Hannah Bisbing

Dr. Killebrew

CAMS 499B

4/14/17

Harriet Boyd Hawes: Life and Archaeological Influence

Figure 1. Portrait of Harriet Boyd Hawes (Boyd 1965: Figure 1)

Harriet Boyd Hawes was a pioneering female archaeologist of the early 20th century. As

a Cretan specialist, her work was particularly influential for Cretan archaeology that focused on

the everyday life of average townsfolk. Hawes was the discoverer of Gournia, a Late Minoan

town that thrived during the Neopalatial period of Cretan chronology. She was the first
archaeologist to purposefully excavate a town on Crete rather than a large palatial site, which is

what Sir Arthur Evans examined for his work at Knossos.

Hawes was born in 1871 and was raised in Boston, Massachusetts. Her mother died when

Hawes was a mere ten months old, meaning she was primarily raised by her father and her four

older brothers (Adams 2014: 119). Her older brother Alex was particularly influential to Hawes;

he was actually the individual who initially sparked Hawes interest in classical studies (Fotou

and Brown 2004: 199). With such prominent male influence in her early life, Hawes childhood

was not the stereotypical female upbringing. Instead of playing with dolls, she partook in war,

political, and strategy games with her brothers. Subsequently, this unique, rather masculine

childhood furthered her natural independence and determination, and may have influenced

Hawes particular career choices of archaeological fieldwork and war nursing (Adams 2004:

199). Both are grueling, hands-on jobs that required toughing out harsh conditions, but Hawes

thrived in such environments.

In 1888, Hawes attended Smith College in Massachusetts where she majored in Classics,

with an emphasis on Greek culture and language. After graduating, Hawes went on a so-called

grand tour of Europe, which was standard for college educated men by this time. This trip was

actually what gave Hawes the push to pursue archaeological studies as a profession in Greece

(Fotou and Brown 2004: 201). Throughout this time as well as when she was traveling back and

forth to Crete to excavate, Hawes returned to Smith College to teach classes ranging from Greek

archaeology, to modern Greek language, and epigraphy (Adams 2014: 125).

In 1896, Harriet enrolled in the graduate school of archaeology at the American School

for Classical Studies in Athens, Greece. She was one of only two women in the school pursuing
an advanced degree in this field of study (Bolder 1994: 44). After going on a fellowship

expedition without a chaperone, which was unheard of for women at the time, Hawes chose

fieldwork as her professional area. In the 20th century, women who studied archaeology - even

at the graduate level - typically became librarians or curatorial assistants. Hawes, on the other

hand, liked to work with her hands, to do the dirty work herself, and to see the physical evidence

of results at the end of the day (Adams 2014: 121).

After finishing her graduate studies, Hawes took a rather dramatic career shift into the

war nursing profession. She worked on site during the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, the

Spanish-American War of 1898, and the first World War. Besides war nursing, Hawes also

dabbled in teaching for a few years. She taught at an impoverished public school in North

Carolina where she was a minority white woman and then at an all-girls preparatory school. This

period of time was after the death of her favorite brother Alex, who left her his estate in his will.

While there was plenty of money to support herself, her studies, and her excavations, Hawes was

committed to supporting herself on her own (Adams 2014: 200). Her independent, determined

spirit shone through in nearly every aspect of her diverse and successful life.

Once Hawes was beginning to go on her own expeditions, she decided to pursue digging

on Crete for a few reasons. At the time, archaeology in Athens was very much a male-dominated

sphere. She figured this would, unfortunately, inhibit her potential of doing serious work on her

own that was publishable. Secondly, just several months before, Sir Arthur Evans had made his

hugely successful discoveries at Knossos. With such a prosperous excavation accomplished

nearby, Hawes believed she had a real chance to make her own major archaeological mark on

this island (Fotou and Brown 2004: 203). Before the year 1900, Crete was also still very much a
terra incognita to archaeologists, having only been excavated by two archaeologists: Federico

Halbherr and Sir Arthur Evans. This meant that the island was largely undiscovered, waiting for

the secrets of the Minoans past existence to be brought to light. Hawes would be a significant

individual who helped to realize the Minoans lifestyles (Boyd 1965, Part 1: 95).

During her first trip to Crete, Hawes sailed to Herakleion with her botanist companion

Miss Patton as well as her local guide Aristides Pappadhias. Using some of her fellowship

money to cover expenses, she traveled around the island for ten days by mule and examined ten

different sites before deciding to dig at Kavousi. She settled on Kavousi since there had recently

been quite a large number of artifacts found (Adams 2014: 125). Walls, potsherds of the

Geometric style, and other antiquities had been stumbled upon by peasants from neighboring

villages purely by accident. In fact, a tholos tomb was accidentally discovered in 1895 by a

peasant named Theodosios Mitsakis. He presented his discovery to Sir Arthur Evans who was

traveling in East Crete several years later, who reported the find to the Greek government.

Eventually, the tomb was excavated and its contents were moved to Herakleion for Evans to

work on publishing his reports (Boyd 1901: 127).

Figure 2. View of Kavousi Plain and Village, from the citadel (Boyd 1901: Figure 1)
 In the spring of 1900, Hawes sent a letter to the Minister of Education requesting

permission to dig at the site. On May 10, she received the official document granting her

permission to excavate as a representative of the American School of Archaeology at Athens in

the name of the Cretan government. Her team began breaking ground on May 14, 1900 (Boyd

1901: 127).

As a brief site description, Kavousi is a village in East Crete located on a fertile plain

approximately two miles from the sea. It is located in the northern foothills of the Thripti

mountain range roughly nineteen kilometers northeast of Ierapetra. Kavousi was an ideal

location for settlement due to its natural defenses, most notably the surrounding mountains and

sea, as well as for the fact that it commanded four major roads.

Hawes first started digging by the remains of a Cyclopean wall where she found pottery

fragments 0.30 meters below the surface that continued up to a depth of one meter. The sherds

were mostly remains of unglazed ware, but there were also decorated fragments with black and

red paint that had bands, dots, swirls, plant patterns, and fish scales on them. She also uncovered

bronze arrowheads and jewelry, gold leaf, glass, iron swords, vases, spearheads, and a bronze

plate that was engraved with sphinxes, griffins, lions, and human figures. (Adams 2014: 125).

Some of the earliest finds were made from Thunder Hill on southwest Kavousi.

Specifically, a house and a necropolis were found, in addition to part of an ancient wall. Hawes

also discovered several tholos tombs with rich pottery finds and skeletal remains, as well as two

beehive tombs. These tombs contained several large pithoi, four well-preserved skeletons, forty

vases (which are dated from the Mycenaean period or earlier), parts of iron swords, a clay whorl,
a soapstone whorl, a bronze bracelet and ring, and five bronze fibulae. On the most northern end

of the Thripti mountain range, she also found a small palace (Boyd 1901: 135).

After several successful months of excavating, Hawes returned to the United States and

presented her findings at the Archaeological Institute of America. She was the first woman to

ever present her own research at this conference. Her work was praised both by the Institute and

by The Philadelphia Press, who complimented her knowledge, sense of adventure, and scientific

presentation (Fotou and Brown 2004: 217). Fortunately for her, another woman present at the

conference was also interested in Cretan archaeology: Mrs. Cornelia Stevensen, the Institutes

secretary. Upon taking a liking to Hawes and believing she held true potential, Stevensen

accumulated sufficient funding from the Institute that enabled the continuation of Hawes

excavations on Crete (Adams 2014: 125).

The following year in 1901, Hawes returned to Crete to partake in what turned out to be a

three-season dig at the site of Gournia. She was specifically seeking a Bronze Age settlement, for

she believed that this particular age was the best period of Cretan civilization (Lobell 2015: 4)

But what she found was even more influential to the trajectory of Cretan archaeology: a Minoan

town.
 Figure 3. Entrance to the modern site of Gournia (Bisbing 2017)

Before Hawes discovered Gournia, this town had been wholly undiscovered for nearly

3500 years (Lobell 2015: 4). Interestingly, this was the first time that Cretan archaeology

purposefully focused on studying a Minoan town rather than a large palatial site. Gournia was

significant because it revealed the daily lives of ordinary people during the Neopalatial Age of

Crete from 1700-1450 BCE. For once, the bulk of society - the lower classes who provided vital

resources for the palaces - was being examined.

Early Minion II was when significant settlement began at the site (Boyd 1908: 4). While

the ancient name for Gournia is not known, its name in present day was given after the Greek

word gorna, which is a stone trough used for watering animals. Apparently, this type of

farming device was common in any typical Greek village (Lobell 2015: 5). Gournia was chosen
to be the main place of occupation partly due to its location, which was very near to the sea.

Fishing and trade were, thus, large parts of the Gournians livelihoods. The coastline also

provided protection from potential invading peoples. Several streams were in near proximity for

freshwater as well.

Figure 4. Remains of paved road system in Gournia (Bisbing 2017)

Upon digging, Hawes uncovered sixty houses on the acropolis, a system of cobblestone

streets, a small palace, a cemetery north of the acropolis at Sphoungaras, and innumerable bronze

weapons and tools (Soles 1979: 149). She also found stone and clay vessels, pottery sherds with

octopus paintings on them, double-headed axes, and walls, as well as evidence of personal and

public religious sites (Boyd 1965, Part II: 269). From her excavations, Hawes determined that

Gournia was primarily an industry-based town, not on that was mostly based on agriculture. She
also noted that the reddish-brown, rudely finished pottery known as Mirabello Ware after the

geographical proximity to the Mirabello Bay was very similar to the pottery found at Knossos.

Thus, she wondered if Gournia had been founded by migrants from Knossos. Ultimately, Hawes

discovery of a Minoan town at Gournia provided a first glimpse into the rich lives of ordinary,

everyday Cretans (Lobell 2015: 5). Her evidence and painstakingly detailed site reports provided

crucial information for a modern understanding of Bronze Age settlements in Greece and the

Cyclades.

In September of 1901, Hawes returned to the United States to teach at Smith College, to

write excavation reports, and to prepare a paper about her time in Gournia entitled Mycenaean

Discoveries at Gournia, in the Neighborhood of Kavousi. This paper would later be presented at

the Archaeological Institute of America, just as her Kavousi reports were. Like before, her paper

was positively received by the press and the Institute, as well as Mrs. Cornelius Stevensen.

Stevensen wrote high about Hawes in the Institutes official report, claiming,

So few women have achieved distinction as field archaeologists that Miss Boyds
(before she was married) success must be greeted with peculiar pride by Americans. Several
women have done important original work in archaeology...but it was reserved to an American
woman to undertake single the business responsibility and scientific conduct of an expedition
(Fotou and Brown 2004: 224).

Upon returning to Crete again, Hawes gave a tour of the island to the anthropologist

Henry Hawes, who would eventually become her husband. Harriet and Henry were married on

March 3, 1906 in Washington, DC and moved to New York immediately afterwards. When

pregnant with her first child, Hawes diligently worked on her book Gournia: Vasiliki and other

prehistoric sites on the isthmus of Hierapetra, Crete; excavations of the Wells-Houston-Cramp

expeditions, 1901, 1903, 1904. As the title suggests, this publication detailed her
three-season-long excavations at Gournia and Vasiliki. She also wrote and published an

academic paper about the Minoans and Mycenaeans to present at the Archaeological Institute of

America. However, her paper had to be presented by someone else due to the timing of the birth

of her son Alexander. Named after her favorite and very influential brother, Alexander was born

on December 3, 1906 exactly nine months after her wedding date. Hawes book about her

Gournia excursion was finished and published two years later in 1908. Then in 1909, Hawes and

her husband co-published their book entitled Crete: The Forerunner of Greece. One year later in

August 1910, her daughter Mary Nesbit Hawes was born (Fotou and Brown 2004: 237).

The Hawes family ended up moving frequently depending upon where Henry was offered

work. These locations included Madison, Wisconsin where Henry taught anthropology at the

University of Wisconsin, Cornwall, England when Henry returned to Crete, and Hanover, New

Hampshire upon Henry being offered a position as assistant professor of anthropology at

Dartmouth College (Fotou and Brown 2004: 238). Meanwhile, Harriets work seemed to

primarily revolve around her family and household. She still worked on academic papers, but her

publications were always done in the background of her home duties. She actually commented

on this shift from archaeology, fieldwork, and teaching to child rearing and domesticity in a later

piece of writing. Hawes claimed that a woman should expect her intellectual life to be

interrupted, i.e., she should prepare to give her first ten years after marriage...to her family

interests (Fotou and Brown 2004: 134). However, this change of priorities lasted significantly

longer than ten years. Once she married and began raising a family, Hawes did not return to

Crete again until 1926 - and it was only a one time occurrence to make certain that her
excavations were still thriving and were under good leadership. She was truly an archaeologist

turned housewife (Adams 2014: 134).

Hawes died on March 31, 1945 with her two children by her side after being hospitalized

for an operation. She was buried at the family cemetery in Forest Hills, Boston. Several decades

after her death, her childhood home was included on the Boston Womens Trail, which is an

organization formed in 1989 by a group of Boston Public School teachers, librarians, and their

students. The Trail aims to give women their rightful place in Bostons history by revealing and

detailing information about their lives and work. Other women honored in this group include

Abigail Adams, Amelia Earhart, Louisa May Alcott, and Phillis Wheatley. In 1992, her daughter

Mary Allsebrook wrote her mothers biography entitled Born to Rebel: The Life of Harriet Boyd

Hawes. The book was edited by Hawes granddaughter Annie Allsebrook, making the project a

real family affair (Fotou and Brown 2004: 245).

Figure __. Cretan girls employed to wash pottery found in the dig. (Boyd 1965, Part I: Figure 3)

Hawes was an influential woman in archaeology as well as a positive role model,

specifically for women in the field. She was pioneering in many of the things she accomplished,

from excavating her own sites to publishing her own research results. Hawes was one of the first
women, if not the first woman, to actually use her archaeology degree to excavate ancient sites.

At the time, most women became librarians, assistants, or other secondary roleplayers to men.

However, Hawes enjoyed doing the dirty work - while wearing a long dress, no less. Today, men

still largely dominate the archaeological sphere with head women archaeologists being a

minority. Hawes was the leader on her own excavation during her own digs on Crete, which was

a remarkable achievement for a woman in the early 20th century.

While on excavations, Hawes also did not have a male archaeologist or supervisor to

escort her on her sites; rather, she went alone with just her assistants and a local guide to

navigate them around the island. At her digs in both Kavousi and Gournia, Hawes was in charge

of at least one hundred workmen, as well as several women, at any given time. During her time

at Gournia, she also hired local girls to wash the excavated materials found at the site, which

furthered the number of women involved in the project. Hawes was also the very first female

archaeologist to present her research at the Archaeological Institute of America. Doing so gave

her the opportunity to receive additional funding for her projects, coincidentally from a female

patron. Hawes persevered through harsh conditions - both out in the field and in society. While

some doubted her ability, she pushed through the hardship and became one of the most

influential, early archaeologists. Her influence was so profound that her excavations at Gournia

are still continuing to this day.

Harriet Boyd Hawes was a woman of many talents. Between her highly successful career

in archaeology, time nursing in wars abroad, teaching, writing, and family rearing, Hawes led a

very rich and fulfilling life that impacted both the archaeological community and the feminist

movements throughout the 20th centuries. Through her tenacity, Hawes played a crucial role in
discovering the history and archaeology of Crete, specifically at Gournia with her excavation of

a Late Minoan town that revealed the everyday lives of the Minoans. Modern scholars still praise

her work and character, crediting her with being modest in her achievements, honest in crediting

those who advised her, and loyal to any institutions who worked with her. She also inspired

future female archaeologists to pursue their goals, even in the face of misogynistic stereotypes.

Ultimately, Hawes was a highly impactful individual and a great role model, whether

considering archaeology, womens empowerment, or family raising.

Bibliography:

Adams, A. 2014. Harriet Boyd Hawes: Just Like a Volcano. Pp. 117-134 in Ladies of the Field
Early Women Archaeologists and Their Search for Adventure. Nanoose Bay: Greystone Books.

Bolger, D. L. 1994. Ladies of the Expedition: Harriet Boyd Hawes and Edith Hall in
Mediterranean Archaeology. In A. Claassen. Pp. 41-50 in Women in Archaeology. Ed. C.
Claassen. Philadelphia: University of
Pennsylvania Press.

Boyd, H. A. 1901. Excavations at Kavousi, Crete, in 1900. American Journal of Archaeology 5:

125-57.

Fotou, V. and Brown, A. 2004. Harriet Boyd Hawes. Pp. 198-245 in Breaking Ground:
Pioneering Women Archaeologists. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Hawes, H. B. 1908. Gournia: Vasiliki and other prehistoric sites on the isthmus of Hierapetra,
Crete; excavations of the Wells-Houston-Cramp expeditions, 1901, 1903, 1904. Philadelphia:
American Exploration Society.

Hawes, H. B. 1965. Memoirs of a Pioneer Excavator in Crete. Archaeology 18: 94-101.

Hawes, H. B. 1965. PART II Memoirs of a Pioneer Excavator in Crete. Archaeology 18: 268-76.

Lobell, J. 2015. The Minoans of Crete. Archaeology 53: 1-7.

Soles, J. S. 1979. The Early Gournia Town. American Journal of Archaeology 83: 149-67.