbabwe, north eastern Botswana and southern Mozambique.-Shona Regional Classification:...
peoples.
Randall-MacIver began his career working with Flinders Petrie in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, uncovering the mortuary temple of Senwosret III. He moved to America when he was appointed as Egyptology
Egyptology
Egyptology is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious practices in the AD 4th century. A practitioner of the discipline is an “Egyptologist”...
curator at the Penn Museum, University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, in 1905.
He initiated research into the relationship between Egypt and Nubia
Nubia
Nubia is a region along the Nile river, which is located in northern Sudan and southern Egypt.There were a number of small Nubian kingdoms throughout the Middle Ages, the last of which collapsed in 1504, when Nubia became divided between Egypt and the Sennar sultanate resulting in the Arabization...
, uncovering some of the earliest evidence of ancient Nubian culture, dating back to 3100BCE. Between 1905 and 1906 Randall-MacIver conducted the first detailed study of Great Zimbabwe. The absence of any artefacts of non-African origin led him to conclude that the structure was built by local people. Earlier scholars had speculated that the structure had been built by Arab or Phoenician traders.
Randall-MacIver left Penn museum in 1911, becoming librarian of the American Geographical Society
American Geographical Society
The American Geographical Society is an organization of professional geographers, founded in 1851 in New York City. Most fellows of the society are Americans, but among them have always been a significant number of fellows from around the world...
up to 1914, when he left to work as an intelligence officer in the First World War. In 1921 he moved to Italy to study Etruscan
Etruscan civilization
Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to a civilization of ancient Italy in the area corresponding roughly to Tuscany. The ancient Romans called its creators the Tusci or Etrusci...
archaeology. He remained in Italy during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, later assisting the US army to preserve historical monuments.