Rhind Lectures

Rhind Lectures are a series of lectures on archaeological topics. They have been hosted by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland since 1874. The content of the lectures is usually published in journals or expanded into new works by their authors.

The name commemorates Alexander Henry Rhind, whose bequest to the society funded this lectureship. Rhind directed that his estate be used for this purpose, once the interests of living parties were extinguished, which took place 11 years after his death in 1863. The speaker and subject are selected some three years in advance, allowing the speaker to give a detailed exposition of a topic in their area of expertise.

The Rhind Lectures have continued into the 21st century, and since 2009 the society has published a video file that is freely available to the public.

Lecturers 1874–2008
The total number of lectures in the series in 2012 was 133. The following is a list of all lecturers to 2012, with the title of their lectures where known.

24	1900	The Edwards in Scotland, 1296–1377 Joseph Bain, FSA Scot 25	1901	The Constitution, Organisation, and Law of the Mediaeval Church in Scotland Bishop Dowden 26	1902	Castellated architecture of Scotland Thomas Ross 27	1903	Scotland in the Time of Queen Mary P Hume Brown, MA LLD., Fraser Professor of Ancient (Scottish) History and Palaeography in the University of Edinburgh 28	1904	Roman Scotland George Macdonald, MA 29	1905	Roman Britain Dr F Haverfield, MA LLD 30	1906	The Archaeology of the Cuneiform Inscriptions Professor Archibald Sayce 31	1907	Roman Britain Dr F Haverfield, MA LLD 32	1908	The Roman Station at Newstead Mr James Curle 33	1909	The Occupation and use of the land in Scotland in Early Times Dr David Murray 34	1910	Art of the Period of the Teutonic Migrations Professor Gerard Baldwin Brown 35	1911	The Records of Scotland J Maitland Thomson, LLD 36	1912	The Early Chronicles relating to Scotland Rt Hon Sir Herbert Maxwell, Bart., President of the Society 37	1913	Some aspects of Scottish Feudalism Dr George Neilson 38	1913	The Development of writing and printing in Western Europe Dr W K Dickson 39	1914	The Liturgy and Ceremonial of The Mediaeval Church in Scotland Mr F C Eeles 40	1915	Medals of the Renaissance Mr George Francis Hill, Keeper of Coins & Medals, British Museum 41	1916	Celtic Place-Names in Scotland Professor W J Watson, LLD 42	1917	Arms and Armour Mr Charles J. ffoulkes, Curator of the Royal Armouries, Tower of London 43	1918	The Prehistoric Monuments of Scotland Mr A O Curle 44	1919	House Furnishing and Domestic Life in Scotland 1488–1688 Mr John Warrack 45	1920	Painting in the Roman Empire (from the last century of the Republic to about 800 AD) Mrs Arthur (Eugénie) Strong, British School at Rome 46	1921	Egyptian Science Professor W M Flinders Petrie 47	1922	Monastic Building in Britain Mr C R Peers 48	1923	The Civilisation of Greece in the Bronze Age Dr H R Hall 49	1924	Early Races of Scotland Professor Thomas H Bryce 50	1925	The Mediaeval Castle in Scotland Mr W M Mackenzie, Secretary RCAHMS 51	1926	Italian Sculpture of the Renaissance Mr Eric Maclagan, director, V & A Museum 52	1927	Roman Britain Sir George Macdonald, KCB FBA LLD 53	1928	The Ancient Connections between Scotland and Norway Professor A W Brøgger 54	1929	The History of the Brooch Mr Reginald A Smith, BA FSA 55	1930	The Hittites Professor Garstang 56	1931	Monastic Life and its influence on the Civilisation of Scotland Mr George Gordon Coulton, Litt D DLitt LLD FBA 57	1932	The Megalithic Culture of Northern Europe Dr C A Nordman, Helsingfors 58	1933	English Illumination from AD 700 to the end of the Fifteenth Century Mr Eric G Millar, DLitt 59	1934	Augustan Civilisation in Western Europe Mr Ian A Richmond 60	1935	Early Anglo Saxon Art and Archaeology Mr E T Leeds, Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum 61	1936	The Archaeology of the Iberian Peninsula Professor P Bosch Gimpera 62	1937	Mediaeval Edinburgh Dr C A Malcolm 63	1938	Excavations at Ras Shamra Monsieur Claude Shaeffer 64	1939	Early Art of Scandinavia Professor Haakon Shetelig 1940 Postponed (delivered in April 1942) 65	1941	The Province of Mar Dr W Douglas Simpson 66	1942	Jurisdictions of Mediaeval Scotland Dr W C Dickinson 67	1943	The Topography of Roman Scotland Mr O G S Crawford, FSA 68	1944	The Development of Tribal Society in Scotland Professor V G Childe, DLitt DSc FBA V-PSA 69	1945	The Scottish Burghs Dr W Mackay Mackenzie 70	1946 Spring	Scandinavian Art of the Post-Christian Pagan Period Professor Haakon Shetelig 71	1946 Oct	Castles and Cannon: A Study of Early Artillery Fortifications in England Mr Bryan H St John O’Neil 1947 No lecture 72	1948	Early Christian Monuments in the Near East Professor W M Calder, LLD 73	1949	First: The Mediaeval Stone Carver in Scotland (Two series of lectures delivered)	Mr James S Richardson, LLD 74		Second: Regional House-Styles: their origins and development: recent studies in South Wales Sir Cyril Fox, DLitt FSA 75	1950 (Series of seven lectures)	Periods of Highland Civilization Miss I F Grant LLD 76	1951	Discipline of Field Archaeology Professor R E Mortimer Wheeler 77	1952	Greek Sculpture: The Century after Pheidias Mr Bernard Ashmole, MC MA BLitt FBA 78	1953	Architecture in Elizabethan England Mr John Summerson, CBE FSA ARIBA 79	1954	The Laboratory in the service of Art and Archaeology Dr H J Plenderleith 80	1955	A Survey of American Archaeology Dr G H S Bushnell 81	1956	Classical inspiration in Medieval Art Mr W F Oakenshott 1957 No lecture due to the death of Professor S P O’Riordain 82	1958	The Historical Local Institutions of Scotland Professor G S Pryde of Glasgow 83	1959	The Role of Constantinople in Byzantine Art Professor D Talbot Rice 84	1960	Roman Imperial Art Mr J B Ward Perkins, Director of The British School at Rome 85	1961	The Origins of the Late Celtic Art Professor Haseloff of Würzburg 86	1962 March	Mounds of the Middle East: their formation and excavation Mr Seton Lloyd, CBE 87	Nov	The Prehistoric Origins of Europe Professor Stuart Piggott, BLitt DLitt HUM 88	1964	The Coins of the Ancient Celts Mr D F Allen, BA FBA FSA 89	1965 March	Anglo-Saxon Pottery and the Settlement of England Mr J N L Myres, MA LLD FSA 90	Oct	Cultural Structure and Movement in East Asia from the Neolithic Period to the Unification of China Mr William Watson, MA 91	1966/67	Scottish Architects and English Architecture in the 18th Century Dr PJ Murray 92	1967/68	Late Medieval Monumental Sculpture in the West Highlands Dr K A Steer 93	1968/69	The Roman Frontier in Germany in the Light of New Research Prof Dr Hans Schonberger 94	1969/70	The Furnishing of Medieval Churches in Scotland The Rt Rev Monsigneur D McRoberts S.T.L. 95	1970/71	Plough and Field shape from Prehistoric Times to c1500 AD Prof Axel Steensberg 96	1972/73	Byzantine Mosaic and Wall Paintings D Winfield 97	1973/74	Aspects of Archaeology in Iran D B Stronach 98	1974/75	Scottish Silversmiths and Their Work Stuart Maxwell 99	1975/76	Interior Decoration in Great Britain G Beard 100	1976/77	Pictish Art and Society Dr I Henderson 101	1977/78	Pre-Roman Celtic Art Prof O-H Frey 102	1978/79	The Medieval Cathedrals of Scotland Dr R Cant 103	1979/80	The Course of Architecture in Ireland Dr M Craig 104	1980/81	The Industrial Heritage Prof S G E Lythe 105	1981/82	Pre-Roman and Native Settlement between the Tyne and Forth Prof G Jobey 106	1982/83	Aspects of the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age in the Netherlands and Britain Prof JD van der Waals 107	1983/84	The Danube Frontier of the Roman Empire Prof J J Wilkes 1985/86	108	1986/87	Culture, Tradition and Artifact Dr A Gailey 109	1987/88	The Archaeology of Death in Ancient Egypt Dr A Rosalie Davie 110	1988/89	An Heroic Age: War and Society in Northern Britain AD 450–850 Prof Leslie Alcock 111	1989/90	The Archaeology of the Slavs Dr Martin Gojda 112	1990/91	The Revival of Medieval and Early Renaissance Architecture in Scotland 1745–1930 Dr D M Walker 113	1991/92	Altering The Earth: The Origins of Monuments in Britain and Continental Europe Prof R Bradley 114	1992/93	Scottish Monastic life on the Eve of the Reformation Dr Mark Dilworth 115	1993/94	Oral Narrative in Scotland Donald A MacDonald 116	1994/95	Enlarging the Past: the contribution of Wetland Archaeology Professor John and Dr Bryony Coles 117	1995/96	Death and Wealth in Viking Scotland Professor James Graham-Campbell 118	1996/97	The Food of the Scots		Professor Alexander Fenton 119	1997/98	Scottish Royal Palaces: The Architecture of the Royal Residences during the Late Medieval and Early Renaissance Periods John Dunbar 120	1998/99	The Origins of Insular Monasticism Professor Charles Thomas 121	1999–2000	Significant Figures: Anderson, Baldwin-Brown, Childe, AO Curle, J Curle, A McBain, L Mann, WF Skene Dr D J Breeze; Dr DV Clarke; Professor D Meek; Dr JNG Ritchie; Mr WDH Sellar 122	2000–2001	Art as Archaeology, Archaeology as Art: Transformations through material culture Professor Colin Renfrew, Baron Renfrew of Kaimsthorn, University of Cambridge 123	2001–2002	Peoples Between The Oceans Professor Barry Cunliffe, University of Oxford 124	2002–2003	Lines from the past: towards an anthropological archaeology of inscription Professor Tim Ingold, University of Aberdeen 125	2003–2004	Court, Capital and Country: the Emergence of Renaissance Scotland Professor Michael Lynch, University of Edinburgh 126	2004–2005	Men who turned towards the light: Cult and creativity in the Romans’ world Professor Greg Woolf, University of St Andrews 127	2006	Rock and Cave Art Paul Bahn 128	2007	Living in an Age of Stone: Neolithic people and their worlds Professor Gabriel Cooney, University College Dublin 129	2008	Archaeology and the Sea in Scandinavia and Britain Professor Ole Crumlin-Pedersen, Denmark

Lecturers 2009-
130	2009	New Light on the Dawn: a new perspective on the Neolithic Revolution in Southwest Asia		Emeritus Professor Trevor Watkins, University of Edinburgh 131	2010	Design versus Dogma: Reflections on Field Archaeology Professor Martin Carver, University of York 132	2011	Material and spiritual engagements; Britain and Ireland in the first age of metal Dr Stuart Needham 133	2012	On the windy edge of nothing: Vikings in the North Atlantic world – ecological and social journeys Professor Kevin Edwards, University of Aberdeen

134	2013	‘magnificent for the beauty and extent of its buildings and worthy of everlasting fame’ – the architecture of the Scottish late medieval Church Professor Richard Fawcett, University of St Andrews

135	2014	Archaeology and Celtic Myth – an exploration Professor John Waddell, NUI Galway

136	2015	British Archaeology: its progress and demands Various contributors including, Professor Audrey Horning, Queen’s University Belfast; Professor Ian Baxter, University Campus Suffolk; Dr Jacqui Mulville, Cardiff University; Margaret Maitland, National Museums Scotland; Dr Rebecca Jones, Historic Environment Scotland; Dr Alan Leslie, Northlight Heritage; Professor Mary Bownes, University of Edinburgh; Professor Keith Dobney, University of Aberdeen; Dr Greger Larson, University of Oxford; Dr Eva-Maria Geigl, CNRS University Paris 7; Professor Ian Barnes, Natural History Museum; and Professor Richard Bradley

137	2016	Antiquaries, archaeologists and the invention of the historic town c.1700–1860		Professor Roey Sweet, University of Leicester, Centre for Urban History

138	2017	Sacred Heritage: medieval monasticism, magic and memory Professor Roberta Gilchrist, University of Reading 139	2018	Drystone technologies: Neolithic tensions and Iron Age compressions Dr John Barber, AOC Archaeology Group