Prehistorian: A Biography of V. Gordon Childe by Green, Sally (1981) Hardcover

by Sally Green

Although Gordon Childe was not appointed to his first job in the field of prehistoric archaeology until he was 35 years of age, his achievements earned him general recognition as the most eminent and influential scholar of European prehistory in the twentieth century. An unconventional and eccentric character, he was totally dedicated to his chosen field and is remembered throughout the world as a pioneer in the study of prehistory: fresh excavations and discoveries had produced a wealth of archaeological evidence, but no one before Professor Childe had brought the data together and related them to a broader view of the history of civilization. And when he published those highly successful books- "Man Makes Himself" and "What Happened in History"- they did more than any other work before to popularize the study of prehistory everywhere...

Genres: Biography

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[Suay Erkusoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thorough look at Childe's life in terms of his life events and his career in archaeology. The biographer assumes that the reader knows how idiosyncratic Childe is as a human being and an archaeology professor. This presumption can be, at times, disappointing if you want to know more about his personality and how it informed his decisions, especially in his career. I would have loved to know more about how his fellow archaeologists viewed Childe. There are several witness accounts to certain events and references to some personal letters but a full chapter on his perception in the field by his colleagues and the generation he trained would probably quench my thirst.
Also, I feel that Green purposefully avoided talking about his personal affairs, perhaps to avoid speculations of the nature of some of his relations.

Overall, the style is outdated, it might have left some vital information out but it is a good study of his life as a prehistorian which is the main goal as the title suggests.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great work to read alongside Terry Irving's most excellent 2020 biography "The Fatal Lure of Politics". Green treats Childe's early period of political activism in particular much more briefly, but gives good general detail of his life and work as an academic and archaeologist. Many personal anecdotes about Childe's idiosyncrasies and sense of humour round out the view of this fascinating thinker. The difference in evaluation between the two works is subtle: it lies in the primacy Irving gives to Childe's complex and advanced Marxist world-view, where in Green's telling, Childe seems to be more a great archaeologist who just happened to utilise Marxist concepts.