G Bersu
551 362
Description G Bersu
Date 1946 to 1947
Collection G Bersu
Catalogue Number 551 362
Category All Other
Scope and Content The collection comprises negatives, drawings, notebooks and correspondence from the excavations by Professor Gerhard Bersu at Scotstarvit Covert homestead 1946-7; Green Craig homestead 1946-7; and Traprain Law fort 1947. There had been a preliminary visit to Scotland in 1939, but it was not until after the Second World War that Bersu was invited to excavate these sites; the collection amply demonstrates his skills and techniques, in particular the use of colour on site drawings, already used at various sites in England, including Little Woodbury, Wiltshire, and the Isle of Man. NMRS Jubilee Guide, 1991.
Archive History The collection was presented to RCAHMS by the Department of Environment, 1973.
Related Material Archaeological excavation records at Manx Heritage Library and Archives (ref IM 147 MS 09865), Historic England Archive (ref BER01) and Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (ref C550748).
Access Conditions Open, but note that access may be subject to conservation requirements. Please contact the archive to confirm access in advance of a visit.
Administrative History Professor Gerhard Bersu (1889-1964) was a German archaeologist who excavated widely across Europe from 1907 until he retired in 1956. During the First World War he worked for the Office for the Protection of Monuments and Collections on the Western Front. After the war he joined the Cease Fire and Peace Delegation to help arrange the return of cultural property. Appointed Director of the Romisch-Germanische Kommission of the German Archaeological Institute in Frankfurt 1931; and forced to resign in 1937 when he moved to Britain. At the invitation of the Prehistoric Society he conducted excavations at Little Woodbury, Wiltshire 1938-1939; and excavated on the Isle of Man during the Second World War while interned as an enemy alien. Professor at the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin 1947-1950; re-appointed Director of the Romisch-Germanische Kommission 1952; and awarded the gold medal of the Society of Antiquaries in London 1962.
Accruals No further accruals are expected.
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