428:
306:
33:
844:
381:
Keiller's first major excavation at
Avebury was in 1937, the first of three seasons over the ensuing years. Each concentrated on a quadrant of the circle, clearing undergrowth, restoring and conserving the site. Buried stones, some up to a metre below ground, were uncovered and replaced in their
780:
Taking a lease on
Avebury Manor, he joined the ranks of the restorers who were transforming the manor houses of Southern England into the visual equivalent of romantic poetry, releasing the spirits of history that had been locked up in them by insensitive
439:
for £12,000, simply the agricultural value of the 950 acres (3.8 km) he had accrued, and not reflecting the immense investment he had made at the site. His excavations at
Avebury were unpublished at his death, but were worked up by archaeologist
259:
On 29 February 1924, Keiller married
Veronica Mildred Liddell (1900–1964). Veronica shared his interest in archaeology and visited Avebury with him later that year. She was one of the supervisors for the 1925–1929
377:
Stuart
Piggott notes that Keiller "adopted a policy of imaginative but judicious conservation and restoration of the Avebury monuments, and systematically purchased land to preserve these and their surroundings".
275:(b. 1901), an artist. She had joined the Morven Institute of Archaeological Research, founded by Keiller, in 1937. Her contributions in this field include detailed illustrations of the stones as part of the
436:
397:
207:
887:
947:
427:
382:
original stone-holes. As with the avenue, he placed concrete pylons to denote missing stones. That same year, he founded the Morven
Institute of Archaeological Research.
149:
952:
942:
897:
892:
718:
187:. He used his wealth to acquire a total of 950 acres (3.8 km) of land in Avebury for preservation, where he conducted excavations and re-erected some
389:
skeleton in the south west quadrant. Keiller opened his museum that year, to display finds from the
Windmill Hill, West Kennet, and Avebury excavations.
374:, which led south east from the Avebury stone circle. As he discovered buried stones, he had them re-erected, and marked the stone-holes with pillars.
902:
332:
in
December 1914. In 1915 he was invalided out of the service, but in 1918 he joined air intelligence, where he remained until the end of the war.
229:
on 1 December 1889, the only child of businessman John
Mitchell Keiller (1851–1899) and Mary Sime Greig (1862–1907), of the Dundee medical family.
927:
773:
562:
520:
907:
872:
830:
802:
497:
199:
232:
When
Keiller was nine, his father died, leaving him the sole heir to the wealth generated by the family's business. He was sent to
937:
867:
503:
156:
922:
912:
325:
625:
279:
excavations and the creation of visual reconstructions of faces from skulls, four of which were from a burial mound at
932:
578:
917:
305:
290:(1908–1995). She lived past his death in 1955, and in 1966 she donated the museum and its contents to the nation.
393:
386:
164:, pioneering aerial photographer, businessman and philanthropist. He worked on an extensive prehistoric site at
957:
355:
367:
329:
600:
412:
351:
261:
176:
848:
347:
in 1928, which Lynda Murray notes was "the first book of aerial archaeology to be published in the UK".
272:
253:
252:
On 2 June 1913, Keiller married Florence Marianne Phil-Morris (1883–1955), the daughter of artist
843:
705:
Mr Keiller's Sizaire Berwick motor car housed in the museum at Avebury Manor, Wiltshire. Image details
32:
882:
877:
359:
456:
244:. When he was seventeen, his mother died, and he returned home to administer the family business.
663:
371:
340:
276:
192:
130:
621:
601:"Historical Manuscripts Commission - papers ... in the custody of the Alexander Keiller Museum"
826:
798:
769:
765:
757:
738:
558:
552:
516:
445:
336:
214:
256:. They moved into Keiller's house in London. After the First World War, they were divorced.
730:
653:
508:
408:
233:
88:
370:
in Aberdeenshire into state guardianship. In 1934, he began a two-year excavation of the
321:
314:
287:
265:
188:
343:
of archaeological sites in south western England. This work led to their publication of
294:
184:
861:
704:
475:
692:
198:
At Avebury, Keiller founded the Morven Institute of Archeological Research, now the
667:
441:
241:
217:, was also an archaeological photographer, whom he met in connection with Avebury.
92:
537:
416:
401:
161:
107:
680:
512:
852:
734:
280:
237:
120:
742:
363:
172:
411:
ended excavations at Avebury. Keiller joined the special constabulary at
455:
designated Avebury (together with Stonehenge and associated sites) as a
271:
On 16 November 1938, Keiller married for a third time; his new wife was
762:
Village of Britain: The Five Hundred Villages That Made the Countryside
203:
165:
125:
795:
Windmill Hill and Avebury. Excavations by Alexander Keiller, 1925–1939
658:
415:
and as his duties left little time for archaeology, he had the museum
452:
226:
180:
641:
335:
Keiller began to pursue an interest in archaeology. In 1922 he and
426:
304:
695:. Gracesguide.co.uk (17 December 2013). Retrieved on 30 May 2014.
683:. Gracesguide.co.uk (17 December 2013). Retrieved on 30 May 2014.
478:. Gracesguide.co.uk (16 February 2012). Retrieved on 30 May 2014.
268:. Following a separation, Keiller divorced Veronica in 1934.
448:
donated the Avebury museum and its contents to the nation.
168:
in Wiltshire, England, and helped ensure its preservation.
888:
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War I
183:, and exported marmalade and confectionery across the
717:
Keiller, Alexander; Piggott, Stuart (December 1936).
435:
In 1943, Keiller sold his holdings in Avebury to the
160:(1 December 1889 – 29 October 1955) was a Scottish
113:
103:
98:
84:
79:
67:
59:
47:
39:
23:
707:. National Trust Images. Retrieved on 30 May 2014.
496:
948:Royal Naval Air Service personnel of World War I
431:The Barn Gallery of the Alexander Keiller Museum
350:Using his wealth, Keiller decided to buy nearby
264:excavations, near Avebury, alongside her sister
823:A Zest for Life: the story of Alexander Keiller
498:"Keiller, Alexander (1889–1955), archaeologist"
459:. In 2000, it received over 350,000 visitors.
366:for decades afterward. He succeeded in getting
317:, an Anglo-French manufacturer of luxury cars.
225:Alexander Keiller was born at Binrock House in
764:(UK ed.). UK and US: Bloomsbury. p.
297:'s obituary for him wrongly stated September.
400:property consisting of an early 16th-century
313:In 1913, Keiller funded the establishment of
8:
507:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
358:there. His work proved that the site was a
557:. Oxford University Press. pp. 532–.
444:and published in 1965. In 1966, his widow
31:
20:
657:
328:as a temporary lieutenant, moving to the
554:Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology
504:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
468:
309:The Forge Stone at Avebury Stone Circle
293:Keiller died in October 1955, although
179:that had been established in 1797 in
7:
953:20th-century Scottish businesspeople
943:20th-century British philanthropists
635:
633:
490:
488:
486:
484:
240:in Surrey and from there went on to
898:People educated at Hazelwood School
719:"The Recent Excavations at Avebury"
579:"Alexander Keiller Museum, Avebury"
286:He later married a fourth time, to
195:for archaeological interpretation.
893:Royal Navy officers of World War I
14:
385:In 1938 he discovered the famous
210:for its agricultural value only.
842:
642:"Obituary: Mr Alexander Keiller"
903:People educated at Eton College
202:. In 1943 he sold the land at
1:
362:, and it became the monument
326:Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
928:Archaeological photographers
626:Lives of the First World War
538:UK public library membership
404:and its surrounding garden.
392:Keiller leased and restored
797:. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
974:
908:Businesspeople from Dundee
394:Avebury Manor & Garden
320:After the outbreak of the
735:10.1017/S0003598X00012114
551:Darvill, Timothy (2008).
387:barber surgeon of Avebury
139:
75:
30:
873:Scottish philanthropists
825:. Swindon: Morven Books
821:Murray, Lynda J. (1999)
640:Piggott, Stuart (1955).
221:Early life and education
200:Alexander Keiller Museum
175:business of his family,
171:Keiller was heir to the
938:Scottish travel writers
868:Scottish archaeologists
368:Tomnaverie stone circle
330:Royal Naval Air Service
177:James Keiller & Son
923:Scottish photographers
793:Smith, Isobel (1965).
513:10.1093/ref:odnb/55071
495:Murray, Lynda (2004).
432:
310:
16:Scottish archaeologist
756:Aslet, Clive (2010).
476:James Keiller and Son
430:
308:
273:Doris Emerson Chapman
254:Philip Richard Morris
248:Family life and death
913:Aerial photographers
758:"South-West England"
693:F. W. Berwick and Co
360:causewayed enclosure
191:. He also pioneered
603:. National Archives
457:World Heritage Site
354:and then undertake
345:Wessex from the Air
80:Academic background
933:People from Dundee
847:Works by or about
622:John Aidan Liddell
581:. English Heritage
433:
372:West Kennet Avenue
311:
277:West Kennet Avenue
193:aerial photography
131:aerial photography
918:Scottish aviators
849:Alexander Keiller
775:978-0-7475-8872-6
659:10.1038/1761051b0
564:978-0-19-157904-2
536:(Subscription or
522:978-0-19-861412-8
446:Gabrielle Keiller
337:O. G. S. Crawford
215:Gabrielle Keiller
213:His fourth wife,
146:Alexander Keiller
143:
142:
55:(aged 65–66)
25:Alexander Keiller
965:
846:
809:
808:
790:
784:
783:
753:
747:
746:
714:
708:
702:
696:
690:
684:
678:
672:
671:
661:
637:
628:
619:
613:
612:
610:
608:
597:
591:
590:
588:
586:
575:
569:
568:
548:
542:
541:
533:
531:
529:
500:
492:
479:
473:
409:Second World War
324:, he joined the
234:Hazelwood School
159:
154:
89:Hazelwood School
54:
35:
21:
973:
972:
968:
967:
966:
964:
963:
962:
958:Museum founders
858:
857:
839:
818:
816:Further reading
813:
812:
805:
792:
791:
787:
776:
755:
754:
750:
729:(40): 417–427.
716:
715:
711:
703:
699:
691:
687:
681:Sizaire-Berwick
679:
675:
639:
638:
631:
620:
616:
606:
604:
599:
598:
594:
584:
582:
577:
576:
572:
565:
550:
549:
545:
535:
527:
525:
523:
494:
493:
482:
474:
470:
465:
425:
322:First World War
315:Sizaire-Berwick
303:
288:Gabrielle Style
266:Dorothy Liddell
250:
223:
189:standing stones
152:
148:
135:
91:
52:
43:1 December 1889
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
971:
969:
961:
960:
955:
950:
945:
940:
935:
930:
925:
920:
915:
910:
905:
900:
895:
890:
885:
880:
875:
870:
860:
859:
856:
855:
838:
837:External links
835:
834:
833:
817:
814:
811:
810:
803:
785:
774:
748:
709:
697:
685:
673:
629:
614:
592:
570:
563:
543:
521:
480:
467:
466:
464:
461:
437:National Trust
424:
421:
398:National Trust
302:
299:
249:
246:
222:
219:
208:National Trust
185:British Empire
141:
140:
137:
136:
134:
133:
128:
123:
117:
115:
114:Sub-discipline
111:
110:
105:
101:
100:
96:
95:
86:
82:
81:
77:
76:
73:
72:
71:United Kingdom
69:
65:
64:
61:
57:
56:
49:
45:
44:
41:
37:
36:
28:
27:
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
970:
959:
956:
954:
951:
949:
946:
944:
941:
939:
936:
934:
931:
929:
926:
924:
921:
919:
916:
914:
911:
909:
906:
904:
901:
899:
896:
894:
891:
889:
886:
884:
881:
879:
876:
874:
871:
869:
866:
865:
863:
854:
850:
845:
841:
840:
836:
832:
831:0-9536039-0-3
828:
824:
820:
819:
815:
806:
804:9780198131458
800:
796:
789:
786:
782:
777:
771:
767:
763:
759:
752:
749:
744:
740:
736:
732:
728:
724:
720:
713:
710:
706:
701:
698:
694:
689:
686:
682:
677:
674:
669:
665:
660:
655:
651:
647:
643:
636:
634:
630:
627:
623:
618:
615:
602:
596:
593:
580:
574:
571:
566:
560:
556:
555:
547:
544:
539:
524:
518:
514:
510:
506:
505:
499:
491:
489:
487:
485:
481:
477:
472:
469:
462:
460:
458:
454:
449:
447:
443:
438:
429:
422:
420:
418:
414:
410:
405:
403:
399:
395:
390:
388:
383:
379:
375:
373:
369:
365:
361:
357:
353:
352:Windmill Hill
348:
346:
342:
341:aerial survey
339:undertook an
338:
333:
331:
327:
323:
318:
316:
307:
300:
298:
296:
291:
289:
284:
282:
278:
274:
269:
267:
263:
262:Windmill Hill
257:
255:
247:
245:
243:
239:
235:
230:
228:
220:
218:
216:
211:
209:
205:
201:
196:
194:
190:
186:
182:
178:
174:
169:
167:
163:
162:archaeologist
158:
151:
147:
138:
132:
129:
127:
124:
122:
119:
118:
116:
112:
109:
106:
102:
99:Academic work
97:
94:
90:
87:
83:
78:
74:
70:
66:
62:
58:
50:
46:
42:
38:
34:
29:
22:
19:
822:
794:
788:
779:
761:
751:
726:
722:
712:
700:
688:
676:
649:
645:
617:
605:. Retrieved
595:
583:. Retrieved
573:
553:
546:
526:. Retrieved
502:
471:
450:
442:Isobel Smith
434:
406:
391:
384:
380:
376:
349:
344:
334:
319:
312:
292:
285:
270:
258:
251:
242:Eton College
231:
224:
212:
197:
170:
145:
144:
93:Eton College
53:(1955-00-00)
18:
883:1955 deaths
878:1889 births
781:alterations
413:Marlborough
402:manor house
356:excavations
108:Archaeology
68:Citizenship
60:Nationality
862:Categories
853:Wikisource
652:: 1051–2.
540:required.)
463:References
417:mothballed
281:Chippenham
238:Limpsfield
121:Prehistory
104:Discipline
743:0003-598X
723:Antiquity
451:In 1986,
364:type-site
173:marmalade
85:Education
607:18 March
585:18 March
396:, now a
63:Scottish
668:4163552
528:13 July
295:Piggott
206:to the
204:Avebury
166:Avebury
126:Avebury
829:
801:
772:
741:
666:
646:Nature
561:
534:
519:
453:UNESCO
423:Legacy
301:Career
227:Dundee
181:Dundee
664:S2CID
155:
153:,
827:ISBN
799:ISBN
770:ISBN
739:ISSN
609:2016
587:2016
559:ISBN
530:2022
517:ISBN
407:The
51:1955
48:Died
40:Born
851:at
731:doi
654:doi
650:176
624:on
509:doi
236:at
157:FGS
150:FSA
864::
778:.
768:.
760:.
737:.
727:10
725:.
721:.
662:.
648:.
644:.
632:^
515:.
501:.
483:^
419:.
283:.
807:.
766:9
745:.
733::
670:.
656::
611:.
589:.
567:.
532:.
511::
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
