Sir Charles Leonard Woolley

1880-1960. Archaeologist and author. His early life was spent in poor surroundings in Bethnal Green, London, and he was dependent on scholarships for education at St. John's School, Leatherhead, and at New College, Oxford, where he studied theology. His interest rapidly turned to biblical archaeology; for over forty years he was to excavate ancient sites, remaining a free lance throughout, although he received support from the British Museum and other institutions. In 1907 Woolley excavated in Nubia, and in 1914 (with T.E. Lawrence) he studied the ancient routes between Egypt and Palestine. He was taken prisoner (1916-18) by the Turks, and when released worked on the ancient Sumerian civilization. He is best known for his excavations in Ur of the Chaldees (1922-34), where he discovered the royal cemetery. Diggings at Atchana in the Hatay followed (1937-39; 1946-49). He had a remarkable flair for knowing where to dig.