Francis J. Haverfield


Francis John Haverfield, was an English ancient historian, archaeologist, and academic. From 1907 to 1919 he held the Camden Professorship of Ancient History at the University of Oxford.

Education

Educated at Winchester College and the University of Oxford, he also worked under Theodor Mommsen. In 1907 he became Camden Professor of Ancient History at Oxford.

Work

Haverfield was the first to undertake a scientific study of Roman Britain and is considered by some to be the first theorist to tackle the issue of the Romanization of the Roman Empire. Some consider him the innovator of the discipline of Romano-British archaeology. His works include The Romanization of Roman Britain , Ancient Town Planning, and The Roman Occupation of Britain, many monographs, and the authoritative chapters he contributed to the Victoria History of the Counties of England. He excavated the Roman fort at Hardknott, the site of ancient Mediobogdum in Cumbria. He collected and published known Latin inscriptions in Britain.
He gave the Rhind Lectures in 1905 and 1907, on Roman Britain.
Haverfield is credited as playing a prominent role in creation of both the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies and the British School at Rome.
He was on the governing body of Abingdon School from 1907 to 1919 and was a supporter of the school.

Students

Among his students was the archaeologist and topographer Thomas Ashby, the first scholar and third director of the British School at Rome, the Oxford historian, archaeologist, and philosopher R. G. Collingwood and the archaeologist and anthropologist John Garstang.