{"id":6231,"date":"2024-04-15T08:29:17","date_gmt":"2024-04-15T06:29:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sci4gi.mediassociations.fr\/heroine\/harriet-boyd-hawes-archaeologist-and-nurse\/"},"modified":"2025-06-17T12:27:18","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T10:27:18","slug":"harriet-boyd-hawes-archaeologist-and-nurse","status":"publish","type":"heroine","link":"https:\/\/sciencesforgirls.com\/en\/heroin\/harriet-boyd-hawes-archaeologist-and-nurse\/","title":{"rendered":"Harriet BOYD HAWES: Archaeologist and Nurse"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Portrait of Harriet Boyd Hawes Credit: Gournia Excavation Project<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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Archaeology is the study of past civilizations through the examination of object remains and their historical context. Depending on the specialty, archaeology involves outdoor activities in difficult or even risky conditions. In the 19th century, archaeology was a discipline reserved for men and considered inappropriate for women. It is difficult to imagine that women would be attracted to field archaeological research. Harriet Boyd Hawes was an adventurous and courageous woman interested in classical sciences and ancient history. A pioneer in archaeology, she left an important scientific legacy. She was also a trained nurse and provided care to victims of several wars as part of humanitarian actions. <\/div><\/div>
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Childhood and Education<\/h3><\/div>
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Born in 1871 in Boston, United States, Harriet Ann Boyd was the only daughter among her siblings. Harriet lost her mother at a young age, and it was her father and older brothers who raised her. She attended Prospect Hill School in Massachusetts, where she developed a passion for classical sciences. In 1892, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in classical sciences from Smith College. <\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Excavations in Crete<\/h3><\/div>
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Map indicating the locations of archaeological sites in Crete. Credit: Expedition Magazine | Minoan \u201cFireboxes\u201d From Gournia (penn.museum)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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After her father’s death and rejecting Victorian society’s stereotypes, Harriet chose to settle in Athens, Greece, to take courses in archaeology and history at the \u201cAmerican School of Classical Studies<\/a>. While archaeology was a scientific discipline dominated by men, Harriet obtained permission to excavate on\u201d the island of Crete, on behalf of the government. Sir Arthur Evans, a prominent English archaeologist who was excavating on the \u201cisland, advised Harriet to\u201d study the region of Kavousi<\/a>, a village located in eastern Crete. <\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Archaeological site of Gournia in Crete (2020) Credit: Wandering through ancient streets – The Minoan town of Gournia – Ancient World Magazine<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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During her first excavation in 1900, Harriet meticulously explored the site by adopting a systemic approach and scientific method. In three weeks of research, Harriet discovered a series of precious and fascinating objects, such as pottery, jars, and tombs dating from the late \u201cBronze Age and early\u201d Iron Age. These excavations thus brought to light the presence of an ancient village. From 1901 to 1904, Harriet obtained grants from the Museum<\/a> of the University of Pennsylvania to continue her research in Crete. During this period, she was the first female archaeologist to lead an excavation team of over 100 people to explore the site of Gournia<\/a>. Harriet and her team unearthed the remains of the Minoan town, a prehistoric settlement built between 1700 and 1400 BC. The remarkable degree of preservation of the stone pavements, including the 30 x 40 meter “Palace” of Gournia and a cemetery, emerged during the excavations. Located on the largest island of Greece, in Crete, a few meters from the sea, the archaeological site of Gournia or “Pompeii of the Minoan” welcomes a large number of visitors fascinated by history and its well-preserved architecture every day. <\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Harriet Boyd Hawes on the Front Line<\/h3><\/div>
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A trained nurse, Harriet volunteered with the Red Cross<\/a> during several wars in Europe, including the Greco-Turkish War in 1897, the Spanish-American War in 1898, and humanitarian aid to Serbian refugees in Corfu in 1915. During World War I, Harriet founded and directed the Smith College Unit Relief<\/a>, a group of Smith College alumnae with the mission of delivering humanitarian aid in France. For her dedication to aiding combatants, Harriet received the Red Cross medal from Queen Olga of Greece, the War Medal in 1919, and the Silver Medal of Recognition in 1920. <\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Harriet Boyd Hawes, president of the Smith College Relief Unit (first place, first row in white shirt), photographed with Smith College graduates who volunteered to provide medical care during the \u201cGreat War\u201d Credit: Women Heroes of World War I<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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The Legacy of Harriet Boyd Hawes<\/h3><\/div>
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Illustrations and description of artifacts featured in Harriet Boyd Hawes’ notebook Credit: Expedition Magazine | Minoan \u201cFireboxes\u201d From Gournia (penn.museum)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Once married and a mother of two children, Harriet “moves away from field research and dedicates her energy to sharing her findings from Gournia. During five years of excavations, Harriet meticulously cataloged, described, illustrated, and organized her archaeological work. Her exceptional discoveries include fragments, small animal figurines, and intact objects such as jars. Harriet publishes several books titled \u2018Crete, the Forerunner of Greece\u2019 (co-written with her husband) and \u2018Gournia, Vasiliki and Other Prehistoric Sites on the Isthmus of Hierapetra\u2019. Watercolors depicting the main discoveries at the archaeological sites, created by artist Adelene Moffat, are used to illustrate the publications. Her notebooks and extensive collection are preserved at the University of Pennsylvania Museum (United States) and the Heraklion Museum (Greece). Throughout her career, Harriet is also a teacher. For over 30 years, she teaches Greek and modern archaeology and” epigraphy (the study of inscribed texts). <\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Cover of the book \u201cBorn to Rebel – The Life of Harriet Boyd Hawes\u201d written by her daughter<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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<\/span>Harriet Boyd Hawes dies on March 31, 1945, in Washington, DC, at \u201cthe age of 73. A biography written by Harriet’s daughter and published in 1992 retraces\u201d Harriet’s legendary work as an archaeologist, as well as her personal life and her important role in humanitarian efforts. <\/div><\/div>
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Harriet Boyd Hawes paved the way for many women archaeologists, so why not you?<\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Click here<\/a> to learn more about careers in archaeology!<\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Written by Akila R. and edited by Tiffanie C.<\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Sources<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/h3><\/div>
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Born to Rebel. The Life of Harriet Boyd Hawes. Edited by Annie Allsebrook. First published in 1992, reprinted with corrections and a postscript \u2013 Bryn Mawr Classical Review <\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Gournia Excavation Project<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Hawes, Harriet Ann Boyd \u2013 Dictionary of Art Historians<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Past Perfect: In Pursuit of Minoan Crete – The BAS Library (<\/a>biblicalarchaeology.org<\/a>)<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Harriet Boyd Hawes \u2013 Founding Sisters (<\/a>mtholyoke.edu<\/a>)<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Expedition Magazine | Minoan \u201cFireboxes\u201d From Gournia (<\/a>penn.museum<\/a>)<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Online Collections – Penn Museum<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Smith College: NewsSmith<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Hawes, Harriet Boyd \u00ab Smithipedia<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Women Heroes of World War I: Harriet Boyd Hawes and the Smith College Relief Unit <\/a> <\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Expedition Magazine | A Lost Notebook From the Excavations at Gournia, Crete (<\/a>penn.museum<\/a>)<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div>

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Harriet Boyd Hawes and the Minoan Culture | SciHi Blog<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div>

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https:\/\/www.ascsa.edu.gr\/uploads\/media\/hesperia\/147972.pdf<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cI have never been a collector, but a detective who cares about what stimulates her mind and heart\u201d Harriet Boyd Hawes Archaeology is the study of past civilizations through the examination of object remains and their historical context. Depending on the specialty, archaeology involves outdoor activities in difficult or even risky conditions. In the 19th […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6808,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","categories":[1084,1082],"class_list":["post-6231","heroine","type-heroine","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archeology-heroes","category-heroes"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sciencesforgirls.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/heroine\/6231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sciencesforgirls.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/heroine"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sciencesforgirls.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/heroine"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sciencesforgirls.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sciencesforgirls.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6231"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sciencesforgirls.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/heroine\/6231\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sciencesforgirls.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6808"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sciencesforgirls.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sciencesforgirls.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}