Drawing of Lara Croft
Lara Croft. We all recognise her as the pixelated video game character, or her live-action movie counterpart. And arguably, what makes her this recognisable is her outfit; the tight teal tank top and itsy-bitsy hot pants. Though probably not the most well-known archaeologist in pop culture (hats off to you, Indiana Jones), she is undoubtedly the most famous female archaeologist. I know practically nothing about Lara Croft herself, or the Tomb Raider series she comes from, but I do know her outfit is not the most practical. The exposed legs! And arms! It’s a recipe for all sorts of scratches and sunburn. I’m also a bit confused as to why she is wielding a gun instead of a trowel. There are some instances where Croft wears a far more practical trousers and jacket combo, but the standard outfit is the skimpy combo described above. So what do women archaeologists actually wear? Below is a brief look at what some #trowelblazers throughout history have worn in the field.
First up is a real icon: Jane Dieulafoy. Completely against the norm, she preferred to dress in men’s clothing. Cross-dressing was illegal during this time, but Dieulafoy was exempted from this rule after getting special permission from the French government.
Jane Dieulafoy (date unknown). This image may only be re-used for non-commercial purposes.
Dieulafoy was, however, an exception, and skirts were the go-to for women archaeologists throughout the 19th century. This didn’t stop women from getting work done though; whilst on an excavation in 1896 with her husband, Flinders Petrie, Hilda Petrie decided to forgo her skirt when climbing the Great Pyramid at Giza, and instead completed the climb in her bloomers!
Hilda Petrie descending into a tomb, possibly Dendera 1897-8. Image courtesy of the Egypt Exploration Society, all rights reserved. More Hilda fabulousness available on their Flickr Petrie photoset!
Skirts remained commonplace for women in the field through to the 1930s, with Agatha Christie, Dorothy Liddell and Tessa Wheeler seen here sporting them on excavations.
Agatha Christie with her shooting stick at the site of Chagar Bazar (1935-37). Reproduced in accordance with the standard terms of use from the British Museum.
Dorothy Liddell in the background writing in her notebook at the Lodge Farm site while a team member works in the fore. Image kindly provided by the David Allen at the Hampshire Cultural Trust.
Tessa Wheeler on site at the Roman town of Verulamium near St Albans. (Image courtesy of St Albans Museums).
However, around this time, the occasional trouser can also be spotted, such as on Katharine Woolley, Dorothy Garrod and her team of trowelblazers, and Agnes Conway Horsfield — who paired them with puttees.
Katharine Woolley and Sheikh Hamoudi Ibn Ibrahim, the excavation’s foreman, sorting finds (1928–29 season). © Trustees of the British Museum
Dorothy Garrod with the members of her first excavation crew at the Mount Carmel Caves, 1929. From left to right, Elinor Ewbank (Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford), Dorothy Garrod, Mary Kitson Clark (Girton College, Cambridge), Dean Harriet M. Allyn (Mount Holyoke College, USA) and Dr Martha Hackett.
Used with kind permission from the Dorothy Garrod Photographic Archive at the Pitt Rivers Museum. This photo must not be reused without their consent.
Agnes Conway Horsfield at Damieh, Transjordan. Copyright UCL Institute of Archaeology.
Concurrent with the wider societal acceptance of trousers, they became more common during the 1950s and 1960s, though some continued their work in skirts. Olga Tufnell is pictured here in a very sensible-looking pair of trousers, as is Kathleen Kenyon.
Olga Tufnell sorting pottery at Nimrud, Iraq (c 1958) (ref: PEF-P-TUF-1011). Used with the kind permission of the Palestine Exploration Fund, All rights reserved.
Kathleen Kenyon. Image from: Reynolds, A. 2011. From the Archives. Archaeology International 13:112-118, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.5334/ai.1321
Nowadays, women are free to choose practicality when dressing for the field. Think pockets galore, sturdy shoes, hats for sun, waterproofs for rain, trowel-belts, high-vis, and trousers and t-shirts you don’t mind getting (very) dirty! See here Shahina Farid’s abundance of pockets, Emma Mbua’s sensible sun hat, and Constanza Ceruti’s full-on mountaineering gear. Some may still opt for shorts or tank tops in hotter weather, but on the whole, longer trousers and t-shirts are more common (and hot pants are never advised).
Photo: Çatalhöyük Research Project / Jason Quinlan
Emma Mbua in the field at the Kantis site. Image provided by Emma Mbua and used with permission.
Constanza Ceruti reading a compass on summit. Image provided by Constanza Ceruti and used with permission.
